Free yourself to create well.
Bringing joy and freedom to your work.
Every month on the BreatheSync Instagram feed we feature an artist that is close to our heart. Afterwards we ask them some questions and share their responses unedited here. Please meet my friend and photographer, Matt Lincoln.
Why did you agree to the collaboration?
I’ve known Mike for a while now, he is a good friend and we play badminton together regularly. I see how much breathing well is a part of Mike’s life. His energy to teach and get the message of purposeful and mindful breathing out there is truly admirable and I want to help him achieve that goal.
How did you approach it?
For me, approaching the collaboration with BreatheSync was a case of going into my archive of images from my landscape collection and choosing images that I could connect with from places I’ve been to that I can remember breathing well and evoke a feeling of freshness, freedom and openness. The vast majority of shots were taken while either trekking in the mountains of Albania, Romania and the Lake District or on the coast; places really ‘full’ of fresh air.
How does your relationship with breathing affect your creative work?
I’m not particularly good at consciously being aware of my breathing but do sometimes recognise that when it’s shallow or stifled I’m not as relaxed and free thinking as I may otherwise be. I believe it’s crucial to get the right balance of Oxygen and CO2 for your mind and body to work well. Breathing is life and impacts everything we do physically, emotionally and mentally. Contrary to popular belief, where it’s often said that discontentment brings creativity, for me, feeling well and contented frees me up to create.
Do you have any favourite images that were featured and why?
My favourite images are the ones that bring back specific memories, not just of place but also people I was spending time with at that point, conversations, or something seemingly magical that was happening with the light. With these images, they’re all uncommissioned personal work that I did purely because I wanted to, which does bring a certain element of joy and freedom in contrast to my commissioned work.
Any advice for budding photographers or creatives?
Just get out there and do whatever it is that brings you joy. Do loads of it and you will get better at it. If it stops bringing joy stop doing it and do something else.
Thank you Matt. If you are inspired to breathe the world better with words and images, please get in touch.
