Wow, @ThurstonPhoto has just reached the big 1M, one million followers on Instagram; the primary channel where I share my work. Thank you!! As much as numbers don’t serve as any kind of validation, I still want to acknowledge how special it is to me as an artist to have 1 million unique individual human beings from around the world that have chosen to subscribe to my work! It’s an incredibly humbling feeling, and its a milestone that for me, represents a lot of hard work, a lot of special people that have been a part of my journey, and also a lot of sacrifice.
I just wanted to share from my heart a bit of backstory to how this came to be. Many of you are unaware, but I actually gave up my photographic pursuits a few years back. I found myself in a very uniquely challenging relationship, where the geography in making that relationship work, played a significant role in sustaining it. Which in hindsight, should never have been the case. Without sharing too much sensitive information, out of respect, the decision I made to leave Australia and immigrate to the USA, and to have a chance at love took me through a very difficult season in my life. It was during the pandemic, so understandably we all had a difficult season during that time, however my situation was unique in the sense that I had to let go of everything I knew, everything I loved and start anew in a foreign country. I ended up becoming a construction worker living in California to make ends meet for myself and my new wife, and because waves did not pay the bills, I seldom photographed a wave for quite a long time. Not because California was void of waves, but it wasn’t the place where I felt as though I needed to be to execute the vision that’s been on my heart for a very long time. I tried photographing other things other than ‘waves’, and pursuing other avenues of creativity, but as it is written; “without vision, the people perish.”
During that time I allowed myself to believe that my photographic passions, had become ‘obsessive’, and were getting in the way of living a ‘normal’ life, and stewarding a normal relationship. I believed that the vision God had placed on my heart to fulfil had become an unhealthy pursuit, so, I gave it up. Despite my attempts to rewire my mind, my soul painfully began to deteriorate in a way that affected everything and everyone around me. It wasn’t fair on anyone, but when has life ever been fair, I would tell myself over and over. What I didn’t realise at the time, was that I had believed a lie, a lie that had convinced me to give up on what I felt as though God was calling me to do and instead of being honest with myself about my convictions, I allowed life just happen to me. It wasn’t until earlier this year (2024) after my circumstances dramatically changed and that season of my life, despite our genuine efforts, came to a heart breaking but inevitable end, that I picked my camera back up, dusted it off and embarked on a mission to return to what I affectionately refer to as the heart of the ocean.
I was a broken man, exhausted from heartache and failing to keep my marriage together but I returned back to Australia, to begin again. I’m quick to recognise that I’m not a perfect man, in fact I’m far from it, but my heart is sensitive and I’m eager to grow, learn, and become a better person by forgiving both myself and everyone else involved. One my favourite quotes from Jason Upton is; “We don’t forgive because people deserve it, we forgive so we can see again”, and I’m just now beginning to see clearly once more. This season past has become part of my story and part of who I am and I’m coming to terms with that. I’m now on a journey of healing, of redemption and of allowing Gods grace into my life by understanding that the human experience can be both beautiful and brutal, but we cannot allow the past to define who we can be in the future.
I needed time to reflect but also to explore and respond to this undeniable burning in my spirit. So, I set off for the west. I felt as though it was a place where God could lead me beside still waters again, and restore my soul. Although the waters, weren’t exactly still! They were crazy, huge, and terrifyingly impressive waves! We were given a miracle day, when the forecasts said one thing, but the ocean showed up in a way that I have never seen before. It was a wild experience, and we came ever so close to losing our lives at one point; which involved a sinking vessel, miles out to sea in the most dangerous waters in Australia.. a story for another time. But we were sustained, and made it back with not just our lives and a wild experience but moments of beauty that I had an ambitious desire to share with the world. Why? I couldn’t tell you, but that's what artists do. They identify beauty, and recreate it so others can feel that same connection with the creator that they feel so deeply.
It’s absolutely crazy to think that within in a few short months since, my work has garnished an audience of over a million followers and reached over 100 million people. I’ve been absolutely inundated with messages and testimonials about how the visual imagery that was given to me during that time, has touched peoples souls, healed peoples anxiety, brought peace into peoples hearts, and become a ministry of hope and encouragement that has reached more people than I could ever imagined! I’ve always seen God in nature, and felt His invisible energy and attributes in the mighty crashing waves, but never in my wildest dreams did I think God could move through my life like the way He has.
I’ve made a lot mistakes in my life, and I’m not the perfect candidate for representing a good God, but I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve and been willing to be corrected. When I look at the 12 people Jesus chose to take His message to the world, I see a group of misfits, outcasts and broken people, and I truly believe that to be instrumental in Gods kingdom, we have to come to a place in our lives where we are dependant on His goodness and faithfulness, and not our own competence. It’s such a freeing and powerful revelation when you can own your humanity and acknowledge Gods divinity. Humility truly does attract an open heaven.
So, it’s been a whirlwind, and I really feel like I’m just getting started again. I appreciate all the positive commentary and support from you all! It does hurt that I don’t have that special someone to celebrate such a milestone with, but sometimes we gotta walk alone for a season to find our inner self, and true calling in God.
Sometimes its hard to keep up with responses but I do acknowledge behind every follower, is a person just like me, that I wish I could thank personally, but for now, thank you for being on this wild journey with me!
If you’d like to support my mission or my “ministry” as it’s been called now by many people, you can purchase one of my fine art prints, or if you’ve been blessed and want to respond, there’s the option to just GIVE to support my work. Also, if you’re looking for something smaller that embodies my vision and work, Living Water Book will be restocked very soon! Stay tuned!
Thank you, PT.
