Cody and Jessica

Photographer: "What does the heart represent to the both you."

Cody: "It's kind of like that feeling when I'm laughing."

Jessica: "It's what illuminates that one thing that means the most to you when you're in the dark."

Carolina

Photographer: Well how this works is you basically imagine that if someone saw this picture and asked ‘what does this heart represent to you’. That’s what we want to know, that is, the people that see this blog.

Carolina: The Illuminated heart?

Photographer: Yeah, like if it followed you around all the time. Kinda like that movie where everyone had there own animal following them. Oh, what was that…?”

Carolina: “Ummm….”

Photographer: “Golden Compass!”

Carolina: “oh yeah!”

Photographer: “So imagine that everyone had a heart and it represented something different for them.”

Carolina: “I think it would represent hope actually.”

Photographer: “Ok.”

Carolina: “Ummm…I dunno…I think that hope comes from the heart.”

Photographer: “Good connection”

Carolina: “When you rationalize, it’s more connected to the brain really. Hope really isn’t connected to the brain to me, because you’re hoping for things that are better. You’re hoping for the comfort…the love.”

Photographer: “So when you think about hope, you don’t really think about it being produced from the mind. But it is produced by the heart, or feelings.”

Carolina: “Yeah.”

Photographer: “That’s really good insight. I never thought of it that way. Because normally when I’m hoping, I’m hoping for something that isn’t logical or rational.”

Carolina: “Exactly, you’re going against the odds or the norms.”

Photographer: “That’s good! Hope is something we are definitely in need of right now.”

Carolina: “Oh definitely. I don’t know much about the rest of the world, but especially right now things are kinda scary when you look at it.”

Photographer: “I think that is a message that needs to be shared. If you think about it, even if there was no hope for our country, there would be hope for a better society in the future.”

Carolina: “We do have to go through really difficult times, but there is hope that you will get out of those difficult times.”

Photographer: “I mean, whenever we talk about an opposition in all things we always talk about the bad coming with the good, but we never think of the good coming with the bad. As long as there is always BAD things happening in this world, there will always be GOOD.”

Carolina: “True, because you can’t have the one without the other!”

Photographer: “True.”

Jared

Jared: "It symbolizes what others expect of me. Hmmm....I'm trying to think of something else to say."
Photographer: "Well do you just mean expectations in general."
Jared: "Yeah. It also represents my responsibility to meet those expectations."

Sarah

Sarah: "It represents knowledge... want me to explain?"
Photographer: "Of course."
Sarah: "As much as we try to know the only thing we know for sure is what is happening right now, and sometimes that is not even sure."
Photographer: "And as for the heart...?"
Sarah: "Well, the heart represents trust or faith in the unknown."

Heather

Heather: "I think it means longing for love."
Photographer: "In what way?"
Heather: "Well it's just trying to find true love."

Abbie

Abbie: "I feel like its something that you would be hiding."
Photographer: "Hiding?"
Abbie: "Well...something that you know you should share, but can't."

Kimberly

Kimberly: "It represents a collection of my experiences, knowledge, and memories in life."

Emily

Emily: "It is my testimony."
Photographer: "Care to elaborate?"
Emily: "Well, it's a collection of things that I know to be true. Things that are eternal and will always remain."

Keely

Keely: "It's a source of energy for an energetic person!"
Photographer: "Well alright then!"
Keely: "Yup!"

Hans

Hans: "This heart represents people who put others before themselves. People who do good regardless of cost to themselves. People who follow Christ, who illuminates all hearts."

Photographer: "Wow...that's really good Hans. How about you personally?"

Hans: "To me personally it would represent who I have the potential to become."

Photographer: "Amazing...thank you Hans."

Courtney and Daniela

Daniela (Left): "I feel like it's the legacy of Art."
Photographer: "What do you mean?"
Daniela: "I mean, that it will always be there. Art is a constant, kinda like reality."
Photographer: "So whether we like it or not, art is there?"
Daniela: "Yeah."
Photographer: "That is so true. What about you? (points to courtney)
Courtney(Right): "Well, when I see it, I think of light shining in the darkness. It's like it represents Hope."
Photographer: "Hmmm... Interesting."
Courtney: "Also, it could represent individuality. It's nice to have something different from everyone else, you know?"

Ben

Ben: "I feel like it means following your heart."
Photographer: "Ok, care to explain?"
Ben: "Well I feel like if your heart was visible, then we would follow it. But its like...'out of sight, out of mind' you know?"

Melanie

Melanie: "I'm in love"

Photographer: "Really?"

M: "No I'm not, but it would sure be super fun! It's one of the greatest feelings in the world!"

P: "Indeed, it is..."

Introduction

This is it...
This is the Illuminated Heart Project.
Cliche...yes.
Cheesy...yes.
Poorly exposed, composed, and taken...possibly.
But there is one thing that this project is supposed to do.
It supposed to make you think.
How it works:

1. I walked down the street or stopped by on some friends and took their picture with this silly glowing heart.
2. After taking a really sketchy picture i asked them a few questions about what this illuminated heart could represent to them
3. I put it up on here for you to look at.

So what YOU are supposed to do is think about the same thing that I asked these people....
If asked, what would this heart represent to you?
Think about it.

If you would like to add pictures to the illuminated heart project or would like to be included in a picture, please email me at: JMFerg85@gmail.com