Photographer finds Project Resound work ‘rewarding, inspiring’
Laura Mulder, who has a passion for social justice photography, came away from Project Resound trips to Cherokee, N.C., and Montes de María, Colombia, with deeply felt experiences that have left her wanting more:
“The Project Resound trips are rewarding,” she said. “You get caught up in your day to day life and it feels like a loop in which you become part of the culture and learn about places you never thought you’d visit.
“The projects keep you busy and are demanding of your skills, but you don’t feel like you’re doing work because you’re surrounded by this amazing inspiration between participants and the location.”
Laura said the Cherokee trip practically fell into her lap. A friend who was supposed to go suddenly could not make it, and recommended her to Project Resound CEO Louis Baker. The project seemed interesting enough and was easy to travel to so Laura thought, “why not,” and decided to join.
As Project Resound photographer, Laura was able to practice her social justice photography passion. The projects gave her a unique platform that allowed her to bring to light and communicate things through her art that are difficult to communicate.
Although Laura has family that she visited often that lives just an hour away from Cherokee, the Project Resound trip was particularly meaningful to her.
“Cherokee opened my eyes a lot,” she said. “I’ve always had an open mind to the real history of the United States. Hearing it from Native Americans opens your eyes more and you learn more about their culture.
“For example, when they make food, if they have any extra it goes into a community hut that anyone can take from. I wish the country held onto their values. We can learn a lot from them.”
The Colombia project was an “amazing” experience for Laura.
She described it this way: “It was cool to go to South America and have that cultural experience, getting to see the farm-to-table process and the farmer’s experience and life – it’s such a different way of life. Being so immersed in all of that was amazing.
“We hear about farm to table all the time in restaurants, but you never get to see the process, you never get to know the farmers and people who have grown the food. It was so different from traveling as a tourist.”
Laura also was appreciative of being able to talk with locals about how Colombia is perceived and the stigma that surrounds the country. Many she spoke to told her their country is not at all like what most people think.
Being a Project Resound team member “allowed me to figure out what I love doing most and, helps open possibilities that I can find easier because of this experience.”