Little Brown Mushroom : On Marrying A Photographer

Great dialogue...priceless really, on the complexities of being married to a photographer over on Little Brown Mushroom. It's all good, it's all required reading no matter what role you are in. Here is a well thought out glimpse into the life from Alec Soth's wife Rachel:
I knew that I wanted to leave a comment on this post (first time ever leaving a comment on the blog), but it has been really difficult figuring out what to write. Being in a relationship with a photographer can be a wild ride no matter your gender.
When things are going well it is fantastic! The creative juju is flowing, work is being made, and praises are being sung. We have been lucky enough to go on adventures to amazing places, and see wonderful things.
For those of us in relationships with artists, and for those familiar with the creative process, we know that there are times when it doesn’t go well. There are times when the juju stops, and work becomes really difficult to make. This may happen for a variety of reasons, but when it does, it is not a happy time.
It has been hard for me to accept that for Alec to make photographs, he has to go out and become engaged in the world without me, sometimes for long periods of time. If he didn’t go out on his wanderings and look at things, he would be miserable. I would be miserable, because Alec would not be Alec. Having said this, it is lonely sometimes.
It’s easy to lose yourself, especially when your partner is successful. I think the goal is to be passionate about something, keep your life rich, fill up on things that make you feel good and are meaningful to you. Ask for what you need. It has taken me a while to understand this.
Marriage is a puzzle. This life is crazy and unpredictable, but so is everyone’s! We are not different or special. We are all just figuring it out as we go along.
I have become a stronger woman. Our marriage is well rooted, and still growing. We have two beautiful children. I am married to a complicated, amazing man that I love. I am grateful for this wild ride we share.

-Rachel Cartee Soth

Soth ( Alec) has always been interested in the balance between family and the creative path. He acknowledged it a bit in a brief entry on the time I went to his class as I was wrestling with what became ECHO, and hit it solidly in this post about fatherhood. This is the stuff that people really have ignored discussing for so long, its great to see the dialogue opening up.

Read it all HERE.