CAN and WILL

"That we can is probably our most fundamental, most important, and most enduring dimension; that we will is simply logical." 
- Donald Baer, Montrose Wolf, and Todd Risley (1987), behavior research scientists

As you may have noticed, I love quoting others' words of wisdom and inspiration. This was the final statement in a recent behavior research article that I read for one of my classes. How interesting to find such views about life in my academic reading. CAN and WILL. I like that.

Last week I was working on a project that sent my anxiety and frustrations through the roof. Things were just not working too well for me and I was up against a deadline. I was so frustrated that I felt like breaking dishes. Yes, you read that right... how un-yogic, isn't it?

(But I do love my small collection of dishes, so no, I didn't break any. And I promise that I am not a violent person. Ok, maybe a little... specifically when some great dessert is involved. Especially when it's dessert at this place.)

Interestingly I heard this story about a professor that has a collection of cheap/old dishes for the purpose of breaking them to release frustration. This professor supposedly even has a place in the yard with a concrete slab against which to break dishes. As the story goes, the professor invites people (i.e., doctoral students?) over to break dishes and relieve stress. Urban legend? Who knows.

I'm not a person that gets angry easily. There are things that are small enough that I "don't sweat it." But there are times when the stakes are high, and that notion of doing all you can and then letting go of perfection doesn't quite cut it. Especially when the expectation is quality, accuracy, and excellence. The expectation is to keep pushing and pushing yourself. Just when you think you've reached the boundaries of your thought process, you are pushed so that you keep expanding it. Which I understand (I think)... we are pushed to great challenges and then to overcome them, and as a result we gain some insight and a new nugget of wisdom.

So something happened last week, and it was like the straw that broke the camel's back. What made me even more anxious, was that I know very well that this is NOT the hardest thing I will ever have to do in my academic life. Far from it.

But I had gotten so worked up by that project, that last weekend, I couldn't even sleep... even after my project was done. I tossed and turned until maybe 2 in the morning. So I practiced some restorative yoga poses, including a gentle inversion (legs up against a wall), did some deep breathing... and finally, what got me to settle down and go to sleep was to silently recite a "mantra" -- I am enough.

I am stumped by a question... how to reconcile the high expectations of academia and the need to be kind and forgiving towards myself? In academia, it's almost never enough. It's only enough when you get those 3 letters behind your name and the three stripes on your graduation gown. But in my inner life, there is a sense that yes, I am enough. Not am I good enough or loving enough or smart enough... just... enough, because I am who I am. You are enough because you are who you are, and there is no one else like you.

Interestingly, last weekend someone called me to apologize about something, and I let it slide SO easily.... and I realized that I'm much more forgiving of other people's "mistakes", but I am so harsh on myself when it has to do with my work and my performance.

So this week I am taking steps to help myself. For now, these are the things I CAN and WILL do to help me find some balance. In my academic world I started organizing my life, and my time, even more (or maybe I had not done that well enough to begin with). I am trying out a new yoga class/studio this weekend which I hope aligns more with my sense of spirituality, so that hopefully I can take more lessons for me to use off the mat. With the hopes that lessons from both worlds -- the world of academia and my "inner life" -- collide, and that these lessons somehow reconcile and play well in the sandbox.

Speaking of sandboxes...

 (My nephew* at the Children's Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio)

* I love watching kids play and explore. I took my nephews to a museum once and they saw this HUGE indoor sandbox and their eyes probably got as big as saucers as they ran to the play area. You feel the great sense of optimism, possibility, and discovery. Lessons to learn....

Do you experience any feelings of a "tug-of-war" between the expectations of your work life and those of your inner life? How do you reconcile both?

my online photography shop

EveryMomentCounts on Etsy

I am happy to share that I started an online photography shop!

Click here.

This site is a work in progress, as I do not have all my photography prints listed yet. For a more extensive list, most of my work can be found here.

revisiting January 2009

Wow. This time last year, I named the year 2009 as my year of TAKING ACTION. I wrote my goals here.

This friend once told me about reflecting on the past year, and your perceived successes and failures. I like that concept of "perceived". It's not a judgment on your performance; to me it's your perception of the areas in which you experience growth and the areas that you may need to revisit or to try again, or to re-consider to see whether it fits in with your life's purpose.

These were on my list, with my "revisiting" comments in italics:

1. Continue my research project...continued, but not done...to be continued this year.

2. Show photography at another art show (maybe this spring?)...check. Was part of an art show at this arts center last summer. It was a great experience, because I helped set up the show pieces with a group of artists, as part of my volunteer hours. I thoroughly enjoyed being behind the scenes for the first time! It was fun deciding where to place different pieces of art work so that each piece stands out, but also complements the other pieces around it. This place is a community-supported arts center, and is so full of warmth and positive energy. Nothing pretentious here. They make the arts accessible, not elusive...even for newbies like myself. :)

photo courtesy of CD (thanks!)

3. Start teaching yoga again (one thing I took off my plate for the past few months... and I miss it)...unfortunately, I think I only had a few opportunities to do this. In my busiest times, I think I really benefit from being in the class as a student, not as an instructor. Re-visit at some point.

4. Set a reasonable amount of Internet time... reduce non-productive Internet time, especially if it starts interfering with my sleep schedule! ...honestly? ONGOING.

...it became especially difficult since I got a MacBook Pro last year.
So realistically, my online time may not become any less. :)

5. I would love to take a weekend road trip/photography trip by myself – to a place that will make feel like I’m “getting away”, but also reasonably close. Asheville, NC maybe?... YES!!! I DID! Big check mark here.

Zambra Tapas Bar and Spanish Restaurant
Walnut St., downtown Asheville

my favorite Spanish restaurant...
especially since they serve vegetarian paella and vegetarian tapas.

No visit to Asheville is complete without getting truffles
from French Broad Chocolate Lounge
South Lexington Ave., downtown Asheville

Bougainvilleas from the North Carolina Arboretum
These flowers remind me of home...
there are lush shrubs of these in my family's garden in Manila.

6. Prioritize my health and wellness. Listen to my body: take stretching breaks at work after sitting at a computer, take more walks, indulge myself by taking a nap when necessary...well, I took walks... but not too many naps to report. Revisit; do I allow myself enough rest? I have to remind myself that rest is important, so that I can regroup and move forward with what I perceive as my life's purpose.


7. Set aside some time each day (even just 5 minutes) to reflect, read something inspiring, or write in my journal...check.

Everyone needs time for a retreat...
whether it's for a weekend or for five minutes.

8. ACT ON possibilities. Or else they will remain merely possibilities. (this sounds vague, but it’s going to be a LOOONG story if I write it out in detail here)... YES!!! Another big check mark here... I must say, I did take action on this one. I moved to Kent State!

Oh, and last year I turned 30! I loved it. See more here.

Photo credit: EyesOpenWide

So I did "take action" last year. I have been reflecting on what 2010 will be about, and what I will name it. More on that later.

On a final note...some guiding words for the new year:

"We are not victims of circumstance. We are the creative force of our own lives."
- Stephen Covey

What's 2010 about for you?

looking ahead, part 2

Photo credit: EyesOpenWide

In looking ahead towards the new year, I also have to look back at the year that has been.

2009 was a year of incredible opportunity. It was also a year of transition and somewhat life-changing decisions, some of which were slightly painful. But when opportunity presents itself, there is so much potential to grow. And growth hurts sometimes.

I had to choose between staying in a full-time job (which I loved) that gave me the sense of security that comes with having a regular source of income and benefits, and an opportunity for full-time, (almost) fully-funded doctoral studies in a different city. It meant going away from what has been my home for 6 years, away from my friends who have become like family. It meant a meager stipend instead of a full-time salary (let's be honest here: we all have bills to pay). It meant a different lifestyle, a different routine from what I have been used to. It meant a lot of hours of working alone. I've heard people say, "The doctoral program, especially the dissertation, can be a very lonely place."

The idea of going back to school full-time was a little scary, I admit. It wasn't the most convenient decision... nor was it the most cost-effective decision. It required me to move out of my comfort zone. It required some sacrifice. But it also held the promise of the growth that I so wanted. In my full-time job, I felt secure for practical reasons, but I also felt restless. I felt like a plant that wanted to outgrow its pot. Abraham Maslow, a psychology theorist, wrote: "You will either step forward into growth or you will step back into safety." Very wise.

Somehow I think this photo captures the idea of "stepping back" vs "stepping forward"

There was a lot to consider in my decision-making, but in the end, it all boiled down to that inner voice that grew louder and louder, saying, "JUST GO."

I am a believer of the idea that nothing happens by chance. There is no coincidence. There was a reason that this opportunity knocked. I just "randomly" (or so I thought) found this doctoral program through the Internet. When I looked into it more and sought more information, it seemed that it was the answer to my restlessness. Had I decided to stay within my comfort zones, I would have stayed with the doctoral program I had already started and worked on part-time for the past 2 years. When I think about it, I could have NOT found this other program. I could have NOT been accepted. I could have NOT been given a graduate assistantship. But all those things DID happen. There is a reason.

Anais Nin stated, "And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." (Got this from a delightful little book entitled Bloom)

So despite some fears and anxieties, I stepped forward into growth. It was time.

And now I am here. After months of being in transition, nervously waiting for things to happen that were beyond my control (like whether my student visa was going to be approved by the USCIS or not). Then finally, it all worked out. I look back at the patterns of changes and transitions in my life, and many of them required WAITING. Many, if not all of them, worked out on the 11th hour. I call it "my photo-finish life" because things fall into place in the nick of time. A friend of mine once corrected me and said, "It's not a photo-finish life. It's a 'perfect timing' life." I like that. True enough, when I received my USCIS approval, it couldn't have come at a more perfect time.

The period of waiting really teaches me to be patient. And to let go. And to trust that things DO work out, after you've done all the work. It is a hard lesson to learn, one which I have not fully learned.

And that was my 2009...

So. 2010. A new year to step forward into growth. How am I going to grow this year?

A couple of years ago, I joined a retreat, and we did some fun artsy work. I created something like a "vision board" of affirmations, reminders, and dreams.


Here are some phrases from my vision board:

Go with your gut.

Teach to learn.

Improve our world.

Create, play, and care. It's a way of life.

Be adventurous. Be amazed.

Nourish your life.

Be peaceful.

Wow. It seems like that sums up my will-do's for the year. I'm calling them will-do's and not to-do's. I think saying "will-do's" makes me more accountable. To myself, and to others. They are not necessarily discrete and separate resolutions that you can check off a list and be done with them -- I like to think of them more as reminders to make more conscious choices every day.

Looking at my vision board 2 years after I created it, I reflect on how those words and images are speaking to me now.

Go with your gut. Someone once said to me, "Trust your instincts. Nine out of ten times, your instincts are right." When faced with a decision, I need to find time to quiet my mind and be in tune with my intuition. There is wisdom there. Many times I find myself worrying and stressing out unnecessarily over something, when really, I already know the answer. I could have avoided all that negative energy (and nights of tossing and turning) by just trusting in what I know.

Teach to learn. This year I will be teaching, though in a different capacity. I am no longer teaching young children, but I will be assisting in/co-teaching some college and graduate level classes as part of my graduate assistantship work. I believe that I learn so much when I teach. I learn to step outside of myself. I learn about other people, and about meeting other people's needs. I learn to be flexible. I learn to plan for a variety of learners. I learn to communicate better.

Improve our world. Oooh, that is a loaded one. At this time, I am not in a place in my life where I can join the Peace Corps. So I will have to break it down into smaller actions. I don't know what they are yet though. Volunteer to teach yoga? Join a campus or community organization? Note to self: do some research on this one. But they can be even smaller actions - picking up a piece of trash on the street. Giving someone a sincere compliment or affirmation. Calling or writing an old friend. Greeting and thanking the grocery store checkout person by name. Every word I say and choice I make can have a positive or negative effect. Do my choices create positive energy? Or does it lower my energy and that of others?

Create, play, and care. It's a way of life. In what ways can I "create" this year? I feel that my hobbies have taken a backseat to other, bigger priorities. How can I balance the creative and the cerebral? In what ways will I "play"? And in what ways will I "care"? Hmmm... It seems that I can do all 3 of these when I cook or bake. It's such a creative, enjoyable process. Food is always a way to care for and nourish another person - not just in the physical sense. OK, not that I need any more excuses to cook...

Be adventurous. Be amazed. Well, I'm in a new city! Who knows what adventures lie ahead? One thing that comes to mind is that since I am now closer to a body of water, I might learn to windsurf on the lake this summer. :) (Note to self: Start swimming laps again!) But adventure and amazement are not limited to high-adrenaline activities. Amazement and wonder is everywhere. I just have to be open.

Nourish your life. I will be faced with many stresses this year. A hard lesson for me to learn is to find balance. I need to find ways to nourish my soul so I don't burn out. Nurturing friendships, old and new. Yoga. Cooking projects. Small doses of art. Photography. Writing. I'll take lessons from this friend and make a weekly appointment to "show up for myself."

Be peaceful. Another loaded one. In what ways can I think, speak, and act peacefully? This statement can cover so much - lessening my environmental footprint (note to self: hop on the campus shuttle more!), being more conscious of my food choices and where my food comes from, being more compassionate in my interactions with others and following the three-fold rule of "Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?" before I speak. And -- this is a difficult one -- being more forgiving towards myself.

Let's see how this year turns out... meanwhile, I have my vision board in a highly visible place in my bedroom so I can see my reminders every day.

Here's to another year and another chance to evolve into more balanced, more genuine, and more compassionate versions of ourselves.

looking ahead

Photo credit: EyesOpenWide

Don't just go through life, grow through life. Don't just be good, be good for something and someone. Goodness heightens beauty. Become who you are, who you were meant to be. Seek out knowledge and experience. The more we see, the more we are capable of seeing. The more we do, the more we are capable of doing.

If you want to change, begin it. If you want love, give it. If you want hope, embody it. Start immediately and do it flamboyantly. Once you've begun, don't turn back. Change and growth can be painful and challenging at times, but as Lauren Bond said, "Every flower has to go through a lot of dirt."

Life is about choices, growth, and taking chances. It is about pushing through and moving forward. It is about loving courageously and not holding back. It is about finding a brighter, better way. You owe it to yourself and to the world to make the most out of the stuff that's in you.

Bloom into your incredibly, gloriously, brilliantly beautiful self. The world is waiting.

- Excerpt from Bloom, Kobi Yamada & Kristel Wills (eds.), 2006. For more info on the book, click here.

photo taken in Cincinnati on November 2009 -
thought it was an unlikely bloom during late fall

good morning!

Saturday morning indulgence: chocolate croissant, thanks to this place.

... motivation to get out of bed.
... 5 minutes of shameless consumption, melted chocolate trickling down the chin.
... inspiration for the next great idea.

More on that later...

ed. 5.16.09: By the way, this is what the page above says:
"Seek and celebrate excellence.
Craft your vision.
Determine your measure.
Ask for what you want."
- Mary Anne Radmacher
Definitely words to live by!

investing in wellness

One of my “Take Action” steps is to invest in my well-being. I thought of listing “exercise more” as one of my action steps, and it surely is part of it… however, there are times when “exercise more” sounds more like a chore and then I think of a dozen excuses to get out of it.

I also remember that I did so much better when I was writing things down. When I was training for running, I had a piece of paper taped to my bathroom wall and I would log in my miles and cross-training sessions on it. And I’d feel proud of myself seeing my writing fill the once-empty boxes, one day at a time.

I’ve decided to do it again. Then I kept thinking of what to call it, besides an “exercise log”. Which again, makes it sound like a chore sometimes.

Instead, I’m calling it My Wellness Log.

Microsoft Publisher is a great tool. I create my own calendar, and personalize it with inspiring phrases and short-term goals. This month’s goals: “More Cardio” and “Sleep Better.”

I then write whatever I did for my wellness – whether it’s cardio exercise, yoga/stretching, or taking a nap when I need one (I usually don’t take naps, but sometimes I give in).

So far it’s going great. It reminds me to invest in my long-term health and wellness, which is definitely more than just a chore.

Thanks, J.L., for your inspiration on “focusing your energy”!

2009: Take Action

(still having computer issues.... I wrote this on 1/19/09)

The past few years of my life have revolved around themes.... 2006 was about healing, 2007 was about finding joy, 2008 was about being bold (doing things I've never done, or that are outside my comfort zone). After some reflection, I think 2009 will be about TAKING ACTION.

I've spent the last 6 months being in a state of "limbo". Lots of uncertainty and ambivalent feelings about where my path is taking me. I feel like I've been sitting on my hands, thinking, waiting, and attempting to listen and look out for signs/possibilities/opportunities. A friend of mine calls them "God Winks." I like that.

I took some commitments off my plate last year in an attempt to "streamline" my schedule and prioritize. Unfortunately, that didn't work. I didn't get any more done than when I had more things on my schedule. In fact, I seem to do better when my calendar is more cluttered. With a full calendar, I procrastinate less, because I don't have the much-coveted luxury of A Lot of Free Time.

So, what to do this year... This entry is a little bit late for a "New Year's Resolution" blog entry. But seeing that I sometimes make resolutions on NYE and break one (or two or three) of them within the first month, I thought I better put more thought into this.

Here we go...

- Continue my research project
- Do another art show (maybe this spring?)
- Start teaching yoga again (one thing I took off my plate for the past few months... and I miss it)
- Set a reasonable amount of Internet time... reduce non-productive Internet time, especially if it starts interfering with my sleep schedule!
- I would love to take a weekend road trip/photography trip by myself – to a place that will make feel like I’m “getting away”, but also reasonably close. Asheville, NC maybe?
- Prioritize my health and wellness. Listen to my body: take stretching breaks at work after sitting at a computer, take more walks, indulge myself by taking a nap when necessary.
- Set aside some time each day (even just 5 minutes) to reflect, read something inspiring, or write in my journal.
- ACT ON possibilities. Or else they will remain merely possibilities. (this sounds vague, but it’s going to be a LOOONG story if I write it out in detail here)

let love be your guide

"Let love be your guide. When you love what you do, the means to do it will be revealed to you." - Sharon Gannon and David Life, Jivamukti Yoga

It's been a few days since I've posted a real entry, but these days I'm trying to quiet my mind and listen to my intuition. Quite honestly, I'm not the most patient person. So in times like these I find that the words of others give me some direction.

I love what I do. That's a good enough start. If only I knew the "means".

Patience, my dear. Patience.

living, growing, being

"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."
- Nietzsche

Sometimes I wonder why I complicate my life. My life could be so much simpler. But I think my self-imposed overbooking and overscheduling reflects a certain unrest, a desire for more -- a richer, more fulfilled experience; taking in all that life has to offer.

People do it all the time... whether it's pushing oneself to run 26.2 miles at a marathon, reaching the summit of a mountain, or diving to the depths of the sea. Or on a different level, going back to school.

The concept of "more", I think, is so much a part of being human... which does not necessarily mean a lack of contentment or a desire for more materially. It's about the need for self-actualization, a term coined by Abraham Maslow:

"A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. This is the need we may call self-actualization...It refers to man's desire for fulfillment, namely to the tendency for him to become actually in what he is potentially: to become everything that one is capable of becoming."

Maslow says there are two processes necessary for self-actualization: self-exploration and action. The action is the harder part.

Which is probably why I love to-do lists. After thinking about what I want, I write everything down, and I love being able to check items on my list, one at a time. It's part of holding myself accountable, using pen and paper as my witnesses.

We're almost halfway into the year, and I'm s-l-o-w-l-y putting check marks on my list:

• display photography at an art show: check
• plant herbs and tomatoes: check
  
• write and submit a research proposal (in progress)
  
• travel to a new place this summer
• present at a research conference? (gulp.)
• worry less. (a constant work in progress)
  

Dream Big, Live Outrageously, Follow Your Bliss

For the past couple of weeks I've been finding myself at a crossroads. So it was no surprise that I was drawn to these words again...

Live Outrageously

Most of us live in such a responsible, self-contained way. We do our duty as citizens, attend to everyone else's needs, show up for work, get the job done, and so on. That's all commendable--except when we're following the expected path for no better reason than we're in a well-worn rut. Then our diligence can come at the expense of our own true desires, the ones that live outside the realm of what's normally considered acceptable or appropriate.

In the spirit of unleashing a few hidden desires of your own, why not make a resolution to live more boldly?

Outrageous Act #1: Take a step towards radical self-improvement.
Outrageous Act #2: Make a big, bold life change.
Outrageous Act #3: Stop doing what you hate.

- by Cheryl Richardson ( Body + Soul magazine, Jan-Feb 08)

Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.
If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.

- Joseph Campbell

***************
Somewhere between the life you have and the life you want lies the quiet seed of potential.
- Terri Trespicio

welcoming spring

March 20th (or 19th or 21st in other years) marks the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring. The vernal equinox is when day and night are equally 12 hours. Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. The Persians also celebrate Noruz on this day, which marks their new year. Pretty cool, huh?

I LOVE spring. It's a time for new beginnings... when days get longer, and baby leaves start shooting from the once-bare branches. I love baby leaves. The green of baby leaves is just indescribable. Day by day, the earth becomes more and more colorful, until finally you see tulips and daffodils blooming. Can't wait!

How do you plan to enjoy spring?

I started my initial to-do list:

- celebrate and reflect on Easter
- visit the Cincinnati parks and the arboretum at Spring Grove with my camera
- see the Spring Flower Show at the Krohn Conservatory (with my camera)
- join the "Eating Locally" field trip, which includes visits to Findlay Market, Grailville, and Turner Farm -- the foodie's ideal day for fresh produce and local harvest... and yes, you guessed it, with my camera
- enjoy the longer days on my balcony
- join another art/photography show (in May, as school schedule permits)
- take more walks, do more cartwheels, and practice more yoga outside
- breathe in the fresh, spring air. Aaaaaahhh.....

"Receive each breath with reverence and use it to serve others." - Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

be bold

Dancing on the edge is the only place to be. --Trisha Brown

I've come to look at the last few years of my life as having certain themes. 2006 was about healing. 2007 was about finding joy. I think this year's theme is about being bold, doing something I've never done before, and hopefully, reaching new heights. And as the quote above says, you do have to "dance on the edge", to take risks, to hope, and to take leaps of faith.

And sometimes, to take leaps of faith means not only trusting in yourself, but also trusting others.

photo by Anna - Yoga Teacher Training, Cincinnati, OH

let love be your guide

It's Sunday again, which means that the dreaded Monday is just a few hours away. Sunday is my designated study day, as I try/attempt/struggle to complete my class requirements and get ready for the week ahead. As you can tell, I'm just in the "attempting" mode, as I'm currently taking a break and obviously, blogging.

Being in my first year of a graduate program, I often find myself see-sawing from one extreme state to another. Some days I think, "What the heck did I get myself into?" and on other days, I can say with conviction that "this is where I'm supposed to be." It all depends....

And then I go back to a quote I scribbled on a Post-It note, which I have conveniently placed in my work area at home:

"Let love be your guide. When you love what you do, the means to do it will be revealed to you." -- Sharon Gannon & David Life, Jivamukti Yoga

I am reminded that yes, this IS where I'm supposed to be. I firmly believe in working with children and families, and I LOVE it. I love the fact that I wake up in the morning and I don't dread going to work. I love the fact that I look forward to seeing the children in my program move beyond their comfort zones to take their first wobbly step, say their first word, or learn to take turns with a peer.

I firmly believe in the fact that change starts with myself, and that if I want to influence changes in the system I have to make changes in myself... and for now that change means going back to school, doing research and the big D (dissertation), and hopefully, hopefully, getting published.

I love what I do. And I firmly believe that the means to do it will be revealed to me....

(as long as I keep reading the research, writing, writing, and writing some more.)

And I don't HAVE to dread Mondays.

post-art show high!

I did it! I really did it!

Obviously, the fact that I did my first-ever art show still feels so surreal! But it was an amazing experience, and I feel incredibly grateful to everyone -- family, friends, and strangers alike -- for their support, interest, and positive energy. It was so thrilling to be in the midst of other photographers and artists, who generously share their ideas and inspire me through their passion for their craft.

It was an honor to share my love for photography and capturing "everyday miracles" with all of you. I'll keep you posted on future art shows!

Essex ArtWalk

This year, I'm going to do one thing that (kind of) scares me: displaying my photography at an art show!

The Essex ArtWalk event is part of the Fine Arts Sampler Weekend in Cincinnati. Please visit the Essex Studios on February 8 and 9 (Friday and Saturday), from 6-11 pm, and see my Photos of Everyday Miracles.

I look forward to seeing you there!

have no fear

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. - Eleanor Roosevelt

go ahead and dream

"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
-- Mary Oliver

(photo taken by Start Skydiving - my first skydive on July 22, 2007)

with great resolve

I shall salute the sun once again
to the stream that flowed within me,
to the clouds that were my tallest thoughts

- Forugh Farrokhzad, female Iranian poet, 1935-1967