October 2020
A phone photography gratitude practice, designed as a mood-boosting creative group activity, during these challenging times.
The Gratitude Gallery is a month-long project, part of The Phoenix Project (a mental health & wellbeing initiative) organised by Green Close Arts and Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.
The course, comprising of 4 online workshops, brought a group of people together who learnt phone photography skills and used them to create daily photos of aspects of their life that they're grateful for.
This collection of images is the culmination of our month together and represents the vast array of these moments of appreciation, experienced and captured. A few of the group members have also chosen a favourite image to tell you more about.
Nature
Nature has been such a tonic for me this year and something I feel incredibly grateful to observe from where I live in Lancashire. I love the way the golden autumn light captures the twists and turns the branches of this tree has made over the years.
Mask
I really loved the idea during this very cruel year of taking time out to record some of the simple things that give pleasure and to be thankful for. Sadly I was unable to continue the project after week 1, but I took a great deal away from just that first week. My gratitude is for my sleep apnea mask, which I have to wear every night. It's uncomfortable, cumbersome and can be noisy, but every morning it means I get to wake up again. Johnny
Beauty
Finding beauty in the ordinary has been one of my favourite things about completing the Gratitude Gallery in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Nature, in particular, has a way of encouraging us to be more mindful and grateful, just by being in its presence. Zahra
Looking Through
Looking Through was a photograph taken as part of one of the challenges that Ginny set: to take a photograph looking through something. This is a photograph of a painted pebble, taken through my glasses. The gratitude is multi-layered in this photograph: I love the colours and pattern and am grateful for the memory of the family day it was painted. I am also grateful for my glasses, and that they allow me to continue to read and complete close creative activities. Joanna
Possibility
I was lucky enough to travel high up into the mountains above us yesterday, to see the huge space, to feel the powerful sense of possibility and to breathe in the deep peace of the forest - and then we saw this rainbow - such a beautiful blessing. Just before I took the photo, the rainbow was really strong and bright and we could see both ends. I feel such profound gratitude for this moment and the magic of life. Bryony
The Gratitude Gallery
* Whilst browsing the gallery, click on individual images to view the photo titles.
