Illumination

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When people ask the question, “What do you do?” in polite conversation, they’re not typically interested in knowing the banal details of how you make a buck or manage to pay the bills. The essence of this question is aiming at something much higher. It’s universal and yet specific at the same time. What do you do? It’s the answer to what allows you to face another day. It’s the answer to what really makes you feel alive. For the artistic person, engaging in the act of creativity is life. If you’re a writer, you write. If you’re a painter, you paint. If you’re a dancer, you dance. If you haven’t found “it” yet, then you’re a student of life looking for your calling. It will come.

Growing up, I spent hours making claymation films with the family video camera. I have always enjoyed taking pictures as well. When I began learning how to paint with watercolour, pairing it with photography was a no-brainer. Further still, pairing photography with making models was a natural step. For me, engaging in more creative outlets isn’t draining—it is energizing! Each time I create something, it's a step toward enlightenment in some form or other. This is why I've titled this collection "Illumination."

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Pauline Shen is an emerging artist in London, Ontario. Her work aims to showcase beauty and courage rooted in unexpected and challenging places. She is a writer, photographer, and mixed media artist. Her work is published with Amethyst Review, Blank Spaces, CommuterLit, Dreamers Creative Writing, Occasus Literary Journal, Wordsfest’s Zine and The Signpost. Pauline completed her B.A. in psychology and B.Ed in intermediate-senior mathematics and English at The University of Western Ontario.

More: paulineshen.ca | info@paulineshen.ca