I hope everyone had a peaceful holiday season and that 2024 has been kind to you thus far. It’s a snowy January day here and I’ve been working steadily on putting new systems into place to manage a lot of goals I’ve got for this year. I’ve learned that my spicy brain needs a structure, but freedom within that structure. Which leads to one of the epiphanies I’ve had recently about work and focus.
My 2024 Planner Journal
During my career as a teacher I was in a constant state of hypervigilance because I had to pay attention to so much going on around me all at once which made focusing very difficult. And when I did eventually carve out time to focus on my own work I was rushing myself to get things done out of fear I’d be interrupted and have to start all over again. Needless to say a state of flow was hard to come by and the drag on my nervous system was not sustainable. I’m definitely a big picture person so focusing has always been difficult for me. But my intention for this new phase of life wasn’t to continue to grind. It was to find my flow again and I think I’m on the right track. I’ve created a streamlined planner for myself that I use to help me plan my days better as well as my ipad for long term project planning. I’ve also dug back into my Skillshare account and found some resources that broke down the marketing piece I was struggling with. It’s coming together. And it does take time..but the catch is all this planning means nothing if I’m not patient and realistic about how much time things really take to get done and how important my time really is. If anyone is interested in how I’m planning these days (and why I take time to design the cover specifically for the energy I want to draw in for the year. :) maybe I could make some videos about it. Yes? Let me know if you’re interested in the comments or reach out on Instagram!
Scanned Pinhole Composite ABS 2023
To that I’ve been looking at how and where I want to spend my time this year. I’ve happily been digging back into my darkroom photo practice and have had the most fun using my Pinsta Camera. The image above is a composite of two shots I took in December down at Jones Point Park here in Alexandria. I scanned them and edited them in Photoshop. This camera is a remarkable thing that is so well designed and is basically a miniature darkroom. I’ve submitted some of the images I’ve taken so far to a pinhole exhibition with the NJ Pinhole Club and Unique Photo in honor of Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. They’ve accepted all submissions for a digital exhibition but I also requested to be juried in for my work to be printed and displayed so more on that outcome soon. I’ve also submitted work to several exhibitions and residencies local and in various parts of the country so lot’s of irons in the fire currently. Hope to have news on things soon but in the meantime I’ll be posting on my Instagram more frequently this month in preparation for The 100 Day Project that starts in February. More on that soon as well! That’s all for now until I know more and get deeper in the swing of things now that one chunk of applications have been completed. Thanks for being here!