I wanted to be a ghost is inspired by a childhood memory pictured here. This photo comes from my first Halloween parade at a new school when I was five years old. I remember choosing my costume knowing the parade meant walking single file with my class, in front of the entire school and family members. My mother thought I was being silly for trying to hide myself, but I was very shy as a child and didn’t want to be seen.

I chose to be a ghost so I could disappear. While the costume let me hide, the sheet shifted constantly, making it difficult to see as I walked through the parade. This moment lives distinctly in my memory, a reminder of wanting to vanish while still moving uncomfortably through the world.