By now you're seeing lots of Seven Questions with… for people and this week it's mostly artists (thus far) — especially for Fresh Squeezed 2, this year's emerging artist exhibit at the Morean Arts Center. Lauren Mitchell is last — but certainly not least — in this series highlighting those amazing artists.
How did you discover Fresh Squeezed 2?
I had participated in a juried show with the Morean Arts Center last year — I had been following them on social media ever since and noticed the announcement pop up on my feed. It was really great to see an outlet for emerging artists at a place I was already so familiar with.
What brought you to Florida?
Love, actually. I moved here to be with my husband, who is from Cocoa Beach. I had been to Florida many times before, as my mom had gone to high school in Green Cove Springs, but to be honest Florida was the last place I ever imagined myself living. Ten years later, I have a hard time imagining myself anywhere else.
What’s your favorite part of Florida?
I love everything about Florida, even the things that drive us all crazy living here. The history — all of our achievements, all the things we got wrong, all strange things that shaped us — as well as the culture are so specifically unique to this state. I have stacks of books about Florida on my nightstand. I'm especially proud living on the Space Coast, as part of a collective firsthand witness to SpaceX making history. It's not even just something to bear witness to, either. The week I discovered I was pregnant with my daughter, I watched the last space shuttle lift off from across the river. The day she was born, we watched Discovery piggyback its way to DC from the hospital window. The history of this place has woven itself into our lives.
Patience is a big challenge. Not just in waiting for the right photo "moment" but having patience in myself in a larger sense. Putting more trust in the unknown, instead of being so caught up in the immediate.
What about the exhibit excites you most?
This is the first time I've been able to show so much of work in one space. To share the whole message, not only a part of it has definitely been a dream. I'm also excited to meet all of my fellow artists in the exhibit, to see their process and approach -— to know where they've come from to get here.
Where else can people see your work?
The best places to go are my website, laurenmitchellphotography.com and my Instagram account: @lauren_m_mitchell.
What advice do you have for burgeoning photographers?
The journey is never a straight line. More likely, it will shoot up, crash down, squiggle a lot, bend back on itself, move forward in baby steps or huge leaps. It's so easy to compare ourselves to others who seem so polished and put together, but it's only because we see their finished product, not their process. The process is messy, and it should be. More than anything, photography is 99% about showing up to take the photo. The other 1% is having the stars align for you, but you have to be aware of the stars to have them align.
This article appears in Mar 8-15, 2018.