COMMUNITY GALLERY

Late in 2024, a group of Wimmera people accepted a challenge to mindfully create and post one mobile phone image daily for 56 days. Along the way they meditated, learned photographic and editing skills and began examining, seeing and experiencing their world in new ways.

They tackled weekly themes of home, backyard, portraits, nature, meaning in life, community, street photography and black and white. Images were shared in a closed group and strong connections and friendships developed as participants supported, and learned from, each other.

Lens of Gratitude tells this story; of lives, landscapes and things of importance, beauty, joy or connection; of creativity evolving as individuals put their eyes and mind to a challenge.

Images span eight weeks, but the process was several years in the making. It draws on research about the benefits of daily image making; personal experience of doing this during and after COVID and insights into the physical, mental and creative value of mindfulness.

Lens of Gratitude is more than these images. It changed habits, enriched lives and helped foster extraordinary gratitude for those ordinary, simple things that we so often take for granted.

Simone Dalton, Project Coordinator