Solitude in Vibrancy

Art & Photography
Written By Amanda Gattshall

Solitude in Vibrancy, Digital Photography

“Solitude in Vibrancy is a picture I took while playing mini-golf with my best friend, of all things. The course is advertised with huge billboards that promote "eight waterfalls!!!" In reality, the water smells like sulfur, it's dyed blue for aesthetics, and the waterfalls are about ankle height in reality. It's also prone to the accumulation of dirt and scum from the surrounding plants. 

The image of this single bright flower amongst all of the grime was very striking to me; I paused to observe before whipping out my phone to take the picture. It visually represents how it feels to experience and spread queer joy in a world filled with so many who want to squash it down. Being the authentically bright blossom amongst a sea of grey filth is a challenge myself and other LGBTQ+ people face every day, and I know that spaces for art like this are one of the ways we are able to keep up the good fight.” - Amanda Gattshall

Amanda Gattshall

Amanda Gattshall (she/her) is an amateur herpetologist, funky lesbian earring collector, and fictional world explorer based in Jacksonville, FL. She plans to start graduate school in August at Jacksonville University, with the hopes of earning her Master's degree in Marine Science. More of her work can be found in Timeless Ephemera, The Ekphrastic Review, and The Washington Square Review of Lansing Community College.

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