Emma's Altar

One thing that has stayed consistent with me through the years is my feeling for nostalgia for every part of my past, wether it be good or bad. Sometimes I feel like I never really appreciate anything until it has come and passed and I can only look back on it. I decided to make my shrine about my past, or symbols of the things in my past that I think have shaped me into the person I am today. Over time I feel like this feeling comes back more and more intense, because I know with each passing day or year I am getting further away from the past. Most of the time this is a good thing, but when I see these images I can’t help but miss the person I used to be. The images are pinned to a quilt my grandmother made decades ago. It’s one of my favorite possessions and I am so happy to have it. I have such strong feelings for all the people, places, music, etc. on this quilt that it brings back those very intense feelings you only have when you're a young teenager and just figuring out that you're growing up fast wether you like it or not.

I took this picture of the mountains in Italy when i had just turned 14. I think my favorite part about it is that it reminds me of being so young and always feeling like I was doing the right thing for myself when going with my gut feeling. At the time I remember being pulled in so many different directions by people who thought they knew what was best for me. Looking back on it years later, I do believe I knew what was right for me at the time, even though I was so insecure.

This is my best friend, Cary. I visited her at her home in Brooklyn this Thanksgiving. She is 2 years older than me, and a couple of years ago when i was 16 and she left for college, i flew up to see her in New Hampshire. Thanksgiving will always remind me of traveling to visit her. I feel like it's our holiday.

Leonard Cohen is one of my favorite people. His album, "Songs of Love and Hate" is one of the most intense and honest things i have ever heard. I had the privilege to see him perform when i was 17 and even then I knew that it was pretty important, seeing that he probably won't be alive too much longer.

I think about this picture a lot, especially since i am so far away from these girls now. They were falling asleep on a blanket on the floor of my room after we rode around in my car aimlessly for hours. Can't wait to see them this Christmas.