19 Sep Sol de la Quadra-Salcedo: Journey to the Centre of Origin
Sol de la Quadra-Salcedo is a restless and atypical woman who, far from rejecting the label "daughter of...", wears it with the pride of someone who respects her roots. Her project "Journey to the Centre of Origin" combines two of her great passions: photography and nature. In "Coworking World" we wanted to get to know her better and immerse ourselves in her philosophy of life, her memories and her work, in an exciting interview.
Sol's resemblance to his father, the famous reporter, sportsman and cultural promoter Miguel de la Quadra-Salcedo, is undeniable. The same eyes, the same love of nature and the same humanist and positive philosophy of life: "Man is, in himself, a beauty. The only thing he has to do is to return to nature to reconnecting with oneself, respecting and enjoying oneself".
This is the vision he transmits in his photography courses, which he organises in the middle of nature, where he invites students to close their eyes, get lost in the forest and listen: "We have to tune in. This is how we develop mindfulness when we take photos. All the little details help you We have to connect with nature and to realise that you are nature".
The workshops she organises, both in Spain and abroad, are safaris where images are caught: "I'm crazy about photographic hunting because It is in movement that man forgets himself, connects with nature and is truly him.. The trips I take people on are to discover, at each point, the magic of what is not seen, of what is felt". To do this, Sol tests her students by asking them to develop another way of looking: "It's not hard for me, I see the dew on the spider's web and I throw myself on the ground. You have to change your perspective".
Through the workshops and her project "Journey to the Centre of Origin", people rediscover and connect with a part of themselves that is often forgotten in the rush and demands of everyday life: "What I do in the field is transmit enthusiasm. We are all creative, we are all gods. You have to light the fire of enthusiasm and amazement.
For Sol, his father's example has been a source of inspiration and guidance: "He gave an adventurous image, but it was an image that came out of stories, mythology, philosophy? I learned from him. All warriors and adventurers have that philosophy and that connection. He was very spiritual".
In addition to being a photographer, Sol is an architect, she works on technological projects, she writes... She doesn't stop all day, but she enjoys what she does, far from the fears of the frenetic city life: "...she is a photographer.The opposite of love is not hate, it's fear.. Fear creates competitiveness and anxiety. The exercise is to love yourself in order to love the other. When you do what you want to do and what you like to doYou don't think that anyone is going to take anything away from you. You are going to your centre".
Her philosophy and attachment to nature is not at odds with today's world and technology: ".I am passionate about the internet. It's all in the click. Where there is a click and then that silence, attention is captured". Social networks are also her allies: " .My strategy is to be as I am. Sometimes I try to inspire and connect. Sometimes, I don't see anything and I say it. I don't worry about strategising to have followers, the one who moves in frequency with me will be at ease".
The Shed Co is the place where she goes to work on her project "Journey to the Centre of Origin" and to continue giving free rein to her creativity: "As I like animals, I noticed the logo of The Shed and I jumped in". The impulse was right: "I saw that it was a place with a good vibe, where creating came first, where people are at ease. I wasn't wrong and I'm delighted".
In this "Coworking World" interview we talked about many other topics with Sol de la Quadra-Salcedo: her numerous projects, her personal philosophy and her love of nature. Listening to her, it makes you want to get lost in the woods, search for the invisible and reconnect with that origin that she is so aware of. It is worth being seduced by her words and heeding her last recommendation: "...".You have to dance".
Monica Coca
Freelance writer and scriptwriter looking for good stories to tell. She can be found in all formats: articles, podcasts, novels and whatever comes up.