I was recently commissioned to create a conceptual portrait to accompany the @wsj article, “Why We Choose to Suffer.” The essay is an excerpt from Paul Bloom’s upcoming book, The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning, which touches on why we humans often choose things that create unpleasant moments for ourselves, and how these moments can ultimately lead to growth and even pleasure.

Here are a few excerpts from the essay:

“We pursue pleasure and comfort; we hope to make it through life unscathed. Suffering and pain are, by their very nature, to be avoided… But this theory is incomplete. Under the right circumstances and in the right doses, physical pain and emotional pain, difficulty and failure and loss, are exactly what we are looking for.

Think about your own favorite type of negative experience. Maybe you go to movies that make you cry or scream or gag. Or you might listen to sad songs. You might poke at sores, eat spicy foods, immerse yourself in painfully hot baths. Or climb mountains, run marathons, get punched in the face in a gym or dojo.

A life well lived is more than a life of pleasure and happiness. It involves, among other things, meaningful pursuits. And some forms of suffering, involving struggle and difficulty, are essential parts of achieving these higher goals, and for living a complete and fulfilling life.”

For my creative approach I worked with @emilijapapic in capturing a range of emotive silhouettes in front of a colorfully-lit background. I then projected a range of different images and patterns on her in an effort to indicate inner turmoil. Some of the images were shot more clean and representational. For others I slowed down my shutter and implemented motion blur to create more abstract images. The latter set ended up being the one that ran with the essay.

Thanks to @ronniephoto for the opportunity. These are the types of assignments that I live for.