'Darkness Cannot Drive Out Darkness; Only Light Can Do That'

A couple of months ago, I was having coffee with a friend from my book club and we were sharing our dismay about the current state of the world. She said that one of the things that weighed on her the most was the feeling of powerlessness. She said "I am a seventy-five year old woman living in Ecuador, realistically what can I do?" I am sure that this is a frustration that many people are feeling these days. I didn't have an answer for her. A few days later I was attending a concert by my friend Glenn Gano at my favorite restaurant and nightspot when I heard him sing these lyrics by the great Leonard Cohen from his song "Anthem"

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in

My friend Michelle's words of frustration immediately came back to me: "...realistically what can I do?" I had heard this song many times before, but suddenly these lyrics carried a different weight, they felt very different. The lyrics from "Anthem" caused me to think of all of the people in my life that truly shine a light and make our world a better place, whether through their art, their activism, their bravery in spite of the challenges that life has thrown them, or just by spreading their infectious positivity. I thought about my friend Daniel who uses his talents to create art that makes us think about race, culture, and history in ways that build understanding and compassion. I thought of my friend Diana that works to bring resources to the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. I couldn't help but think of my immigrant friends from Cuba and Venezuela that bring joy and light with music from their homelands. Michelle's question and Leonard Cohen's beautiful words became the inspiration for my latest photographic exhibition as well as a companion book.

Daniel Williams - Painter, Illustrator, Writer

Daniel Williams - Painter, Illustrator, Writer

The news and social media is full of bad news and negativity. We must not hide from the bad news; we must remain informed, but as Dr. King once said: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that." So, I decided to use the tools and skills that I possess to celebrate those people in my life that shine the light through the cracks by sharing the gifts that they possess. These wonderful talented folks don't worry about making a "perfect offering", they merely shine light into the darkness.

Unfortunately, there will only be enough gallery space for about thirty photographs. I want to be able honor as many people as possible in this project, so I have decided to publish a companion book as well. This will provide me unlimited space to celebrate more people who make a difference in the lives of the people of Ecuador, of my community, and make a difference in my life. I am still in the early stages of this project and I am spending as much time as possible with my subjects in an effort to capture images that will honor them. I want not only to capture their inner light, but the light that they shine to the world. My goal is to create images that do not use flash photography, but only available light in the environment where the photographs are taken. I have my work cut out for me, but what a joy it will be to share these amazing people that make such a profound difference in my life. The exhibition will be held in Cuenca with an opening event at a local gallery and cultural center on November 19th, and will be open through New Year's day 2026.

The photographs in this blog post are just a small sample of what you can expect to see in the book. I will continue to document my process here on this blog and I hope that you will follow along as I post updates. I truly hope that I will be able to honor these remarkable people by telling their stories in written stories and photographs. I am grateful for the journalists, scholars, and social justice advocates in the world that report the news and keep us informed, as painful as that may be at times, but I am even more grateful for the people in the world that shine a blinding light through the darkness.

¡Hasta la próxima!

PS; Thanks to everyone that has been reading this blog and a special thanks to those that have left comments, they mean a lot to me. If you do decide to leave a comment below, please include your name so that I know that you were here. All photos in this post were taken by me and you can check out my photography galleries by clicking on the "Albums" link at the top of the page or by clicking here: https://www.global-dispatches.com/client-showcase

Thanks!