Storytelling Fosters Connection in the Days COVID-19

We know the challenges and the pain the outbreak of COVID-19 has caused, not only in our own lives, but for individuals across the world. It’s touched us all.

“No matter where you’re from, who you voted for, what neighborhood you live in, we all are walking through this together, and we’re going to have to get through it together,” said Angela Conners Treimer.

Angela came to Chicago to study photography, and for the last three years, she’s worked to build the photography team at a social media agency that services hotels, resorts, and restaurants. However, when COVID-19 hit, most of the team was furloughed, including Angela.

“It made sense,” she said. “But it still stung.”

After a few days of sitting with the news, grieving the loss of her dream job, she realized she couldn’t sit still.

She began Stories from Six Feet, a project aimed at staying safe, being smart, and creating connections from six feet apart. She spends her days traveling between Chicago’s neighborhoods, photographing individuals, couples, and families from the recommended distance by the CDC. She shares the images on Instagram, along with captions that provide a glimpse into how the outbreak has affected the subjects’ lives.

“I think there’s something intimate about being photographed,” Angela shared. And, right now, as our time to connect with one another has become so limited, she remarked that people are willing to be vulnerable with her, a stranger. She leaves time before and after the scheduled shoots for conversation. She said some start crying, some share their struggles with loneliness and anxiety, some simply express their excitement to spend a few minutes outside of their homes.

“If I can be a little light in that person’s day, then I am doing exactly what I need to be doing,” she said.

Angela is a light – a light that has emerged during a time that has been indisputably dark.

To date, she has photographed more than 100 Chicago residents, with dozens more requests in her inbox. She’s also soliciting the help of those on the agency’s photography team to meet the growing demand.

Angela is helping others document how they’re feeling during this time through these images, snapshots they may share for generations. And maybe that’s what has produced the project’s success.

“I was photographing someone from their balcony and, when I was leaving, they yelled down to me, ‘I can’t wait to show these to my grandchildren,’” she recalled. “And I just stopped and was like, ‘You’re right.’ I always knew documenting–it’s like second nature to me–I always new it was important, but when I think about how long this will affect our world and ourselves, it’s eye-opening.”

But, as I’ve read stories and listened to Angela recall conversations, Stories from Six Feet also fosters a sense of connection, both for those who spend an afternoon with Angela and for those of us who are seeing the posts on an Instagram feed. It feels intimate. It helps to bridge a gap so many of us are experiencing, one once filled with office exchanges and coffee with friends.

“I feel so refreshed when I have conversations with people. It’s as simple as ‘How have you been?’” she said. It’s a question that feels so important. And, during our conversation, she took a moment to ask me how I was too.

As for how Angela has been, she said she has good days and bad days, but, more than anything, she’s grateful. “It’s confirming to put all your trust in God to lead you through what should be a really dark time, then to create something I’m so proud of.”

I asked Angela if there were themes that emerged in the conversations she’s had. She replied, “Everyone knows we’re going to get through this; it’s a matter of time. But there’s this sense that whenever we do get through this, I hope that we’re better because of it.”

I hope so too.