My career as a photographer started in 2013, with the desire to capture my children’s milestones. Through my photography I found my love for storytelling.

In June of 2022, a new chapter in my personal story unfolded. I was diagnosed with, Cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis and little research funding. At this time my photography became a form of therapy. When I shoot, I don’t think about cancer, I find myself creating rather than ruminating.

In September of 2022, I started art therapy at the University of Michigan, this expanded my experience of art as healing. Through one of our projects, I selected a word to frame my cancer journey - thrive. Thrive became the filter for the selected images in this installation. I chose images from nature with bold colors to represent the courage cancer patients summon in the face of fear. I chose images with contrast between light and shadow to represent the paradox between hope and despair.

Despite the darkness, the natural world is wired to grow toward the light. I hope these images inspire those who are suffering to find the light in the darkness and thrive against all odds.

– Sarah Rypma