There are times when you just connect. It could be with a person, a place, or even something. For me, the Vision Workshop held in St. Ives, Cornwall and designed to help photographers find purpose in their work, was like that. It was like coming home. My first encounter was with Kat (the videographer), whom I'd met at the train station. Although we'd just met, our conversation about our backgrounds and photography was easy and jovial. I would meet Nadia and Eddi (the hosts) shortly thereafter, when they arrived to pick us up from the train station. With bright smiles and the delivery of a warm hug from Nadia, the stage was set for what would feel like a gathering of family.
Arriving at Carn Cobba, I remember walking through the front door where the upper level looked out over the two-story, open foyer. Taking note of the sign-in book, I wondered how many others had come here before me and what their experience might have been. The possibility made me eager to share the next few days with four more women (Christiane, Melanie, Anna, Nina) who were also on their way to Carn Cobba.
As I moved from one room to the next, I could sense a deliberateness about the home to connect its inhabitants with nature. The large windows and glass doors seamlessly merged the beauty of the outdoors with the interior. And when peering out, there were lush green gardens, brilliant yellow gorse that spotted the landscape, energetic rabbits that darted in and out of the bordering thicket, and grazing cows, corralled on the cliffside meadow by ancient stone walls. And oh, the marvel of the picture perfect blue-green Celtic Sea that began at the bottom of the cliffs and stretched towards the sun waiting for it at the earth’s edge.
Over the course of the days spent at Carn Cobba, the feeling of being in a place and around people that I connected with, settled into me and I relaxed into it - comfortably, unforced, sincerely. There were the perpetual discussions, walks (both alone and in groups), and incremental discoveries about members of the group, as well as myself. There was the banter and laughter, as if we’d just picked up from our last encounter. There were the bright rooms, comfy duvets and robes, and being able to curl up on the sofa with a throw and a warming cup of hot tea. Not to be omitted was the painted grey wooden table, perpetually set with dinnerware and vases of bright orange and yellow tulips, serving as the place where we all gathered to eat delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners (prepared by Chef Eddi). From here, we watched the most amazing sunsets as the day settled in each evening to receive the night. The place, the people, the particulars, pulled me in and wrapped me up.
And then there was the heart of the Vision Workshop. Wow! I’d expected Nadia to be as I’d seen her before - and she was. I’d expected to share - and I did. What I didn’t expect was the compassion that I felt after telling my stories. Although I didn’t believe that anyone would be mean or rude, I also couldn’t have anticipated the support and empathy I would receive from a group of women whom I’d never met before. It was Nadia’s desire that we feel like we had come home. Mission accomplished Nadia! I appreciate your beautiful spirit. Finally, as a conclusion to so many wonderful experiences, was the photo session at the very end of the workshop. Thank you so much to the lovely couple, Peggy and Kyle, who graciously allowed me into their space to document their love for each other.
While I suspect that everyone’s experience at the workshop wasn’t the exact same, I know that each of us took away what we needed. For me, this experience has set me on a course to find my why. It has also reinforced that vulnerability is not weakness and that it is an element crucial to my growth. That I may never cross paths with these women again, does not leave me saddened but rather with a strengthened desire to actively seek connection in my life and in my work as a photographer. It is something that I will strive for in hopes of always feeling that no matter where I am, I will find that person, place, or thing that connects with and anchors my soul.
Epilogue
Dear Friend,
Thank you for visiting. This is my first post. I hope that my words have in some way connected with you and that you will return soon.
Tightest of Hugs,
Yewande O
