"The physical space immediately surrounding someone, into which encroachment can feel threatening or uncomfortable"
That space is mine. My most treasured possession. This is where I am actually free. This is where I grow, I breathe and rest.
Presenting my take on Personal Space through my photo series.
All the photos are taken by Suman Krishna and edited on Photoshop. Background images are courtesy of Unsplash. The model for this series is Rashmi Singh Krishna.
PROTECTED
Don't mistake me as an escapist. I am not running away from you. I have merely created a safe space for myself where only the selected few shall get admission. You can see me from a distance, you can talk about me, you can try to learn about me but you cannot hear me. You can only see what I choose to show. I am not looking at you either. I am looking at my inner self.
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
I stand at the crossroad where reality and my imagination converge. I need both of them. Reality keeps me on the ground; firm, strong and practical. My imagination has kept me retain my sanity. I am not disillusioned. I can make out the difference. In the 'real world', I follow the rules created by society. In my alternate reality, I create my own rules.
PARASITES
I have wasted my time and energy on the wrong people. I have left them where I found them. They flourish on negativity. I know the distance I have to maintain between us. I have moved away but they still watch me closely. I think they have started to care less about me because I have started to do the same for them. They haven't moved a bit from their place. That is their stronghold. They know the terrain well. They will reside there forever. One day someone else will cross their path. Someone else will fall into their trap.
TOXICITY
I have been an open book. I have shared my happiest moments and my saddest days with people I have been close to. But they have always kept me in the dark. They have expected me to answer their every question but I can't ask any back. They have tried so hard to prove to the world that they forgot to live for themselves. They tried to fit in a crowd where they didn't belong. The constant race to outperform each other made them hollow and hypocritical. A good compliment from others appeared as a taunt. They thought the world is jealous of their achievement. That's dangerous toxicity, eating them from inside, making them an island, leaving them alone.
IN MY PLACE
I contemplated going back. Back in time and back to origin. I had plans. I had to re-adapt to a place where I didn't fit in. I would have to let go of my personal freedom, my self-esteem. I would be crammed back into a tiny dark pit where I once had escaped from. I have swum too far out into the ocean. Going back to the puddle was not a choice anymore.
SET ME FREE
Give me the freedom that you always speak highly of. Let me have the taste of impunity and invincibility which has always been your privilege and birthright. Don't resist when I start behaving just like you do. Give me a day to act your ways. Let me be you; with a head full of arrogance, judgment, negativity, superiority, and hatred. Or let me live the way I intend to. Let me flow. Give me my own space without interference, restrictions, unwanted judgment. Respect me as an individual or set me free!
I publish my photos in a series of six photos. See them first on my Instagram handle @someonekrishna. Every photo should be viewed in sequence as they are part of a series. Caption/ description is a major part of the photos. In order to understand my photos and the series better, please do read the description. Subscribe to my blog and never miss an update even if you are not on Instagram or other social media platforms.