How Photography Helped Me Connect with My Inner Self [2024 In Review]

_{^{above: my 2024 top 4 picks}}

As I reflect on 2024, I realize it was a year of profound growth and understanding. Toward the end, I didn’t get out as much to take photographs, but in that time of stillness, I began to grasp why photography means so much to me. What I truly feel is that over the past years, particularly in the later months of 2024, I’ve started to connect deeply with what creativity means to me now—or at least what it has become.

For many years, after stepping into adult life, I allowed myself to be carried along by the demands of society, family, and all the expectations about what we’re supposed to do or not do. But recently, I’ve started to reconnect with my true inner self. Creativity feels like a blossoming flower—something unfolding naturally, as though it’s always been there, waiting for the right moment.

I first picked up a camera about three years ago, and at the time, it was more about the act itself than any deep creative purpose. I was driven to take photo after photo, enjoying the process but not necessarily feeling creative. It felt more like an excuse to spend time in nature, a way to keep busy, or perhaps even a distraction from other parts of life.

Yet, in hindsight, I see that photography opened a small but crucial door—just enough to let in the light. That simple act of picking up a camera set something in motion, contributing to the transformative experiences I’ve had over the past couple of years. What began as a distraction has become a path to understanding myself and embracing the creativity that had been dormant for so long.