Deborah Chew

I've just listened to a podcast that I've found deeply inspiring. It's episode 2 of Agencies of Design, called 'Storytelling and Migration ft. Alicy Aedy'. She's a photojournalist that I've only heard about through her dating relationship with Jack Harries. That's something to say of the influencing power of relationships, but anyway. She spoke with so much passion about the causes she cares about, but what made it so real and deeply touching to me was the authenticity and vulnerability in which she talked about her struggles in her journey to getting to where she is now. She talked about feeling inadequate and underqualified to do what she was doing. She's a woman in a male-dominated arena (photography) and she was intimidated by all the jargon and she wasn't a professional photographer. But she's passionate about connecting with people and telling their stories, and using that to drive change. Photography for her is the tool to get there.

2020 is turning out to be W I L D.  It's only April, but i'm writing from home, where I've not left my house for more than a month (excluding the ONE grocery trip). This of course is very unlike me, but it my submission to crazy corona. This virus is truly amazing and terrifying all at once, it's changed the lives of almost everyone on earth. There's mass deaths, tension, confusion, and economic disaster. It all feels very uncontrollable, and I'm sure many are feeling a lost of security. The poor and vulnerable are exposed to even higher risks now, and those who were living comfortably are forced to deal face-to-face with the equally scary world of introspection. This is the situation that I know is real for many, but for me personally, my experience has not been so much doom and gloom.  There has been so much good in this, and I've made sure to fill my social media feeds (my main info source) with uplifting, wholesome content. Yes, I know the world i