Less Than a Year

Since my last post a year ago, I've gotten busy with getting my craft on! 

In November 2010 I bought myself a dSLR camera.  After the photography class I couldn't wait to pick up a "fancy" camera and start shooting.  So, when the sales started up for the holiday season I jumped in and got myself a camera kit.  A new obsession began. 

In January I started a new project called "365 Project" where you take a photo of your life each day for a year.  You can see it on my 365 project site.  It's been a transformational project, bringing more peace and creativity into my life.  It's tough thinking of topics day in and day out (which is why I have tons of photos of Lucy on there) but often times the result is worth the time.

Through the year I've started getting more involved in a scrapping/crafting group.  We'll be planning our first retreat in November with a beach house in northern California where we will craft all weekend.  Very excited!

The year has taken me on a trip to Banff/Jasper area in Alberta, Canada.  The views were stunning.

And now, it's September.  It seems as I get older the days pass by faster.  It amazes me that we can see Halloween on the horizon with the holidays just beyond. 

So, it makes me wonder why does 40 have to seem so "final"?  I need to set goals beyond 40 because when I reach July next year, I want to celebrate it with joy and excitement.  I don't want the "over the hill", black balloons, tombstone reminders.  Middle age is right in front of me and I don't think I'm ready.  I need to travel through a couple more rites of passage before I get "old".

Wait, 40 is the new 30, right?

Creative Soul

I'm a creative soul.

I'm a journaler. I journal life's adventures, contemplations, observations, challenges, lessons, and joys. Perhaps what I will share means nothing to others, but to me it's my creative soul. I find satisfaction in expressing and sharing (with whomever will listen) what I experience through whatever artistic mediums might come my way. In this case, it's a blog. I'm fascinated by the idea of newscasting to those who are most personal to me as well as those who are simply strangers sailing the same sea. It's a unique canvas for expression.

I'm a writer of words, expression, language. Not a professional, but passionate nonetheless. Language is what connects people and allows them to convey their emotions. I am fascinated that in English we only have one word for "Love" but in the Eskimo language there are so many different words for the "Love". How can this be? It's beyond my own egocentric cultural understanding but to them, it's life. But, the ability to be able to have these expressions is what fires me to embrace the joy of words.

I'm a photographer. I am often challenged with the act of living in the moment. Seeing the world through a lens and the product that comes from it provides that opportunity to catch a moment that will never happen again. I am mesmerized by those photos you see of people's faces where you can catch the deepest of emotions; emotions that will disappear a moment later. The giddiness, thoughtfulness, compassion, kindness, sadness on those faces are only glimpses into the complexity of our humanness. I savor those moments of emotional connect.

So, here I am... a blogger seeking to pull together these facets of my creative self. I'm hoping it will be a place of expression but perhaps more importantly, a place to exchange ideas, experiences, connections, and friendship.

This journey to create this blog began when I came across another woman's blog in which she created a list of 40 things she desires to do before she turns the decade from 30 to 40. Being in the same spot in time, I am intrigued by the idea of putting a thoughtful list together of things I hope to accomplish before I meet my new decade so I started a list. But, in gathering my goals, I realized that I don't want to be focused on the age but rather the evolution of who I am becoming. I am easily distracted by the fears of getting older and having regrets from my youth so I don't want to focus on the deadline of "turning 40". I desire to celebrate every age I meet and to face it honestly, with joy. I never want to be one of those women who is ashamed or feels the need to lie about how old she is. Aging is a path God placed us on so we can become whole beings and prepare us for the day we meet our maker.

Instead, I plan to photojournalize and scribe the wonderful and mundane aspects of life as I observe it. To guide me, my goal is to accomplish the items on my list of 40 (revisable pending resources and practicality of the goal) before I begin my 41st year.

Here I go. I'm jumping into the pool of blogging. I invite you to come share this journey with me. Please share your insight and observations of life's absurdities with me.

Cheers!