Finding Light
Reflective Writings About Finding Purpose & Healing Through Photography, Nature & Creativity
Discover Brad Carr’s Acclaimed Philosophical and Educational Creative Essays that will Help You Find a Deeper Sense of Purpose
Brad Carr
Brad Carr writes at the intersection of photography, creativity, Nature, healing, and personal transformation. Through creative, reflective essays that emerge from years of wandering Welsh woodlands, writing in the pages of his journal, and mentoring fellow creatives, he explores the inner landscapes that shape our vision—both through the camera lens and through life itself.
These reflections offer sanctuary for those seeking to deepen their creative practice, navigate artistic transitions, or discover how mindful observation and stillness become a pathway to healing and authentic expression. Each piece invites readers to slow down, look closer, and find the light that exists within both the natural world and the internal landscape.
Turning Pro: Lessons Learnt on My Journey to Become a Professional Photographer
"Maybe you're the art now," my friend said as we hiked Cnicht's summit. Seven years into this journey—from domestic violence survivor to someone praised for his deep presence and patience—I've learned the greatest lesson: who we become through the creative process is the real reward, not the awards or recognition we chase along the way.
The Healing Practice of Mindful Nature Photography
Mindful nature photography is more than taking pretty pictures; it's an embodied practice that reduces stress, reconnects us with wonder, and provides a platform for safe emotional expression. You don't need fancy gear to start; just presence, intention, and willingness to observe more than you photograph. This practice transforms both how we see the world and how we understand ourselves. You can learn more about it in this article.
How to Land Your First Major Photography Exhibition
After securing my solo exhibition at the prestigious Plas Glyn y Weddw, I've learned that galleries don't want photographers who follow all the rules. They want those courageous enough to tell their TRUTH through their creative works.
Your greatest gift is YOUR way of seeing. You see in ways that no one else does—that vision is your superpower. But here's the uncomfortable reality: great photography simply isn't enough anymore. With 14 billion photographs shared daily, we must master the art of authentic communication.
In this guide, I share the non-technical strategies that transformed my work from social media posts to gallery walls: from developing your creative voice to building relationships with curators, embracing failure as a badge of honour, and understanding what galleries actually want from landscape photographers.
The Lost Art of Presence: Using Nature Photography as Therapy
True presence is a lost art in our scattered, device-dominated world. After surviving childhood trauma and soul fragmentation, I discovered photography and it became a pathway back to wholeness, teaching me embodied presence through Nature's mirror.
Read more to learn how this creative practice restored my sense of self-sovereignty, showing me I have the power to choose what and who I give my energy to.
Nature Photography: The Pursuit of Self
We come outdoors searching for photographs, but what are we really looking for amongst these trees and mountains? There's something primal about this search—like ancient hunters seeking purpose and stories to carry back to the tribe. Photography offered me the greatest sense of purpose. Nature became my portal to greater self-awareness, and the camera my vehicle through time and space to revisit old versions of myself and meet new ones. Through this creative practice, I've been creating myself as well as the photographs—learning what it means to be a human living to fullest potential, walking my own path with reclaimed sovereignty.
The Long Path to Acceptance
During a photography walk with a wellbeing group, a lady in her sixties said she felt physically sick when I mentioned the word 'acceptance'. She was struggling to forgive and let go of old stories preventing her from writing new ones. I understood her struggle intimately. For years, I held onto resentment from childhood trauma, hiding behind masks of addiction and victimhood. But through photography and writing, I began to see purpose emerging from my pain. With each shutter click and written word, acceptance grew. My wounds, exposed to light, began to heal. I learned to thank the demons that shaped me, transforming my narrative from things happening 'to' me to happening 'for' me. Only when we find acceptance can we free ourselves from the prison of anger and fear.
Pain is the Great Awakener
Pain is the great awakener—a catalyst for change that can become our most incredible gift if we find the courage to feel it deeply. Many of us believe we're fundamentally broken, wearing masks to hide our authentic emotions after being labelled as 'crazy' in our youth. I escaped into fantasy worlds to silence my soul's cries, running from pain until it caught up with me. But contained within our pain is an abundant source of energy—a beautifully potent force that, when harnessed through creativity, becomes fuel for great purpose. True freedom comes not from avoiding pain but from acknowledging it, accepting it, and transforming it into something beautiful. Will you dare to visit the source of your pain to awaken fully to the beauty of this wild and precious life?
The Gift of Creativity
Creativity is a gift given to those who've had their hearts broken but choose to remain open to love, stepping beyond safety into the unknown. It flows from a force greater than our thinking minds. Only when we relinquish control and transcend the ego do we become conduits for consciousness itself. The most creative souls are often the most fragile and wounded, creating impactful art from deep grieving. Perhaps it's because we who've experienced trauma have discovered greater innocence, opening once again to allow the infinite river of creativity to heal our broken hearts. Those with secure lives develop stronger, fixed worldviews that can close them off to new possibilities. Only when we find courage to cross from the known into the unknown do we access creativity's raw, potent power.
How to Land Your First Feature in a Photography Magazine
For every one response I get from an editor, there are probably seven or eight responses I didn't get." After landing multiple publications in magazines like Outdoor Photography and On Landscape, and being the ‘Featured Photographer’ in both, I'm sharing the hard truths about getting published: develop a ruthless portfolio curation process, learn to communicate beyond your camera, and embrace failure as a badge of honour. Great photography alone isn't enough anymore. Learn more about my journey from unknown photographer to international publications.
Staring into the Void
What happens when an artist builds their entire portfolio around pain and healing, only to find that success becomes its own prison? In my latest essay, I explore the journey from introspection to purpose, questioning identity, artistic authenticity, and the courage to step into the unknown. Sometimes staring into the void is exactly where we need to be.
Photographing Feelings
It took me over thirty years to realize I was born to be an artist—to share my inner world with the outer world. After years of hiding my sensitivity to survive a volatile childhood, photography became my platform to express deep-rooted emotions locked away for too long. Sometimes our greatest pain becomes our most powerful creative fuel.
Progressing in Landscape Photography and Building Creative Confidence
The confidence gained from photography practice is truly profound. In seven years, I've gone from heartbroken beginner to offering workshops, mentoring, and preparing for my first major exhibition. This side-by-side comparison of my earliest work to my latest portfolio reveals the profound personal and artistic growth possible when we commit to the creative journey—even when we don't know where it's leading.
Starting Out
I thought starting a photography business would be easy—announce it online and watch workshop bookings follow. Boy, was I wrong. Between my old Ford Fiesta, frugal meals, and jobs that didn't align with who I was becoming, I learned that business is an energy exchange. The question that changed everything: what was I offering the world beyond pretty pictures?
The Universal Struggle
The universal struggle that is shared by us all, is the desire to return to this place of sanctuary, where there are no walls that prevent love from entering.