Cleveland, Ohio

Surely you’ve picked up on this by now:  I really really love art. It’s been something I’ve felt connected to for as long as I can remember.  Because of that connection, it was so neat to spend the afternoon with Reilly at the Cleveland Museum of Art because I feel we’re kindred spirits in that way.  So many aspects of Reilly’s story actually remind me of Amanda, and I think it’s super fun to see this bubbly, bright personality mixed with a love of French and a love of other places and other languages.  One thing that unfortunately they don’t share is a love of museums.  I can walk in any museum and soak in everything for so long I get lost in a work of art.  Amanda can appreciate it, but she doesn’t connect to it in quite the same way. 

Going to the Cleveland Museum of Art with Reilly was unique because it was like having our own tour guide, but it was having a tour to what specifically fascinates Reilly. As a storyteller, it was amazing to me because it gives the character I’ve loved learning about so much depth immediately.  When you see what makes people feel things, all of a sudden you understand them so much better. 

Seeing the pieces of art that Reilly stopped at and what made Reilly’s eyes go wide and ones that she specifically requested photos in front of was such a privilege; I feel like it really opened our eyes to who she is as a person and who she is becoming.  The lily pond and the Marilyn Monroe Warhol piece show her class and elegance (appreciation of Degas as well—the art, not the guy) mixed with that little bit of rebel, that little bit of spunk, that little bit of fire that I think makes her so interesting and fun.  It doesn’t need to be perfect, and Reilly still really enjoys it. Reilly was not afraid to take the initiative, from her suggesting pieces of art that she personally connected to and taking the time to say “I think this could be a really cool spot”. 

While I love the creative control to do what we do allows and to see the world through our eyes and tell their story through our eyes, this was one of those sessions where it really felt like we were being a team in creating the images. It was very much Reilly directing a vision and trying to see the images that would result from her point of view.  I loved creating images with her!