LIKE MANY AMERICANS, I'm searching for words that I can't seem to find. As I write this now in the earliest of morning hours, my chest feels heavy. I don't know what America's choice of its next leader will mean for the future of the country I've always been proud to call my home.
What I do know is that my oldest son will go to school this morning with a new fear that his non-white friends will be deported. I know that this is not an idea that I've taught him. It's something that he's heard on the playground from the sons and daughters of those whom this new leader of the free world has said would be better kept on the other side of an impermeable wall.
I know that my closest friends and I will wake up no longer confident that the freedoms we've gained over the last eight years to live and love as we see fit will continue to be available for us under the leadership of the new administration.
I know that it's going to take all of my energy to pick up my camera, get back onto the street, and create something new today.
I know that I'm going to do just that.
Because I know that creativity is the best rebellion.
I know that building a culture of personal expression through helping others find their personal style is a small but significant way to stomp out fear.
I know that the more a person is willing to say fuck it to societal conventions about what they should wear, the more they'll be willing to consider different perspectives across other areas of their life.
I know that the best rebellions are those that seek to draw us closer together, not tear us apart.
So I'm going to pick up my camera today. I'm going to put a smile on my face even while I'm mourning and nervous and upset and frightened. I'm going to meet new people, make portraits of incredible street style, and mount my small, creative rebellion.
I may not find those words I'm looking for tomorrow. But I sure as hell can express them through the images that I make with my camera and the way that I present myself to the world.