Finding joy and gratitude?

Focusing on leaving things better than I found them

What can I say?

November was a difficult month for many of us and a question I’ve heard often is: What now? I don’t know. There’s no right answer but I am determined to look for joy and gratitude and to share it with those around me. My wish is that by sharing some of the good stuff I can add a bit of happiness to the world and leave things better than I found them.

Looking back: Part One

Looking back at the places I went to and the things I photographed this year, I am very grateful for the experiences I’ve had. Artistically speaking, this has been a year of growth and I feel lucky to have felt the joy of discovery and learning.

I’ve divided the year in half and this is part one of my stories for 2024. I’ve also added a list of ways to find joy and gratitude and a great book recommendation at the end of this post. It’s nothing new or revolutionary just a few gentle reminders for those (like me) that need them from time to time.

The year started off challenging. I wasn’t emotionally prepared for a winter in the Pacific Northwest and although I live on the east side of the state it was still very different from the winters I experienced in Colorado. The lack of sunshine combined with less access to quality outdoor spaces (the east side really falls short here) added to the challenges of being somewhere new. All of these things contributed to a big drop in my mood. The image below was taken in February on a cold and foggy morning at my favorite park. I wasn’t feeling great but I managed to make a couple of images that I liked and that conveyed the way I felt.

In March my friend Alicia and her husband Wes visited [happy dance!!]. We took a drive to the Palouse area but it was too early in the season for the classic green rolling hills. We also went to Othello and witnessed hundreds of birds migrating. Amazing.

Also in March I made my first trip to the coast and it changed everything. Before this trip I was ready to leave Washington as soon as I could. But the PNW coast is so beautiful and being there healed my spirit in so many ways. Bodhi and I had a lot of fun exploring different parts of Cannon Beach and the image below is one of my favorites from the trip.

April is the time for tulips in the Pacific Northwest so Bodhi and I headed to a dog-friendly tulip farm in Woodburn, Oregon.

In May I went to Chicago for work and had a blast with the architecture and city scapes. The busyness of the city was overwhelming but it made for an enjoyable new kind of ‘scapes.

Also in May I visited a local garden that had the most beautiful roses! I didn’t get to spend as much time as I would’ve liked but I look forward to returning to this little oasis in the spring.

June was a stay-at-home month but wait until you see July. It was one of the best birthday months I’ve ever had.

Five tips for dealing with difficult times

1. Look for your peeps.

Now more than ever it’s important to connect with the community you have and find new allies. They day after election day my friends and I started checking in on each other and offering words of support. I’ve seen a lot of positivity and support in Substack.

2. It’s okay to not be okay.

There are many that are in much worse situations than us, absolutely. But that doesn’t mean that what we’re going through isn’t hard. Take a nap. Cry. Fall apart if you need to. Those who get you won’t judge.

3. Make stuff.

Draw, paint, plant, it doesn’t matter, the act of creating and possibly expressing something with what you’re creating is helpful.

4. Keep making stuff and share it.

Making art can feel frivolous or pointless but I know deep inside that it’s not. It’s a way to add light to the world and to help others understand and process how they’re feeling.

5. Take comfort in nature and its creatures.

Love on your pets, go outside, stare at a body of water, watch the rain, or the squirrels, look at the patterns, the colors, listen, breathe. The natural world can be a source of peace and comfort as well as a path to inspiration.

Look! I finally published The Book Report!

The Book Report is an ever-growing list of books and other resources with a bit of personal commentary. It’s only available to paid subscribers but you can get a peek here:

The Book Report

And one more thing:

I recently finished reading Keep Going, the latest book by Austin Kleon. You would think by the content that it was published this month… it wasn’t. It’s from 2019! But it it so perfect right now. If you’re struggling, I highly recommend picking up a copy. Seriously.

Thank you for reading Photographs and Stories. As the year comes to an end, I hope you are also able to find joy and gratitude.