My Stromanthe Triostar. She`s a hot mess; less than perfect color, battered leaves, some sunburn and crispy edges. But she keeps dancing with the light and pushing forth new leaves. Despite the winter and some battle scars she`s still thriving. She`s a damn inspiration. (And I`m really proud I haven`t accidentally killed her yet.)
Sometimes I wonder how many hours of my adult life have been spent in front of the kitchen sink. At this stage in my life the kitchen seems to have a gravitational pull all its own. It`s an outlet for frustration when putting away dishes seems to be the only source of control and point of impact I can create. It`s the origin point of so many celebratory meals and baked goods during times of joy. It`s all the monotonous moments in between that simply keep us rolling from one day to the next.
Practicing gratitude that we have all survived the very strange and emotional national odyssey that was this past month.
January is wrapping up. We are starting February and I, for one, am intensely hopeful about what the rest of this year has in store. * * * * * #fujixt2 #fujifilm #fujifeed #mirrorlesscamera #fujifilm_xseries #fujilove #shootmirrorless #photoobserve #broadmag #minimalzine #underexposedmagazine #dontsmile #lenscratch #lensculture #rentalmag...
Last spring, when we all still had high hopes that this whole COVID thing would blow over in a matter of weeks, we enrolled our daughter in preschool for the 20`-21` school year. We were so excited to send her. She was so excited to go.
Then, fall tiptoed closer and COVID remained ever present. So we decided to pull her enrollment rather than risk something worse than the bronchiolitis and/or pneumonia she has a history of developing with the common cold. So I`m back to having a little kid at home full time.
Right around the start of the school year my friend @mcamorpeggy mentioned online storytime & art classes hosted through @orangeeaselart and I signed up in a desperate attempt to provide some sort of structure to our daughter`s week.
It`s been a lifesaver.
It`s not perfect. Some days she gets really impatient with the projects and really frustrated that she can`t quite get something just right. But most days she makes a glorious mess and continues to paint/draw/color/mold long after class has ended.
We`ve been parenting HARD lately, or at least it feels that way. By my standards there is a disturbing reliance on tech around our house. Our daughter is still mostly acquiescent when we ask her to turn <insert electronic here> off.
Our son, however, is another story. Bringing up good humans is not an easy task and it takes you weird places. On this evening that weird place was "here`s two pieces of wood, let`s see if you can start a fire." (Spoiler: He didn`t) * * * * * #documentyourdays #thebeautifulreal #deeplyauthentic #thisisreportagefamily #visualstorytelling #womenphotographers #fujixt2 #fujifilm #fujifeed #mirrorlesscamera #fujifilm_xseries #fujilove #shootmirrorless...
She turned 4 in November. Recently I`ve found that I keep having to remind myself that. She`s so strong willed and capable it often seems like she it feels like she`s much older most of the time.
It also makes me wonder how much of the past year will she retain in half forgotten memories or memories pieced together by a childhood interpretation of the world. * * * * * #fujixt2 #fujifilm #fujifeed #mirrorlesscamera #fujifilm_xseries #fujilove #shootmirrorless #documenttheraw #documentyourdays #thebeautifulreal #deeplyauthentic #lifeinthetimeofcorona #thisisreportagefamily...
I think we can all agree that it’s been a rough year, right? I feel like this image of my daughter is a pretty good reflection of what my mental state has been for a good portion of the year. Frazzled AF, barely hanging on, but hanging on nonetheless.
My family and I have been spared so much and I’m painfully aware of how much worse this year could have been. But regardless of all the gratitude, deep breathing, and yoga I have practiced this year by the time this summer and then fall rolled around I was emotionally and creatively tapped out. It’s an unwelcome and disconcerting feeling for someone like me. When you don’t want to create anything new, and you can’t even muster the ability to connect with or value works from peers or masters, that sucks. Absolutely sucks.
I barely touched my cameras. I avoided looking at photography. I avoided talking about photography. Instead I’ve cooked, baked, read, exercised, cleaned, bought plants, tended to said plants, wandered aimlessly through my house, then baked some more; all to keep myself from staring into the void where all my efforts used to go.
Then, I started to miss this space. I missed connecting with other artists. I missed making and sharing work. It’s validating and exhilarating to feel the creative part of my soul tentatively open it’s door and whisper, “is the coast clear? Can I come back out now?”
In many respects, I feel like I’m starting over. This year has left me in such a different place - both physically (we moved cross country this summer) and mentally (thanks to the dumpster fire that’s been 2020). But there’s a lot to be said for new starts and fresh perspectives. So hey there my little corner of the internet, it’s nice to see you again!...
.jpg)
