Charlotte J Ward
Inspired by

LTJ Muse, Ecosomatic artist and photographer @charlotte.jward
talks about her connection to nature, drawing inspiration from the body, earth, women and the menstrual cycle.

Your photography is so beautiful! What made you pick up the camera?

My initial inspiration to pick up the camera came from my late grandfather Michael Ward, who was a very talented portrait and documentary photographer, who worked for The Sunday Times for many years. I was always fascinated with his practice from a very young age, until I eventually started capturing my own photographs at the age of 12. I used to only shoot documentary photography, until everything changed during the Spring of 2020… which happened to coincide with the first Covid lockdown, a very painful breakup and my Saturn return. My work now revolves around the body - human and Earth - women and the menstrual cycle.

When are you most inspired?

I feel most inspired when I find myself in nature or when I’m on the first two days of my bleed - a time when my creative juices tend to bubble up to the surface and visions start pouring through.

What is your favorite piece of jewellery and why?

I think my favourite piece of jewellery at the moment is the pendant I mentioned above. Aside from being utterly gorgeous and beautifully crafted, it also has a sentimental value, as it has been passed down from mother to daughter for many generations before me.

SHOP SURYA HOOPS

What brings you joy?

Seeing flowers bloom and bumble bees dance between them in Spring time. Feeling the Sun warm my skin and hearing the ocean waves breath into my ears. Sharing a nourishing meal with loved ones. Laughing. Moving my body to the sound of music. Feeling traversed by a flash of inspiration, creating photographs and that moment I know I’ve got a good one.

Silver or Gold & why?

Ah the eternal question! I was always more into silver - throughout my twenties, all I would wear was silver earrings, silver bracelets and necklaces. Always silver silver silver and the older I got, the more my Mum would encourage me to make the switch to gold, telling me it was more “woman-like”. But I disagreed and resisted the change, until she gave me a very special yellow gold pendant for my 30th birthday and I must say that I was seduced, on many levels… I’m now 31 and after going through a phase of replacing all my silver earrings for yellow gold ones, (feeling it had to be either one or the other), I’ve come to a more balanced place of wearing both at the same time. All my rings are currently silver and my earrings and necklaces tend to alternate between silver and yellow gold.