Psalms of Light.

Working from photographs, memories, and interactions with the natural and human worlds, we helped J Patrick shape and develop a book he wasn’t sure would ever see the light of day. His original manuscript collected the poems he had spontaneously written during a dark period in his life, and he wanted to share his journey and inspire hope in others. He had the raw materials in hand—his words and the photos he wanted to pair them with—but he wasn’t sure how to put the pieces together.

On our first dive into J Patrick’s collection, we were dazzled by his visions of light and dark, dualism and unity. And as we explored his work, its deeper ligatures and important spiritual truths rose to the surface. We used these insights to organize his work into a complex through-line of movement between the light and the dark as the speaker reaches for revelation and oneness after painful life experiences.

J Patrick was thrilled with the new arrangement, and even with a demanding, full-time job, he still found time to connect. We offered careful notes and critiques to help him polish his work. Through several rounds of line-by-line suggestions and critique, we guided J Patrick as he honed his poems’ images and ideologies. After we finalized the poems, we sifted through his photographs and helped him match words and images.

And once everything fell into place, and we stood back to marvel at J Patrick’s creation, we swooned at the seamless movement between his honest, forthright words and his travel photographs. What started as a small spark grew into a fully realized vision, a gorgeous commemoration to life’s trials, blessings, and beauties.