for the love of...

film. i've been talking about it for years now--shooting film; however, that's all i've been doing. talking about it. for some reason, i feel like i need someone to hold my hand. not sure why. what am i scared of? what is holding me back? nothing more than myself. and that frustrates me.

i have two film cameras (a canon and a bronica) sitting on the shelf right above my computer...collecting dust. i seriously look at them all day. every day. cheryl jacobs tried to help me get my bronica to work, when we visited her in colorado, but something seemed to be wrong with the back. so yesterday, i ordered a new back and i'm determined to use it. as for the canon, it's fine. i've just had a bunch of lame excuses and haven't had the courage to pick it up.

damn it! this is the year--i am picking up those cameras and shooting film. i am! no more excuses. no one needs to hold my hand.

speaking of film and polaroid, here's some of my favorite polaroids from over the years.

1

yesterday, i received this this book for christmas, from my dear friend, steph.  every year, she seems to find the perfect book for me.  the kind of book that inspires my heart to be better and do greater.  the cover of the book became my grateful | 365 image for yesterday.

today, i wanted to share a few of my favorite excerpts from the book.

how many people does it take to make a difference? one one song can spark a moment one flower can wake the dream one tree can start a forest one bird can herald spring one smile begins a friendship one handclasp lifts a soul one star can guide a ship at sea one word can frame the goal one vote can change a nation one sunbeam lights a room one candle wipes out darkness one laugh will conquer gloom one step must start each journey one word must start a prayer one hope will raise our spirits one touch can show you care one voice can speak with wisdom one heart can know what's true one life can make a difference that difference starts with you. [unknown] you are not here by mistake. around the world and down through the ages there has never been another you. and there will never be another you. the miracle of your existence is now in your hands. you are here for a purpose. you have something that only you can give to the world. take time to consider what it is. some questions to ask yourself: who am i? why am i here? what am i doing for others?

if children with terminal cancer can find love, peace, joy and beauty in their day--and they do--why don't we?[dan zadra]

if you have even one close friend in life, you are blessed. the best way to keep a friend? be one.

don't be beaten down by naysayers. they'll call you a dreamer, a do-gooder, a romantic. every time you stand up for a good cause, someone will roll their eyes or tell you to sit down. there will be lots of people who can give you all the reason why you can't or won't improve the world. it's up to you to remind yourself of all the reason why you can and will. optimism and pessimism are both choices. which do you choose?

your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. if you haven't found it yet, keep looking. don't settle. stay hungry. stay foolish. [steve jobs]

this book is amazing. i've shared just a teeny fraction of the goodness in this book. inspiring words and quotes and interactive--asking questions, with room to write your answers.

something i've thought about is that maybe once a month, i could pick out a question | topic from the book, write about it here on the blog, with the hopes that it would inspire others to think and write about it too. and keep us thinking throughout the year. hmmm...maybe once a month? yes? no? thoughts?

thanks steph for always inspiring me to be a better person and truly make a difference in this world.  powerful stuff sweet friend!!

snow day

the conversation yesterday morning went kind of like this... her: i think one of the things we should discuss at the workshop is the importance of shooting often; you just need to get out there and shoot. every day, if you can. i don't do this but i should. i want to. me: yea. but you have to remember that some of us live in the snow and it's freezing right now. her: well you can still shoot. me, making excuses: like i really want to shoot, when we've been cooped up in the house for days. and like the kids really want me to shoot, when they're constantly bickering with each other. and me. her: i think it's part of improving, growing and getting out of a funk. you just have to shoot. me: well it's not going to be happening anytime soon here. her, i'm guessing: *rolling eyes*

after i picked up ryder from preschool, the snow started falling.  i was grateful for our first big snow storm and it's accompanying beauty.  well, it wasn't really the first storm, but it was the first to happen during the day.  and we were loving it. so on the drive home, ryder and i stopped in an open field and i took my iphone grateful | 365 shot for the day.

later, as i watched the snow fall from the comfort of my warm living room, leah's words rang in my ears. i thought...

it really is so beautiful. maybe i can convince one of the kids to come out front with me for just a couple minutes. for just a few shots. nothing big.  just something in the snow. we're in kansas...for only one year. and we might not get another good snow like this again. it's been so long...i need to shoot.

i asked sky first because she is typically the most willing of the three.  and she agreed. we went out in front of the house, for just a couple minutes.  till sky wiped out. her hands covered in snow and freezing, that was it and we went inside. i immediately plugged in the card and was so excited to edit a few of them. it's like a part of me was alive again. having not shot in what seemed like forever (except with my iphone), it felt so good. you see...when i don't shoot for a long time, this door opens (the wrong door) and self-doubt always seems to sneak in.

what happens if i've lost it? what happens if i go out and shoot and they all suck? i'm in a funk.

after getting a taste of it, i wanted more and begged sky to go with me, on the walking path behind our house...for just a few more minutes. just a few more shots. and she agreed again. :-)

excitedly (me more than her), we walked down the completely snow covered walking path. the snow was still falling and it was so, so beautiful, quiet and pure. just she and i. magical! sky played along with my excitement and let me shoot away. gloveless, i continued my hands couldn't take it anymore.

i share this because i really do believe you have to shoot often. every day if you can. it's funny how we can convince ourselves at times that we're in a funk. that we just can't shoot. that we suck. whatever. it's during those times, those times where self-doubt somehow snuck in, that it's most important to just pick up our cameras and shoot. something. somewhere.

thank you leah. for being that little voice that reminds me and pushes me. and doesn't accept or believe all my excuses.

here's some of my favorites.

do i dare?

do i dare buy another fabulous art print, from etsy, to be added to the growing pile that has been sitting for months (piled so perfectly in their perfect little holding place). that pile...that i so desperately need to frame and find a place for. because... if i dare, this print is going to be it. how perfect is this to commemorate this kansas journey. :-)

and i meant to share this a while ago, but somehow got sidetracked (imagine that).  look at this awesome heart, made from fujifilm instax prints, in the home of these fab wedding photographers,.  they put the photos up using thumb tacks.  i think it would be awesome to somehow adhere the photos to a mounting board or piece of wood, to make a permanent piece of art.  and i so love their hanging lights!

lastly, did you hear that polaroid is teaming up with lady gaga?  as creative director and inventor of specialty products, per the article.  i'm not exactly sure what all this means; however, it does mean that things are moving forward with bringing polaroid back in 2010.  woo hoo!

change

i actually had this post written a couple days ago and saved it as a draft.  well, how fitting for me to publish it today, since i spent a great portion of today slaving over the revamping of my blog.  okay, maybe i wasn't quite slaving but there were definitely some frustrating parts of the process (especially that part where i wrote some CSS code that made my entire blog and dashboard disappear). it's a never-ending cycle, you know--learn. grow. work. improve. evaluate. tweak. repeat... +++

on to the original post...

i'm so loving gap's new utility collection.  have you seen it? i hope they fit as good as they look.

also, i find it fascinating that gap is now incorporating video into their online advertising.  it was only a matter of time. soon enough video clips will be a part of every online site.

makes me think of this, which i recently read on seth godin's blog on an upcoming frustrating decade of change--

change: the infrastructure of massive connection is now real.  people around the world have cell phones. the first internet generation is old enough to spend money, go to work and build companies. industries are being built every day (and old ones fading). the revolution is in full swing, and an entire generation is eager to change everything because of it. hint: it won't look like the last one with a few bells and whistles.

change.  yes, change is good.

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and today i am grateful for the necklace that the kids made and gave to me for christmas.  i adore it so and will treasure it forever.

every day

not sure if i ever shared this video.  with tears streaming down my face, i viewed it again today, after visiting the mikulak's blog, which i check regularly.  i think about max and his family each and every day, as they have touched my life in a way that is beyond words!  thank you max and the entire mikulak family for making my life fuller, making me a better person and teaching me how very important it is to live and cherish each and every day to the fullest!!

in sharing this, i encourage you and challenge  you to give  in any way you can this year and every year.  it will touch you in ways that are truly indescribable. if you'd like to help in pediatric cancer fundraising and advocacy, max's ring of fire charity foundation can be found here.

this video is 18 minutes long and amazing. max was such an incredible little boy, whose life was so sadly stolen by neuroblastoma at the age of seven.

(too short) Life | Max Mikulak | Max's Ring of Fire www.MaxsRingOfFire.org from Andy Mikulak on Vimeo.

if you don't have 18 minutes right now, there's also this video. about four minutes long.

Inspiration | Max Mikulak | Max's Ring of Fire www.MaxsRingOfFire.org from Andy Mikulak on Vimeo.

eta: looking for other ways to give with your photography skills? check out the give ten project for ideas (there's links of how to give on the right side).

thank you 2009

2010? that's crazy. i remember 2000 like yesterday, although not really because i have a terrible, terrible memory. but seriously, i can't believe it's 2010 tomorrow. as every year comes to a close, i think about how seriously blessed i am.  and this year is no exception.  it's been absolutely amazing!  my life is so full. and fricken awesome.  i'm so thankful--both personally and professionally.

on the brink of 2010, i was thinking of my goals for next year (just a start and in no particular order)-- be more present for my family (i.e. get off the computer). challenge myself professionally. shoot my kids' everyday lives more. get back to regularly working out (and feeling good again or as mary would say, not feeling fluffy). live each and every day to the fullest. give more. begin to journal.

i can't wait to see where 2010 takes my family and i. the one thing we know for sure...it will be elsewhere. and that, in itself, is pretty darn exciting.

thank you to everyone, who has supported deb schwedhelm photography and | or my family. i appreciate it more than i could ever express in words.  i don't think my family would be together right now, if it wasn't for some of the blog comments i received during that time of indecision.

here's to 2010--a fabulous year full of love, peace, health and happiness!

and in celebration of an incredible 2009, i share a some of my favorite personal and client photographs from the year.

finding time to exhale

recently, looking for feedback and thoughts from other photographers, a photographer friend shared this (i'm sharing with you, with her permission): I jumped into this business without a plan without knowing what I was truly getting into. I thought it would be easy, I thought it would be easy money, I thought I could do it all at night while the kids slept. Working outside the home was something I never wanted to do. I don't do it for the money; I don't have to work. I would rather downsize than be in a position where I had to work. I always wanted to be there 110% percent for my kids like my mom was for me. And I'm not, I am failing miserably in those areas. Yes, I am a perfectionist so I am hard on myself, but truly I am failing.

Allow me to explain...photography consumes me. It's gotten better with time, but it still consumes me. I get ugly and nasty when I am on the computer. It drives me nuts to be interrupted when I am on the computer and I basically turn into the HULK when someone tries to talk to me or ask me a question. It's awful and I hate it but yet I still do it!

Before photography I used to have a clean house, super clean house, you could eat off the floors clean house. I need clean to feel relaxed. I used to workout 4-5 times a week. I used to teach kickboxing. I used to cook healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners. I used to hang out with friends. I used to have people over. I used to go to weekly Bible Studies. I used to read to my kids and rock them to sleep at night. I used to watch tv with my husband. I used to go to bed at the same time as my husband. I used to plan elaborate birthday parties for my kids. I used to help in my kids classes and do lunch duty. I used to plan crafts for my kids. I used to play playdough. I used to take the kids to the zoo and parks. And on and on the list goes.

i could have written so many of her words myself.  my friends and i often talk about this--not letting photography consume us, finding the balance, getting off the computer, being a better mother, being a better wife...balance, balance, balance. and yes, finding the time to just breathe.  deeply.

many people think that having a photography business and working from home would be easy.  it is so not easy; it's damn hard.  working from home is the toughest job i've ever had.  what's easy is--getting caught up in editing photos. and blogs, flickr, facebook, twitter, etc.  and when we spend hours doing that, we call it networking. and of course, we need to network, right?  that's what we tell our spouses.

my goal in 2010 is to truly be on the computer less and be with my family more.  i mean really present with my family.  not just sitting in the same room with them--my butt on the computer chair and all of them on the couch.  one photographer mentioned that at 3 PM, she shuts off her computer and doesn't turn it back on until her kids are in bed.  i think i'm going to start doing that.  and you know what, if i can't make it work, then i need to take on less clients.  there's no reason i should be giving my photography business more than 40 hours a week, but i do (most do!).

one of the things i remember most about my dad is that after he came home from work, all he did was sit and read the paper.  ugh...that's one of my biggest memories? :-( as things stand right now, i know that one of my kids biggest memories would be, my mom spent most of her time on the computer. and that makes me so sad!!  the time to change is now!!  they're young enough that i can transform that memory.  i want my kids to have memories of me laughing, playing, sharing and doing projects with them.  i want my kids to have memories of me truly being present with them.

for aspiring photographers, with families--don't rush.  do things right.  take the time to enjoy.  and work hard to find balance and structure from the very beginning as it truly is one of the most important things.  and one of the easiest things to spiral out of control.

just yesterday, this article came out yesterday in the NY times--this hobby looks like hard work, an article about building a career on etsy.  how yes, it is possible to make a lot of money doing what you love, working from home and selling on etsy, but...it's also a hell of lot of hard work.  i loved this final quote in the article:

what's the point of doing something you love, if you're too exhausted to do what you love?

forever treasure

i've briefly mentioned my family's annual book on my blog before, but wanted to share more, as it's one of my most treasured items.  prints on the wall come and go.  digital files usually stay wherever they stay.  but my books...i love them so!! i look at my books often. and i share my books often. some pages make me laugh out loud.  some pages bring tears to my eyes.  as i look, read and remember.

for my book, i include my most favorite photographs from throughout the year.  i also always include notes about each kid.  for example, this year, sky's says: loves, loves, loves to draw. gifted. great student. called "so memorable" by her teacher. witty and funny. snugly. and oh so cute! is a great friend to everyone. learned to read on her own. reading at a third grade level. doesn't mind messy. loves her animal figures and stuffed animals. and has a ton of them. strong. loves gymnastics and is doing awesome. great listener. loves to make people happy. misses her san diego friends--amaya and catie. enjoying her lansing friends--kimberly and aubrey. loves to sing. shy. learned to blow bubbles with bubble gum (and was so excited about it). became a confident bike rider. started out the year only wanting to wear dresses. ended the year only wanting to wear shirts and pants.

and then the rest of the book varies from year to year--quotes, stories, drawings, etc. whatever my heart feels is needed to complete the book for that year. last year was quotes. this year was personal stories, drawings and such.

we, of course, have a copy of each book, since i started in 2006. and then we give a book every year, as a christmas gift, to our parents and a couple other very special people in our lives.

i order the book from blurb. it's not quite the quality of my client books; however, it's much, much cheaper. and when there's 90 pages and i'm purchasing five of the books, i need cheaper. anyone can use blurb.  the interface takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get it, it's really pretty easy.

so i encourage you. to make something to document your family's year. it doesn't have to be professional. it doesn't have to be digital; you could scrapbook it. just something.  because they grow to fast.  and while we try so hard to remember, we forget many of the stories.  and whatever that something is, make it yours. i promise...it's time worth spending!! and something you will forever treasure!!

and click here to see a larger | better version

have you seen this?

because it's so worthy of seeing. and reading.  and reading again.mr tolendano's days with his father.

i saw this project quite a long time ago, but i don't think it was complete back then.  and today, somehow while blog hopping, i came across it again. and viewed it again. pausing at each and every frame.

the photos are amazing. mr tolendano's words... he and his father's story. equally amazing. and beautiful

i sit here with a lump in my throat.  tears in my eyes. for the story, the beauty, the kindess that mr tolendano shares.

please take a few minutes. to view. and read. it's so powerful. and it will make you think. i promise. on one level or another.... it will make you think. and appreciate.

you're important enough...

the below is summarized from cheryl jacob's amazing post on further exploring this concept:

every time you photograph someone, you tell them, ' you're important enough to remember.' make the most of it.

What if we, as portrait photographers, approached every session this way? How would it effect our interactions with our subjects, and therefore our work?

When you point your lens toward another person, you are telling them that they noteworthy; that of all the people in the world, they alone have your attention at this moment in time. You have the golden and rare opportunity to transform the simple act of photographing a person, into the forming of a human connection that didn’t exist before.

Challenge yourself to make all of your subjects feel important. Be generous with yourself. Slow down. Learn something significant about each of your subjects, whether they’re two years old, or eighty-two years old. Make a connection. Remember always that you get what you give.

i try and read cheryl's words often...and really think about them, which is why i end up posting about her quite a bit (she's just so darn inspiring).  she has so much wisdom to share. and...she's willing to share!! i don't want to just read her words and think they're great; i want to truly embrace them.

through reading cheryl's writings, i'm always encouraged to investigate myself as a photographer... why do i do what i do? what kind of photographer do i want to be? what kind of photography do i want to offer? what does it all mean to me? what is really important?

i deeply hope that each and every one of my clients can say that they had a great time and felt respected and important and...that they received photographs that they love and will cherish for a very, very long time.

this photograph is from my first client session--and a photograph that will forever be one of my favorites (and hopefully the client's too).  it's also a photograph that i brought to cheryl jacob's workshop, for review, back in 2006, shortly after launching my photography business.

exciting news

my friend, leah, and i have been talking about doing a workshop for years now.  going back and forth... should we? shouldn't we? if we do it, we have to do it right. and we want ours to be different. truly and deeply inspiring. learning and growing... together. and then things started happening. sort of falling in our lap. and so we did.

for months, we have been working to make our workshop dream a reality. and today, we officially launched wallflower friends | a photographer's retreat. we feel so very blessed and grateful to be at this point in our photography journey and we're so excited to share!!

trust yourself

you have to discover you, what you do and trust it.- barbara streisand

every time i come home from a photo shoot, i mark my favorites and begin editing my favorites of the favorites. one by one, the process continues over a week or two...

when i got home from this shoot, i marked and opened this photo right away and there it sat...for hours. i went back to it over and over again, just looking at it.

i love it. but why? i know this is a photo that a lot won't understand...or like. they'll probably think it's weird hmmm...but i love it. for some reason.

more time passed.  i edited a bunch of other photos.  and then i went back to this photo.  it went on like that for a while.

yes, there's still something about this image. that i love. i need to edit it.

and i did. a few times actually. and later, when michelle and i were chatting, she said,

what's it like to be in your brain?

of course, my response was,

huh? what do you mean?

i would have passed that photo right over and you've made it a work of art.

that got me thinking even more.

why? why did i connect with this photo, as i did?

after a lot of thought, it hit me.  and i shared some personal thoughts with her...

it's the beauty. the mystery. running from our past. a past of troubles. and pain. to a future of happiness. the thought of possibly not having what he have now. and being lost without it. this could be you. it could be me. or it could be someone that's stuck in the middle and trying to figure it all out.

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i often talk about how (for me) photography is more than just shooting, pressing a button to process the images and handing the photographs over to my clients. it's about feeling each and every image. not that every image evokes an intense amount of feeling, but that's part of the beauty of it all--recognizing those that do.

yesterday, my dear friend, erin, talked a bunch about crafting your style--your particular voice.  and i so loved what she said here:

style can also be interpreted as a particular voice.  what do you want to say?  i firmly believe that to have your own voice through a camera, you really need to know who you are as a person.  what do you want to say as an individual?  if you know what you want to say as a person, then it becomes infinitely easier to know what you want to say through your camera.

find yourself and trust yourself and make sure that when you find your voice, it speaks loudly throughout, from beginning to end.  it's definitely a process...finding yourself and all.  a magical one of sorts.  however, it is also one that will occasionally be sprinkled with moments of self doubt, which brings me back to...trust yourself.

ETA:  i have to remind myself of all this over and over again.  having confidence and trusting myself doesn't come easy.

getting started

i've made a family book every year, since starting photography, in 2006.  and today, i began designing our annual family book and wanted to include a couple of the kids' drawings this year. when kiele saw what i was doing, she asked if she could write a poem about our family, for the book. of course!

she said it like it is.  i love that.  and it so cracks me up...

blue eyes, blonde hair, sweet little giggles and pink dresses...that's our sky. acts tough + goofy + funny smiles + dirty blonde hair + deep blue eyes is the math equation for ryder. horse rider, light blonde hair, deaf, blue eyes and a good friend is a child named kiele. both step and father, brown hair, tri-colored eyes, an engineer and in the military...a wonderful guy named steve. mother to three, rings everywhere, changing temperment, blonde hair, thinking blue eyes is a photographer named deb. cheerful barks, a wagging stumpy tail, sly and black all over is the furry charley bear! kiele, age 12

and here's a snapshot of the layout of the book. it will greatly evolve over the next few weeks, but at least i'm now off to a good start.  i'll share the book layout once it's done.

be still, my heart

as if... as if i needed any more reason to love anthropolgie. i mean, seriously! i can't get enough of simply walking into the store for nothing more than being inspired. however, once i'm in, it's hard to walk out without purchasing anything.

and now anthropolgie has launched the anthropologist.

and they had me at the opening page -- what is inspiration?

The Anthropologist is an online space for inspiring works and inspiring individuals.

It is a testament to the idea that revealing the passions of one person can result in the progress of many. - the anthropologist about page

sigh! i love it so!!

i do find the website a bit confusing, yet rather enticing at the same time. just when i think i've figured things out, i'm back to being a bit confused on where to go next and how to get there. but i've only just begun...i'm sure soon enough, i will have every click well figured out, if not memorized.

so, so very excited!

closing with a pic of ryder today, taken with my vintage polaroid.  this is how i often find ryder, when watching TV.  and man, i love the way the polaroid captured the light coming in the windows.

i love this idea

how cool is this?!!

a perpetual photo wall calendar (photo courtesy of photojojo).

so love!! saw the idea on a couple blogs and then one of them led me to photojojo's DIY tutorial.

i'm so doin' myself!!

i thought it would be a cool idea to do a number finding adventure in downtown leavenworth or kansas city, together as a family.  what a great way for everyone to play a part in the design and to always have a part of kansas with us (our time here has been amazing!).  can't wait to get started.  and i'll definitely share the results, when i'm done.

and if you don't feel like taking on the project yourself, little brown pen offers an awesome perpetual calendar for sale here.

note: if you're family, please don't buy one because you just might be getting a kansas-inspired calendar for christmas.

this is me.

there comes a time when you have to stand up and shout:this is me damn it! i look the way i look, think the way i think, feel the way i feel, love the way i love! i am a whole, complex package. take me...or leave me. accept me...or walk away! do not try and make me feel like less of a person, just because i don't fit your idea of who i should be. and don't try to change me to fit your mold. if i need to change, i alone will make that decision. when you are strong enough to love yourself !00%, good and bad--you will be amazed by the opportunities that life presents you. - stacey charter

the other day, i so longed to shoot for me--to create images that emerge from my soul. with the goal of pleasing no one else but me.  selfish? i guess. needed? absolutely. as a portrait photographer, i'm commissioned by families, to shoot for them. while i always stay true to my style and a part of me is infused into each and every photograph, in the end, i'm still shooting for them.

so on monday, while the little ones were at gymnastics, kiele and i went to go find a location to shoot. thankfully she was game to shoot too. having a specific shot in mind, as i usually do when shooting for me, i desired a forest-looking location. we found one cool woodsy area, but not the right light. then behind a building, i noticed the perfect little spot--weeds, trees and great light. there even seemed to be a bit of a matted path, which made it easy to walk further into the woods. so i parked behind the building and began shooting kiele in the weeds. soon thereafter, i noticed these men smoking on the side of the building. clearly, they were employees. kiele and i followed the path a bit further into the woods when all of a sudden i hear,

hello. helllllooo. (whistle. whistle.)

hellooooo. (whistle. whistle.)

i'm not sure why, but my initial thought was that it was some kids and we needed to go. the keys were in the car, along with my purse...and everything else.

kiele. come on. hurry. come on.

of course, she couldn't hear me because i had put her implant in my pocket, while shooting. so pulling her along...camera in my hand and kiele with raven mask on, we appear from the woods and two men (aka DHL employees) are looking in my car (they had opened my passenger door). they told me that i'm not allowed to park on their property and i have to leave immediately. i had parked in the very back, right next to the woods, where there was nothing...no parking spots, nothing.

i shared a few words with them and left, hoping that i had gotten what i longed for.

and i did. these make my heart happy.

p.s. my fav image of the three is the last one.  i'm planning to go out again to do different shots, focusing on the nest (no mask).  we found the nest at the apple orchard, while apple picking.  it had fallen out of one of the apple trees and was sitting empty next to a tree.  i love it so.

i'm in love.

i'm so in love with this project--the true love project by photographer zack seckler.  it makes my heart swell! and watching the video and hearing a couple of the people talk about their experience had me in tears.  of course, i'm PMSing and turning 40 tomorrow.  i'm not sad about turning 40; i'm actually excited about it and welcome it with open arms.  but the PMS-40 combination has me an emotional (happy, grateful) mess.  but today is about celebrating...celebrating the past 39 years i've been so fortunate to live.  i. am. so. blessed.

and now to the video...

The True Love Project from Zack Seckler on Vimeo.

creativity, inspiration & success

understand the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. use it. dwell on the possibilities.- oprah winfrey

black sheep pen recently interviewed artist, jan harrison on his new blog, which focuses on the successful channeling of creativity. her interview is the only post so far, but so worth visiting and reading everything she has to share.  so very inspiring. i will definitely be adding black sheep pen's blog to my reader, so i can easily follow all his future posts.

i think what jan harrison says here is so incredibly powerful:

A successful artist is a person who is able to create something that manifests their truth...a perception that they feel they need to bring to the world. A successful creative person is someone who continues to create no matter what happens. I respect many artists. They are not all extremely successful in the art market, or in the art status structure. Some are, and some aren't. Some of the ones I respect have been overlooked. But I still consider them to be successful, because they have succeeded to give the world their vision, even though the world does not always acknowledge their worth...In other words, I define a successful career as much more than just external validation.

I love to exhibit my work, because I love to share it with other people. I am delighted when someone purchases my art. But, even that is not a true measure of success for an artist.

What I do is meaningful to me because it helps me to live in the world. I am working for my character…and the work I do brings me closer to my true self, and to a universal self.

i also love how ms. harrison speaks of her art pieces evolving as she works.  i also feel this way as a photographer.  i have many people ask me about how i edit or what actions i use to edit...and while there are certain actions that i consistently love to play with, i can honestly say that no two photographs are edited the same.  i kind of equate my editing to painting (although i've never actually painted, it's what i imagine a painter would do and how one would feel as he painted).  i feel my work.  and i edit and work with the image, until it feels right...

for the image. for my mood.

and i close with these words from jan harrison, which also greatly speak to me.  i, too, have never been blessed with a great deal of self-confidence, but i do have the courage (love and passion) that she speaks of.

I have never been blessed with a great deal of self-confidence. I think that is partly because I have dyslexia, and right and left are confusing to me. Learning in school was difficult. But I do have courage, which makes up for the lack of self-confidence. Even when times have been difficult, I have continued working...because creating art, for me, is a form of meditation, a necessary part of my life.

thank you black sheep pen for sharing jan harrison with us.  thank you jan harrison, for your honesty and words of wisdom.

this path of creativity is the most challenging and most rewarding path i have ever walked.  having only recently embraced this path, i look forward to what this path has in store for me and where it will take me.

new friends

i'm honored.  and so excited.  recently, one of my photographs was selected for the center for fine art photography's 2009 international exhibition of fine art photography--an exhibition jurored by andy adams. the show, in ft collins, colorado, starts today and will run through october 31st.  i was hoping to attend today's opening reception but unfortunately i'm not able to...but still hoping to see the show sometime later this month.

you can see all the exhibition's selected photographs here.