In every person, there is their underwater world.
The world of the subconscious.
Our brain carefully hides from us painful memories that shaped us once, presents as safe what is actually destructive. If one doesn’t surface into awareness and work on oneself, they can sink into the abyss and live their whole life underwater.
This collection is created to motivate you to finally start breathing deeply. To begin understanding yourself and your subconscious, just as I started doing a year ago. I had no idea how much pain and conditioning I had buried within myself. Through therapy, I am slowly but surely surfacing into my consciousness.
These photos are not staged; they reflect the raw experience undergone to capture them, embodying the idea behind their creation. For the first time in my life, I submerged underwater so deeply without breathing to take these shots.
By Tasha Volodina
Have you ever felt like you’re drowning in your own mind? The thoughts grow quieter, desires diminish, and you find yourself descending into the depth of your despair, losing touch with who you are and why you’re feeling this way.Â
You drift through your life, watching it pass by without active participation, perhaps even becoming accustomed to that feeling.
And then there is a moment when you realize you’re not breathing deeply, the moment you feel the loneliness and realize the vastness of the ocean surrounding you.
You convince yourself that you can live and breathe even in the depths of the ocean, believing you don’t need assistance and can navigate life underwater independently. You dismiss the rumours suggesting that real life exists on the surface.Â
You begin to believe that the surface is closer than you thought, and all you have to do is swim harder. However, after drifting for so long, you realize you’ve forgotten how to swim.
You try desperately to swim, but the strong current and your own anxiety hinder your efforts. Despite numerous failed attempts, there is one fleeting moment when you manage to barely reach the surface and take a breath, and everything changes.Â
You suddenly see through all the illusions you once believed and fought for. Underwater life isn’t the serene existence you thought it was. Living solely by the impulses of your subconscious, disconnected from your true emotions and identity, turns out to be nothing but a facade.
Your emergence now is much stronger, and your swimming has improved significantly. Your breaths of fresh air are becoming more frequent, though not yet consistent. You still make mistakes, sometimes sinking into your subconscious, but you’ve learned how to avoid sinking further. Â
You still have work to do, and there are times when you falter, but with each passing day, you’re closer to the surface. You understand that it’s an ongoing process, a continuous effort to confront your inner self and manage your thoughts. It’s about rediscovering yourself and not falling for the illusion that living in the abyss is normal.
By Tasha
This collection is available to buy as NFT art on Exchange Art