This week we share two stories from New York City – photojournalist Erin Wigger and Louise Gale, a British artist living in the US*.
* Since this post was published Louise has moved to Spain.
Erin Wagger
To do what I love means that I live with passion, purpose and a good amount of self-sacrifice. It means that every day I wake up and choose to live my life as a storyteller. I am a photographer and I tell life stories, death stories and everything in between.
I studied abroad for my sophomore year in Jerusalem, Israel and a friend’s father hooked me up with the number for the Associated Press office in town. I cold-called the editor and asked if he needed an intern. “I will clean your toilets or anything you need”, I remember telling him. I didn’t have a portfolio, or even any pictures to show, just hubris and the vague, unshakeable idea that this was the place for me. I now think he just wanted a cute young thing around the office, but it didn’t matter because I was in.
My first day on the job I photographed a demonstration in Bethlehem. Tear gas, rubber bullets and rocks. That was my first glimpse into real journalism. As I ran directly into the tear gas I remember thinking that this was the only thing I ever wanted to do. I decided right there to become a photojournalist. I spent the rest of the year photographing major events in Israel. I skipped class to go to demonstrations in Hebron and Ramallah. I talked my way into private Christmas services at the Church of the Nativity and took one of the only pictures of Yasser Arafat at a Christian mass. I was fearless and on fire. I failed most of my classes that year and never got a better education.
I went to school for photography, which isn’t for everyone, but I knew I needed to learn how to see. Anyone can press a button on a camera, but I wanted to know about who had come before me and find my place.
Now I freelance as a photographer in New York City, the most competitive place in this industry. It hasn’t been easy to survive. I do personal projects that make me no money and pray that they get noticed. But I still live for that thrill of meeting someone new and hearing their story. I am granted the gift of curiosity and this life enables me to indulge in it. I started photographing weddings and realized that there were stories there too, amazing ones that needed to be told truly.
I’ve had many crises of faith. Photojournalism is not a life that can be lived halfway. You will never be rich with money, but you will meet the most incredible people and be a small part of their lives. You will be a voice for them. I’ve backed away from my dream many, many times. I have been scared at the depth of my ambition. I want to tell big stories that matter and that’s what keeps me striving even when the going is rough.
(All images courtesy of Erin Wigger)
Find out more about Erin and her work on her website.
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Louise Gale
(Photo courtesy of Louise Gale)
I love that I can be creative everyday. I love that I go to bed at night contented and full of gratitude. I love waking up, excited to see what the day will bring. I love the connections I have made with other creative souls out there and the strong bonds that are forming. I love that I am listening to the universe and myself, and that I feel aligned and on the path I am meant to be on. There are so many things I am happy about in this present time of my life that I can honestly say I am doing what I love.
‘Burst’
My website was born to enable me to dream more, be inspired and inspire others, start creating art again and ultimately create the life I was born to live. It has done just that and I am so proud to say that I am now helping others dream big through my e-courses, and inspiring them with stories of serendipity and the universe. Through creating and exhibiting art, and through the life I am living, a wonderful community is forming, made up of people who support each other to explore and grow.
‘Green life or grey life?’
When I think of all the significant moments and scary decisions in my life, they have led me here, to do what I do, to the people I have met and the person I am. Growing up in the UK, my parents taught me “to go against the grain” and not always follow the crowd. My art teacher at school told me I wasn’t good enough – and that taught me “to try it anyway” (and guess what? I got in to art school!). Not having a job in a creative field right away taught me I could still be creative. The numerous jobs I had taught me it’s good to try new things and go back to your passion when the time is right. Living in Australia and travelling to far away lands taught me to be adventurous, face my fears and be a free spirit. There are many other life lessons have brought me to where I am now.
‘Botanical garden’
The greatest lesson in my life so far is to trust myself, my instincts and my intuition, and that positive thinking and determination will lead me to where I am meant to go. Being able to be creative every day saved me through the tough times of working in a windowless office and enabled me to actually realise, I COULD turn my dreams into reality.
May 1st 2011 marks my one year anniversary of this new life. The corporate life that brought me to America back in 2004 seems so far away now. I am also about to embark on training for my Life Coaching Certificate and I can’t wait to continue to help others follow their dreams.
‘Out of this world’
For more information about Louise, visit her website, or connect on Facebook.
[All images courtesy of Louise Gale]
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