Inspirations: A Journey Through Light, Dreams, and Soul
My fine art photography collection, Inspirations, began not with a camera in hand, but with a whisper in the quiet of the night. It’s a series born from dreams, visions, and those subtle promptings that stir the heart when the world is still. For me, photography has always been more than a craft—it’s a bridge between the unseen and the tangible, a way to capture fleeting moments of wonder and give them form. Inspirations is my ongoing love letter to that mystery, a project that grows with every image, every word, every breath of intuition.
That’s how Inspirations works. It’s not methodical or planned. It’s a dance with the unknown. Some pieces start with a vision—a burst of color behind my eyes, a shape that feels like it’s calling me. Others come as promptings, those quiet nudges that pull me toward a place or a moment I can’t explain until I’m there. I’ve stood in abandoned buildings, their walls peeling with stories, or knelt in the dew-soaked grass at dawn, waiting for the light to reveal what I felt but couldn’t yet see. Each photograph is a discovery, a collaboration between me and something greater.
What sets this series apart, I think, is the writing that sometimes flows alongside it. Not every image has words—some don’t need them—but when they come, they’re like a heartbeat beneath the surface. A few lines of poetry might spill out as I process the image, or a short reflection will take shape days later as if the image has been whispering back to me.
This is my heart project, personal and alive, a way to honor what stirs me. Through photography, I hold that dove’s glow, sharing the mystery that started it all.
Inspired Vision:
Dec 18th 2017 morning vision
I was barely awake and was thinking about the book (book of JOSEPH) that was left out of the Bible when JESUS was a baby. I was thinking about how anyone that touched him or his clothes was healed. I then thought about when Mary took him to her friends house and they gave JESUS a bath. The friend had seen all the miracles and thought to save the bath water in a bottle. (Later a drop of this water healed many) So as I was picturing her doing this, suddenly I was transported to that place, under a tent with dirt floors and I was filling bottles with it. There was so much, it just kept flowing and I needed more bottles. And as I was filling them, I kept saying JESUS tears, JESUS tears over and over.
Inspired Writing:
It’s in our tears
I learned something crucial
to the well being of my spirit about 7 years ago. I learned to cry. I thought I had to be strong and just let things go. This only led to not feeling much of anything, good or bad. There is nothing worse than “not feeling”. Crying is a way to release your hurt to God. Joyful crying is a way of sharing your joy with God. When we weep, God weeps with us. I have a lot to write about tears! About 6 months ago I had this amazing vision where I was filling bottles with the tears of Christ. They just kept flowing and I knew I needed more bottles! It has taken this long to come up with an image for it as I have been patiently waiting for an idea. I just photographed this on Friday with my sweet Emily.
Erika Masterson
