Dark Night of the Soul (La Noche Oscura del Alma) is a poem written by Saint John of the Cross, a 16th-century Spanish poet and Roman Catholic mystic. In his poem, he describes the journey of the soul from its bodily home to its union with God. The journey is called "the dark night" because darkness represents the hardships and difficulties the soul meets in detaching from the world and reaching the light of the union with the Creator.

The Dark Night of the Soul series developed from a 52-week self-portraits photo project. Each week, I challenged myself to explore not only photographic techniques, but also personal expression. As the year progressed, I found inspiration for my photo concepts through my morning spiritual practice. My weekly self-portrait fabricated the glimpses of lightness and darkness I experienced through my decades-long spiritual journey. The Dark Night of the Soul series expresses the struggles within my Self; struggles of detachment and death.