I started reading the book this evening, as I’ve been a huge fan of her two other books – Asunder and Book of Clouds. As I read this paragraph, I reflected on my terrible sleep issues, and tried to laugh at the title, despite how much anxiety this condition causes – and I reflected on my 3 a.m. sleepwalk through Cotton Green this morning. While I’ve been photographing the area for years, I stumbled upon a hidden part a few weeks ago, made some analog work but knew I needed to return. Thinking about the morning now, I truly felt like a somnambulist, and if it weren’t for the barking dogs always on my tail, I would certainly have been sleepwalking. The images though, for me at least, are from a dream.

What is currently inspiring you, and are there any contemporary photographers who influence your work?

I am currently inspired by a combination of writings by Robert Adams and Rainer Maria Rilke – Adams, a photographer, and Rilke, a philosopher. You could argue Adams is as philosophical in his writings on photography as Rilke is about creating art. Adams provides a sense of reassurance, allowing me to embrace my lack of clarity and find comfort in my confusion. Rilke’s philosophy of patience has helped me let my narratives evolve naturally, without pressure.

There is also the cinema of the 60’s, 70’s and 80s that has surreptitiously crept into my world, and over which I am obsessing. Film making in the pre-digital era was more nuanced, with the voices of individual film makers bursting through with authenticity. The role of the auteur seemed stronger, possibly because it was harder to get work made. This observation applies to photography as well – there were fewer photographers, and individual voices more distinct.

All that said, one of the major distinctions between the two worlds is the concept of the deadline – the photographers would tend to work open-ended and with a great deal of freedom, while film makers were tethered to financiers or studios and had to work fast and under serious pressure – something I have understood well from my own experience.

This understanding, shaped over time, has helped me to believe in my own voice as a contemporary photographer. I’ve also discovered that it’s vital that I not be influenced by contemporary voices as strong as they might be, though it is a joy to admire the work. It’s critical for me to nourish my own spirit in whichever way I can – reading, travel, observation, conversation, study – whatever.

This is so that I can be influenced and guided by my own spirit and inner voice. I have to tune into it, almost as though it were a radio station – but quite often I get horrible static and I have to keep on until it dissipates, so that I can both hear and listen.