Through the landscapes of the American Rust Belt, On the Heels of My Shadow both inspects and embodies my interdependent relationships with mental health and place. The Rust Belt is my home region and was once a critical industrial center for the country. The region began to experience rapid economic decline in the 50s due to a multitude of factors, leaving in its wake places that are fundamentally contradictory. They are simultaneously jaded and beautiful, banal and extraordinary, encompassing a feeling that can only be described as painfully human – a state I know far too well. Depression is a loyal companion of mine; sometimes, I feel grief-stricken, isolated, and out of control. By photographing these places, by placing a temporary, mathematical order upon their structure, I gain back a sense of purpose and control. I am comforted with their familiarity, both because they are my home and because I see myself in them. All of the unrest in me hones into something affirmative, absolute. I start to feel that it is okay for things to be a little broken.
