Nostalgia is about a sentimentality for the past. It’s a sentimental yearning for return to a past period. The feeling of nostalgia is often triggered by a familiar smell, sound, or keepsake. For example; music, movies, places, or people.

Nostalgia is something that is both cosy and comforting but also deceptive and an illusion – explain how?

Nostalgia is something that is both cosy and comforting because when you experience it, you want to return to a past period of time where you experience something enjoyable which makes you happy. The act of remembering something gives you a moment of re-experiencing that moment which makes you happy, therefore creating a sense of comfort. However, it can also be deceptive and perhaps even an illusion because your memory is not always reliable. When recalling a memory, you may be forgetting some details or only remembering memories which bring you comfort or joy. We sometimes subconsciously supress memories which may be traumatic or unhappy. Therefore there is an element of illusion as you are only remembering aspects of the memory.

Mood-board

I have created a mood board below of inspiration for directions I could take in my photography for this nostalgia project. I’ve included images of objects, which may carry memories and be considered quite nostalgic. I’ve included places like swimming pools, cinemas, etc.

Mind Map