I spent a few hours last night pushing photo after photo into tiny frames, meditating on the year of 2010. I picked the photos for each frame based on how they looked in such a small square. I don't know why I wanted to do it, I just did it... very thoughtfully. Good thing, too, because I needed to update my blog. Here's what went through my mind:
2010 was a big year for me, photographically speaking. 2010 symbolizes the year I decided to go full-time as a photographer.
Until now, a lot of people will have been unaware that I lost my day-job nearly 2 years ago. Don't feel bad for me, it was the best thing that could have ever happened. In the past, I have worked for corporate banks and medical agencies as a back-end collector, and I worked for a lowest of the low telemarketing firm, as well. I loved my bank job and maybe I would still be doing it to this day if they hadn't relocated our department to Arizona, a move I only occasionally regret not making. I also freelance as a graphic designer and have had some success working for authors and websites (making banners and mailings) as well as logos for independent businesses. People also commission me for one-of-a-kind works of art. I get a lot of enjoyment out of my job in design. Plus, I am good at managing myself. And when photography came along, it took over my life in such a new and exciting way ... I figured why not go full-time? So, with the support of my darling husband, we used some of our saving's and I started my own photography business. Was it the best decision I could have made? Not just Yes, but Hell Yes!!
Yes, because I have the freedom I need in order to indulge in creative endeavors to stay sane. I get to be my own person to-the-max (people really like me!), and I [mostly] get to make my own schedule. I have the privilege of meeting new people and create with them. How cool is that?! Very cool. And, the biggest reward of all is that I feel a huge sense of accomplishment at the end of each day that I rarely felt from the other jobs I've held. However rewarding that may be, those awesome perks are such a small part in the overall scheme.
Those awesome perks are NOT why I started my own business. I started my own photography business because there was work to be done! Parents were asking me to take photos of their kids graduation ceremony (and the party's are always fun, too!). I even shot for a few non-traditional weddings, as well. I was getting asked to show up at 1st Birthday parties to take candid photographs of their child smashing their cute little fingers into cake. Bands and Musicians wanted to stand out from other bands by having me shoot their promo material. People inquired, Do I take Pet Photos? Why, yes I do! And the best part? They were all offering to pay me to do just that. So that's exactly what I did.
And now, it's what I do. I make pictures with people. A dream come true! Now I just gotta keep the ball rolling. :)
Until next time,
XO-kA
Thursday
Tuesday
35 Things
I sometimes recap the years (usually around my birthday) by going through my old journals and finding bold and highlighted entries exclaiming things of mass importance or exciting moments, or super sad experiences, and there are some silly entries that I wonder now why it was so cool back then. I usually get a chuckle, and sometimes I get hit with something very profound.
In the archives, I ran across an old list of things I wanted to do, big and small, before I turned 30. Whether they were achievable goals or not, I had plans. I wrote the original list on my 22nd birthday. Wow. 22. It was just 8 years ago, but I feel like I have come along so much further than time wants me to think. :) And, I wanted to start a photography business way before I had really given it any serious thought. In fact, I wrote the list and promptly forgot about it. I'm pretty happy that I actually accomplished a great deal of the things. Some accomplishments, to this day, are very surprising.
Anyway, I had to revise the list some, being that I turn 30 in less than a week. The old list starts with 1 and goes down to 22. I reorganized the list to mark the olde accomplishments first (1-16) as well as leaving the original [unfinished] goals intact from 17-22. Then I added a few new goals, listed from 23-35. :) Happy reading!
Make a list for your self and share it with me!
35 things before 35
- Move into a Place-Called-Home with Chris ✓
- Buy a Brand New Car and Pay it Off ✓
- See the band Tool as often as possible without repeating set-lists ✓
- Design and Sew my own Dresses, Bags, and Hair-things ✓
- Start making my own Facial Cleansers ✓
- Get Married & Stay Married ✓
- Do Not Ever own a Credit Card ✓
- Start a Photography Business ✓
- Bake more Cookies and Muffins ✓
- See more Movies at the Cinema with Friends ✓
- Grow a Delicious Fruit and Veggie Garden ✓
- Sculpt Clay Trinkets and Jewelry ✓
- Write a Book ✓
- Pack More Bento Lunches ✓
- Forge More Friendships ✓
- Be More Confident ✓
- Grow My Hair to Mid-back ✓ New Goal: Grow Hair to Tailbone!
- See 'Everything We Can' at a Toronto Film Festival
- Wear (Pwn) a Classic Swimsuit and matching Swim Cap
- Visit New York for a Weekend (never been!)
- Learn to Sing and Play Guitar (Write and Perform a Song for Chris) [currently learning guitar]
- Cross-country Road-trip to Hollywood (stay in Arizona for the bulk)
- Finish writing my Childhood Memoirs
- Have Picnics with Chris
- Frame + Hang more Photos in the Homestead
- Be super-organized
- Do several Trash-the-Dress Photo-shoots with a Lovely Bride (and Groom)
- Organize, Design, and Sell T-shirts
- Own and train a Guard Dog
- Open a Studio
- Enter & Win a Photography Contest
- Get Published
- Do Yoga on a more Regular Basis
- Upgrade Mine and My Husband's Photo/Video Equipments
- Buy a House
:)
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