Now what?
Travel, wins, and some scary things
In my last post I shared the deeply personal reasons behind my latest project, Paper Houses and the response was amazing. I am so grateful for the encouraging comments I received and the new subscribers that joined my list. Yes, it’s a sad story, but art-making is an emotional endeavor and I’m not ashamed of the way I feel. I appreciate all of you for being here.
The good/bad thing about that last post is I felt seen. When I realized people were paying attention writing another post became scary. Um… what do I say next? How do I follow my last act? What if you’re all disappointed? What if…?? Fear and insecurity expanded in my head and kept me from writing anything at all.
So, now what?
I don’t have any wisdom on this. I just keep showing up.
Because the act of making is healing.
Travel near and far(ish)
At the end of February I visited a dear friend (and her two lovable Huskies) in Wilmington, North Carolina. On my last night there we went to watch the sunset and as I was taking pictures of the setting sun a flock of birds suddenly took off from their spot by the water. They were too far for me to see them until they started flying and it was the most wonderful surprise.
On that trip I also photographed my first East Coast piers! I’ve taken photos of a lot of piers on the West Coast but never on the east. The beaches in Wilmington have such beautiful, clear water and because it was off-season there weren’t many people around.
Sandhill Cranes! A while back I wrote about the attempt to find them in Othello, Washington. Turns out there’s a spot close by to see them. They’re amazing to see (and hear).
Wins
The image below—Chicago Grid—was selected for an Editor’s Choice prize on Minted! This means that it is now available for sale exclusively on Minted.com. Minted challenges for photography are very competitive (thousands of entries) and it’s an honor to be picked.
Scary Things
After a few years away, I’ve gone back to participating in local events. In spite of being an introvert, I really enjoy talking to people about my work and in-person events are very satisfying. I joined an artist group and so far I have shown my work in two Art Hops.
Showing the world what you create is scary—you’re putting yourself out there… What if no one likes it? What if they don’t even notice? Sigh. The only way to avoid that fear is by hiding—tried that, do not recommend. Sharing your art can connect you with others and expand the benefits of making things. Besides, you never know who might be encouraged by what you do.
An opportunity came up to show and sell at a popular venue in Portland that does two artist open house events per year. These events allow their resident artists to open their studios to the public and it also provides an opportunity for visiting artists to spend a weekend showing/selling their work.
As soon as I thought of applying I started questioning myself and thinking of reasons why I shouldn’t. Is my work good enough? Will people want to buy it? What if I spend all this money and I don’t recover my investment? How will I manage my unpredictable energy levels? Who will take care of Bodhi? And the list goes on. All this panic just thinking about applying. Applying!! I realized there was an unnecessary storm brewing in my head, I took a deep breath, and applied. Who knows if they will pick me. If they do, then I can panic (a little at least… well… maybe a lot), but until then I can be proud of having done something scary that could end up being great. We shall see!
Thank you for reading Photographs and Stories it means a lot to me that you do. Next post: Roadtrip Season 2025!
I don’t know much but I do know your photography is great, well done for embracing the scary. 👏
Feeling seen is so scary! Thanks for continuing to show up and share.