I found this little plaque while Christmas shopping and the words struck me so that I knew I had to bring it home. It quickly found its place in my kitchen window. I wish someone had told me this when I was younger, but maybe it is something that you can't understand until you have experienced life. I've thought about this saying a lot in the last few weeks and have several posts outlined on the subject.
I didn't realize it, but I was creating myself when I started this blog almost five years ago. If you've read that first post then you know that it was a small chrysanthemum that lifted my spirits and caused me to realize that it was the small simple things of life that give me joy. Starting the blog was a way for me to write down and capture my thoughts; I was creating a part of myself that had been hidden deep inside and needed to come bubbling up and out of me.
Little did I know that in addition to satisfying that creative drive with writing and photography that I would encounter other bloggers with similar interests and values. Reading their blogs and sharing comments has formed friendships for which I am very grateful. I have found that reading about other women’s experiences has made me aware of the many commonalities that we share. Reading posts written from different viewpoints has made me even more eager for more experiences of life that expose me to different thoughts and new approaches to thinking. Yes, that is part of creating oneself, isn’t it? Expanding your thoughts, exploring your world, embracing new ideas, always seeking to know more, accepting life's experiences.
What a great quote. In a way that's what brought me back to blogging. I was a burnt out photographer that had literally not touched my camera in over a year. It was brand new and I had hardly ever used it since going into insurance. I was over the juried art show thing and didn't quite know how I wanted to share my pictures. So I decided I would go back into blogging. It was the best thing I have ever done for my creative spirit. I take pictures of what I want and I share them. Period. If you like them fine, if you don't fine. I don't care. I love art and I love photography. I don't need to pay $50 for someone to tell me they like them or not. Because I no longer care. Maybe one day I will but for right now I really don't. I just want to write and be creative and be happy. Hippy dippy? Sure, but I have something that pays the bills so I have that luxury now that I didn't right out of school.
ReplyDeleteSo, I hear the need for a creative get together (physical would be great, but virtual would work). There are so many talented creative women whose messages get stalled for so many reasons. I know there are all kinds of venues out there trying to do that, but when you "know" people whose work you appreciate, it just begs us to do more.
ReplyDeleteI was in Michael's in Ft. Worth with my sister a couple of weeks ago, and kept seeing things and saying, "Lana can do this." "Lana did a blog post about this." "Lana, who has a degree in art..."
Art (in its many forms) is so vital.
Oh for just a few more hours in the day what I could get accomplished.....I would love a meet up some time I think that would be great. My husband is totally bemused by the blogging thing and is glad it makes me happy but doesn't really get it. I think he sort of knew what kind of wierdo he was marrying but not really. Ya know? It's hard to talk about some of my interests with our circle of friends because they just don't quite know how to take me. I'm eccentric like that I suppose.
DeleteOh, ladies how I agree with you both! I'm hoping someday we can meet face to face as I think we have so much in common. I know my family doesn't get the blogging either, but I think we are just in a different thought mode.
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