“Valentine’s Day Project”
Whenever you think about the month of February, your initial thought is (unless it’s your birthday) Valentine’s Day. Some look forward to show off their significant other while others look forward to snapping a photo of themselves eating at fancy restaurant (not your boy though). Some dread the day entirely which is totally understandable cause I’ve been there (I can safely say we’ve all been there too). Taking all of these different perspectives into account can really make you reflect on how fortunate you really are to spend the day with a significant other. Or on the other hand, really emphasize how alone you are. I was on the latter cause mejor estar solo que mal acompanado.
For 2018, I was heartbrokenly single because my girlfriend at the time broke up with me (well we broke up a couple months ago.. long story) and I wasn’t ready to go out and jump into the dating scene. I didn’t want my previous baggage bleed into the next relationship and give that burden to another woman. But I can proudly say, I’m glad that happened (I guess?).
I usually take sabbaticals every now and then and by that I mean I’m not on social media which is perfect for someone who’s heartbroken right? (Honestly, I don’t know how I do it) Anyways, February 1st hit and out of all days I had my newly bought Polaroid with me. A group of friends pass by while I’m at work and wanted to take a picture from one of their phone’s. For some reason I offered them a Polaroid if they wanted too and they can keep it. They did. After I took the first two Polaroids, I noticed something in particular. Aside from the fact that they were friends, partially drunk and ready to go to a lounge and celebrate a friend’s birthday, the emotions on their faces was priceless. They were living in the moment and what better moment to live in than now, the present amirite? Consequently, I came up with an idea which is what I would like to call “Valentine’s Day Project.”
“The meaning of love is different for all of us just like how we show it varies.”
With my Polaroid and some film, I started to brainstorm some ideas. I thought “How can I make a project that would evoke the complexity of love and all of its grandeur?” The question lingered all throughout the day so much so I wrote the word love repeatedly. Alas, after some heavy thinking, I was able to come up with a way: How about I just ask people questions about love? But now how can I capture that moment? As you guessed it, the Polaroid I had was the perfect catalyst to capture those genuine and precious moments. One idea lead to another, snowballing into what the “Valentine’s Day Project” is. The project now is an annual celebration of Valentine’s day whether you are a fan of it or not.
The meaning of love is different for all of us just like how we show it varies. For some, love feels like you’re flying. For others, love feels like you’re dying. But one thing I’m pretty sure we can all agree on is once you experience love, the very feeling is beautiful and powerful. Whether that’s from your significant other, your friends, parents, anyone you can think of on this Earth’s surface. Love is all and everything at the same time.
