An Invitation Down the Rabbit Hole

`Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); `now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!' - Lewis Carroll Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland

This quote has been an important one in my life, always seeming to echo in my mind at times of growth or utter confusion. Just as Alice has eaten the piece of cake marked “eat me” and starts to grow, and while her perspective is shifting around her, too quickly for her to make any sense of it, it seems her words fail her.

This simple repetition, just as it signals her utmost confusion, also holds her answer. Her way through this adventure is continuing down the rabbit hole, forgetting the rules and expectations of her past, and getting curious. Opening up to the new possibilities, even and especially the ridiculous ones, instead of getting lost in the overwhelm of the problems at hand.

It reminds me to laugh at myself and my preconceived ideas of things, and hand the reins to that curious little Devon voice in my head that’s still constantly asking why the sky is blue, or how do our brains send signals to tell our hands what to do, or if I can make a photographic emulsion out of berries foraged from the invasive plants growing down the street (the answer to that last one is a decided and enthusiastic YES!)

Mostly, it’s a reminder to ask myself what I need to open my mind to in order to turn today into a joyful experiment. I hope through my sharing here, it will do the same for you!

A Curious Place

I’m Devon John Chebra, experimental artist and owner of Devon John Photography.

I am fascinated by nature, photography, art history, reimagining art supplies, alchemy, technology, cause and effect, reading, poetry, foraging, sustainability, fugitive dyes, how things work, playing in the mud, and finding beauty in the most mundane of things. This curious place is a welcoming space for my questions, and yours as well!

I never anticipated the emails and calls that came in once I began sharing this journey here, reconnecting me with old friends and introducing me to new. People were telling me how much they appreciated my explorations, and how it had brought some whimsy or wonder to their day. As I play and share with all of you, the exploration gets more nuanced, more grounded in reality, but also shoots off in exciting new directions. I’m excited to see how this space can become a playground for all of us!!

I’m still figuring out this world of Substack, getting more comfortable learning new things in public, and seeing what explorations and antics add the most joy to my day.

Every Friday I send out a newsletter (ok, I try!) that hopes to inspire you with whatever has been inspiring me. And its Free!

I hope you will join me in my explorations!

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