long time. I was nice enough before, and I’d already learned plenty of lessons while suffering abusive relationships. I didn’t need any of the lessons cancer brought my way. I don’t believe that everything happens for a reason, and I don’t believe there is any reason I needed to suffer as I did. There’s no silver lining to it; life would have been a lot better without cancer. That being said, I’m the type of person to make the best of a shitty situation. I held my head as high as I could muster and I did what I could to find pockets of joy. I felt a bit more freedom to do whatever I wanted in those moments, and that resulted in some of my favorite self-portraits to date. There has been a sea change in my art while I’ve been in remission. I don’t desire to shoot much, because the PTSD makes me want to hide away from the world. But when I have the motivation to shoot, I’m no longer hampered by the little things. I don't worry about whether I'm going to get a good shot. I don’t let my lack of imagination intimidate me when I’m on set and worried I’m not getting enough variety to tell a story. I’ve been able to take a step back and say, “Whatever I capture, I can turn it into a story.” Every image featured here is an image I made while in remission. I can’t thank cancer for any of these images, but I can thank myself for creating beauty when life didn’t feel beautiful.