Meet Sara J. Winston

We recently connected with Sara J. Winston and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Sara J. with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I wonder about this a lot. I can trace it back to a few places. In college I had a professor named Jennifer O’Neill who said something to her students about how often we ought to try to put our work out into the world. Her words have really stuck with me. I’ve tried to keep a work ethic that allows me to apply to a minimum of three opportunities each month, as she said. I am inspired by my husband, Topher Horn’s, and I try to mirror his focus to his work as often as possible. Finally, I think that my dedication must come from a general obsession and fascination with photography. I am a perfectionist and perfection takes a lot of time, attention, and practice.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m Sara Jean Winston. I am a photographer who responds to chronic illness and its ongoing impact on my body, mind, family, and memory. I’ve made several photobooks, most recently “Foibles & Avoidance” with National Monument Press, in Oakland, California. The book is about my dad and me, our complicated relationship that is filled with love, mutual respect, and crossword puzzles.

Since 2015 I have been photographing aspects of receiving intravenous infusion care to manage Multiple Sclerosis. Most often these photographs are self-portraits, either tableaus capturing moments with nurses, my spouse, my mother, my daughter, or in solitude, I have used the backdrop of medical care–my IV, bandages or blood, and the starkness of clinical settings–to juxtapose my appearance as an able bodied young person to fight against the idea that all of this must happen in secret. Not enough is shown of multiple sclerosis or chronic illness in the mainstream.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I have had incredible mentors along my journey. I have been very lucky in that regard. They have provided friendship and encouragement over the years, as well as respectful critique. Through those relationships I have been able to better understand my work and myself.

I keep a very organized calendar in order to get things done. The calendar steers my creative life, my professional life, and my personal life.

I often take an athlete’s approach to my work. A lot of practice, a lot of structure; plenty of failure and disappointment. Yet, always carrying forward and continuing.

I would encourage folks to treasure and maintain mentors, keep a spreadsheet and organized calendar, and keep practicing and learning!

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed I take short naps. After a nap I try to approach the challenge I’m facing from a different angle. Is there something I have missed? And if so, can I confront it better by asking someone I trust for help? Sometimes many naps and many requests for help are required in order to take a single step forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarajwinston.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarajwinston
• Other: https://photobooksatpenumbrafoundation.org/long-term-photobook-program

Image Credits

Sara J. Winston