The theme I chose for January was an easy one: beginning, introduction, just getting started. In literature, the term is exposition, which is a literary device used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters, or other elements of a work to the audience. You don’t get plopped into the middle of a story without the narrator helping you get your bearings, and you don’t get plopped down in the middle of a project without knowing what exactly is going on here. And …
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A Year of Literary Happiness
I’m not one to rip off other people’s ideas, but when Gretchen Rubin, on her podcast, suggested trying a happiness project in the new year, it got my wheels turning. To say I was unhappy last year is an understatement. I don’t want to belabor that point and keep saying it was hard (even if it was). What I want to do is turn the page and head in a new direction. Part of that is adopting my two mantras for the year: DO THE WORK and ENJOY IT. Do the work because this is the year I’m going to …
Shame, Hiding, and Moving Forward: A Brief Recap of Last Year
It’s hard to untangle the mess of last year, now that we’re in a new year with a fresh start. I chose the word nurture as my word of the year, hoping to gain more peace and rest, to step out of the hustle and be able to listen to the voice in my heart again. That’s exactly what nurture did for me, which wasn’t surprising. The surprising part was how—how it ripped away dreams and jobs, how I struggled within myself to let go of what I didn’t need anymore, how my family life and marriage …
Remember Who You Are: Some Thoughts on Turning Thirty-Seven
For my birthday, I made cider donuts instead of cake. It’s taken a few years, but I’ve finally figured out that we’re not cake people. We make a cake, eat it that first night, then it sits for days until it gets crusty or ants find it, both of which are gross and a huge waste. And because we have four gallons of fresh apple cider, I thought maybe birthday donuts would be interesting. I crossed my fingers and hoped they’d turn out. Making a cake would have been easier. At least, a box cake …
Finding Creativity in Daily Life
Last year, I took a class in fine art photography. It was an effort to dive deeper into my photography and figure out who I am as a photographer. I wanted the chance to explore and push myself. What it led me to was an ongoing conversation about what fine art photography is and what we mean when we say fine art. It was very philosophical and it ultimately got the wheels in my head turning about what creativity means to me. After much deliberation with my classmates, I turned to this definition: …