Interview: Amy Fleming on her practice and using the camera to ground herself.
How did you begin this project?
I began this project shortly after I had a panic attack that completely altered the way I viewed myself and my life. I was diagnosed with panic disorder and started making photographs to help me cope with my new reality and everyday life.
How does mental health or wellness factor in your work?
My work is about my own mental health but it’s also about sharing a space and being with my partner who is also mentally ill. Mental health is the overarching theme of my work. Some of my photographs may not look like they are about mental health, but they always are.
What is your process like?
Sometimes I have a photograph already planned out in my head and sometimes I photograph with pure instinct. I often write down ideas and thoughts in the notes app on my phone while I am having a panic or an anxiety attack. These ideas usually make sense to me in the moment but when I look at them with a clear mind, I usually don’t know what they mean. I like to use those little notes as ideas for photos or even titles for a series or individual photos. A phrase that I love and often share with my students is “shoot now, think later.” When I see something in the world that I am drawn to, I will photograph it. If it doesn’t make sense in the moment, it often will later when I am looking at my work as a whole. That photograph may make a lovely diptych with another photograph that I had already made, but I wouldn’t know if I didn’t originally follow my instinct to make that photograph in the first place.
Was the process of creating this project helpful for dealing with the emotion you’re describing in your images?
This project definitely helped me cope through my diagnosis of panic disorder. It was hard and scary having panic attacks daily and thinking that I was dying. Picking up my camera and photographing myself and the world around me helped ground myself and let me know that “I am a person; I exist in this moment.” Making this work also really helped other people experience what I was going through and helped them understand me a little better.
What is your relationship to photography?
I am a photographer & an artist, but I am also an educator. I actively make work, and love to do so, but I am also a college professor teaching photography. I love being able to share my knowledge of photography with my students and get inspired from the things they are making. Photography is amazing!
If readers would like to see more of your work, where can they do so?
You can see more of my work on my website: www.amymariefleming.com and on my Instagram: @amymariefleming
Thank you so much to Amy Fleming for taking the time to share her thoughts with Too Tired Project. All images used in this post are from her body of work titled ‘When Did I Stop Being Invincible?’.