Feb 04, 2011

When I graduated from RISD in 1967 with a degree in photography, I wondered how I could make a living. I didn’t want to teach or be a commercial photographer. The only other thing I new anything about was graphic design. So I decided I would make an income as a graphic designer and photograph on my own. I started my own design firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts and enjoyed success, winning awards and earning national and international recognition for my work. I kept photographing and set up a darkroom in the front hall of my apartment.

I had a vision of a five-year plan for my career while I was on a four-month meditation course in Switzerland. It included getting a Masters Degree in Graphic Design (Yale) working as a designer for a large corporation (Westinghouse) and for a large design office in NYC (Vignelli Associates) and then starting my own design practice (Larrabee Associates). I did all of this, only it took me ten years instead of five.

In 1993 I decided to take a chance to pursue my photography. I had been chanting in Chinatown, New York with a Tibetan Rinpoche. This experience of chanting along with my daily practice of meditation and Agnihotra led me to the point where I couldn’t go deeper in my practice without first answering the question “what’s my purpose on the planet?”

Trudie, Deer isle, 1997
Sisters, Bedford, NY

 

Following Your Bliss
My goal is to be authentic and honest

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

+ 72 = 76