Laurel Nakadate's 365 Days of Daily Tears

Why do we so often share only our 'happy moments' with others? American artist Laurel Nakadate addresses this question in her 2011 work, '365 Days: A Catalogue of Tears,' in which she photographed herself crying every single day for a year. From her New York apartment to planes, trains, hotels, and her childhood home, these self-portrait images transform crying into a daily ritual, capturing the moments just before tears fall, during the act of crying, and immediately after, blurring the line between staged performance and lived experience.

The photographs reveal more than simple sadness—they expose human vulnerability and inner pain. Images show her sitting by a window watching raindrops, feeling isolated on an airplane, and even struggling to hold back tears while wearing only underwear. Nakadate has stated that on some days the tears came naturally, while on others she had to think of her pet or listen to sad music to induce crying. Even this process becomes a moment we can relate to.

This work challenges the norms of social media, which often demand only happy images. It reminds us that sadness and loneliness are equally natural human emotions, prompting reflection on the perfectly curated moments that flood our feeds. Nakadate's tears, documented over 365 days, go beyond a simple daily record—they stand as a powerful artistic achievement that captures the truth of human experience through the medium of photography.