A journey exploring my rawness

 

I woke up thinking about the concept of rawness today. It was the only thing on my mind. Initially, I considered how, when taking photos, I always choose raw quality because it offers the highest accuracy in capturing details and pixels.

This led me to reflect on my love for visiting places that are less traveled. During my journeys, I enjoy walking for long hours, exploring unknown areas rather than the popular tourist spots that have been overrun by thousands of visitors daily.

One particularly mesmerizing experience was our visit to Mount Merapi this year. The rawness of the experience was palpable because volcanoes, by nature, are raw, as is the surrounding environment.

Then, I started thinking about my own raw nature, which has been polished and altered to fit into society and my surroundings, to blend in and survive. I wondered how different I would be if I were somewhere isolated, like on an island. How much of my rawness have I managed to preserve? Do I even know what my raw nature and personality truly are?

Honestly, I’m not sure. I know I've always resisted the idea of being "normal." Staying within the herd was never my style. I valued my alone time, my fearless nature—which has now changed—and I enjoyed working on subjects that confront injustice.

Returning to the idea of rawness, I think of stones. When they are raw, they carry more power and value. Once they are processed and polished, they lose some of that power, becoming less impactful than when they were in their raw state.

What I want to convey is that rawness contains the most potent form of things. Those who can or have tried to connect with this rawness often find it difficult to return to enjoying the processed versions of everything—whether it's nature, emotions, creativity, or art.

These are my thoughts for today and the inspiration for my next exploration project: finding my raw self and seeing where that connection takes me.

Have a beautiful day, everyone.