CHS junior Maya Katz is in the midst of creating Forgot to Look Up, a coffee table book full of meaningful photos that anyone can contribute to.

Katz was inspired to capture the natural beauties of the world, using her love for sunsets and photography as inspiration. She hopes to create happiness and joy through the inherent beauty of the world.

Surrounded by chaos and the stress of daily life, Katz emphasizes the importance of appreciating the little aspects of life. She wants to remind people that even in the midst of the craziness of life, people need to look up more often and appreciate what is around them; this idea inspired the title and content in Forgot to Look Up. 

“I love buying photography books and coffee table books, so I was hoping it could be a place, like a scrapbook or memory book, of everyone’s compiled memories that will spark some joy,” said Katz.

To contribute to the book, people can report their own pictures, poems and art through an open form on the Instagram account, @forgottolookup. The project is meant to be a safe space for people to express themselves and find inspiration in the world around them.

“Being positive and optimistic and bringing joy into people’s lives is really difficult and takes work, and I wanted to create a space where people can share beautiful moments that happened in their lives,” said Katz.

As Forgot to Look Up begins to establish a greater social media presence, Katz hopes this exposure will help her turn the concept into an actual book in the near future.

“I think starting [the brand] on social media and gaining an interest in it is the first step, and then afterwards hopefully [I can] get it published,” said Katz.

There are no limits or requirements for submissions. Katz hopes to create an authentic collection of the things and experiences that bring happiness to each individual.

“Anything anyone wants to submit is welcome,” said Katz. “Anything that anyone finds beautiful or joyous in their life, I would love to see it. There’s no ‘too little’ or’ too much’ to submit.”