Salt Air - Setsunai

This week’s workshop asked us to look into our image archives and find something “Setsunai,” that is, an emotion and awareness acknowledging all things are temporary. This image of a woman watching the ocean even as it begins to surround her evoked that emotion in me. And I know even if I go back to this place, it won’t be the same. An example of setsunai is spending time with a friend you haven’t seen in a long, long time knowing you will part again soon. The time you’re spending together is full of happiness and yet tinged with awareness of loss or pain.

The purpose of the “archives exercise” demonstrated we are already making images with these concepts, just not consciously. The second half of this session is to go out and purposefully find images with setsunai.

It’s not all about the images, it’s about looking at life, people, things as well. You can’t help but know most are only temporarily here and might even show signs of fading. So…my theme…grasp the moment! Feel the pain of eventual loss or change but love what is…now. Setsunasa.