Your Camera As a Writing Tool

**Visit my new site for the most up-to-date information**

Being both a writer and a photographer I cannot believe that I didn’t think of this idea myself!  Of course a camera is a fantastic tool for a writer!  I’ve used my camera as a writing tool a million times myself but never really processed it quite that way.  Brilliant!  I must give credit where credit is due!  This blog post was inspired by Cheryl Reif and her wonderful post, Super Easy Ways Your Camera Can Make You a Better Writer.

How to Work AWAP

AWAP - As Well As Possible.  This is the tag line of Jenni Prokopy over at Chronic Babe.  I love her website and her message - to do as well as possible every day - whatever that may translate to for your particular situation.  Today, for me, it doesn’t translate to a whole heck of a lot!  I’ve been struggling with some overwhelming fatigue coupled with difficulty sleeping at night along with my other usual stuff.  (Brain fuzz enters stage right...)

So, a writer with a chronic illness just does as well as possible.  Just like any other person with a chronic illness.  Or really, any one at all, right?  The next steps on my book are going at a turtle speed, but they are going and that’s important.

Photo Friday: Hiring an Event Photographer

You’ve done your research and finally selected a photographer for your event. Here’s how to make the process smooth for both you and the photographer and get the most bang for your buck.

Meet Kirsten

Meet my friend, Kirsten.  She's great.  We met years ago at a Starbucks in Melrose, MA.  I think it was fated.  I had up my very first photography display so came to sit one night on the off chance that someone wanted to meet me or ask about my photography, or, better yet, buy one.  I was innocent of the gift fate was about to deliver to me.

Thorns Hurt

Words hurt sometimes.  Words said in hate can hurt.  Words said to intimidate can hurt.  Words said in anger or with carelessness can hurt.

Like a thorn, they can tear the flesh of our heart.

Have you ever been hurt by words?  What about fists?  Have you ever been bullied?

My friend Jacqui DeLorenzo has. 

Laughing Out Loud

Sometimes it happens.  You just laugh out loud.  Maybe it was something you read.  Or maybe it was something you saw.  And sometimes, it's just a VERY pleasant surprise. 

I laughed out loud this morning!  I won an award for my blog!  Yeah!  Me!!  Thanks to Galen over at 10 Steps to Finding Your Happy Place (And Staying There)!!  I love her blog and we've become blog friends.  She is a very wise woman and I highly recommend her blog.

That said, you are probably wondering what the award is.  It's the "Stylish Blogger" award!  Yay!  I'll soon be posting the badge when I can figure that out.

Part of accepting the award is to tell you a few things about myself (7 to be exact) and then pass the award along to 5 other blogs I feel deserve it.

So, here it goes. 

1. I like to laugh out loud!
2. I'm going to state the obvious:  I love photography.  And the not so obvious: I use a Canon EOS Rebel.  A little old, but very faithful.
3. I'm looking forward to getting a new full time job SOON (I hope!)
4. I really like turtles.  It started off with being called the turtle when I was younger since I was always bringing up the tail end of our little family pack and then continued as an adult as I began to explore the symbolic meanings of the turtle in various cultures.
5. I like to read.
6. I went to Smith College.
7. My favorite season is spring.

And now to pass on the award.  This is tough because there are so many I like and because I can't send it back to Galen.  Anyways, here is my list of award recipients:

The Parm Farm
The Happiness Project
Unclutterer
Advanced Riskology
Living On A Dime

I hope you'll take a few moments to visit each of these blogs!
I feel like Rudolph "She thinks I'm stylish!!!"

Risk-free Risks

A risk-free risk?  What's that?  It's possible, and often necessary to take a risk that really costs nothing. 

The risk involved doesn't involve money or even relationships with others.  The risk only involves you and your willingness to grow.  It's a "risk-free" risk.

I got an invitation this morning to join a free program on self-employment.  What's the risk involved?  One hour on the phone for a teleclass tomorrow and a series of videos.  Free.  (Secrets to Self Employment Profits by Molly Gordon - I mean, in order to be a successful business you need to make money, right?)

And, yet, I hesitated and felt nervous.  Why?  It might require me to change.  I might be challenged out of the status quo.  I might be pushed outside of my comfort zone.  Nobody likes that.  But that's where the action is, where the adventure is.

I'm a fan of Cheryl Richardson and get her newsletter each week.  In her latest one she talked about Purposeful Problems and I shared a quote of hers on my personal FaceBook page (as opposed to my Therese Kay Photography FaceBook page).  Here's the quote I shared:

Every problem carries a possibility for us to become better people - great listeners, more compassionate, resourceful, or decisive, for example.  Surrender to the gift and let it lead you to an even better life!

Another kind of risk.  Allowing our problems and challenges to teach us and help us grow.

And so, I'm trying to take my "risk-free" risks like signing up for this free workshop, organizing my home office, volunteering for various events when I can...  No money involved - just time, commitment, and the willingness to grow and change.

I love the poem Risk by Anaïs Nin.

And then the day came,

when the risk

to remain tight

in a bud

was more painful
than the risk
it took
to Blossom. 

What risks are you taking?

Contemplating the Abstract

I spent some time on a website this morning.  Micheal Warren Photography.  Nice stuff.  I always like to look at other people's artistic works and experience their view of the world.

In one of his images in the background was a quote by Lucian Freud.  Apparently Lucian is a British painter - someone whose work I'm completely unfamiliar with.  But I liked the quote which got me thinking.

"The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and ironically, more real."

I've found this to be quite true and love to play with it in my photography.  When I was younger I loved those picture puzzles found in the back of children's magazines such as Highlights for Kids.  You know the kind.  A partial up-close picture of a wheel that didn't look like a wheel.  Remember?  I LOVED those!

I find the richest source of these kinds of images in the every day, like the park bench that didn't look like a park bench.  I also like shadows and patterns. 

Have you ever contemplated an object so long it became abstract?  Like FU, it can become addictive!  Keep your eyes open and study!  Look and see!  You never know what you might find, like this ying yang-like pattern in the sand.