“We read to know we’re not alone.”
― William Nicholson
I started writing in a journal about ten years ago. When I started, I was dealing with chronic anxiety. Anyone in that boat can tell you; it isn’t something you row yourself out of easily. So, stroke by stroke of the pen on paper, I spilled out negative thoughts.
Over time, journaling helped me challenge those apprehensions. Then finally, I understood my fears and concerns better. The parade of ruminations stayed on the page, and I could shift my thoughts to the positive.
Since lifting that fog, I have found joy in allowing my abstract photography to guide me toward calm. Being in the moment helped me find my balance, and I hope reading these will bring you some peace too.
What will you find here?
So often we wait for a big event, for everything to line up just right. And when it doesn’t, are you bummed out? Well, the key is to appreciate the present moment. Big moments are wonderful, but most of life is about ordinary little moments. So if you want life to mean more, you’ve got to look at the gift of right now. The color yellow led me to this epiphany. Take a look at this abstract photo’s message.
With the endless stream of news, it seems like we are about to get caught in a monster wave and crushed. Asking “why” focuses on the past, and worrying puts us in the future. We need tools to help us be in this present moment. Ocean waves are a great symbol of how life crests up and then dumps us down in the troughs. Using ocean wave photography as a reference point, I weave the story these photos tell by summoning the wisdom of Phil Stutz in Jonah Hill’s recent Netflix documentary, “Stutz.”
There’s a deep peace walking in fresh snow. You want to be quiet. It’s like visiting a temple or historic cathedral. Or maybe it’s a protective device of ours buried deep. A safety behavior so we don’t unnecessarily tip off an avalanche. However, there was no danger of that here.
In the past, religious ceremonies, art, literature, music, time in nature, and other rituals used to offer us these moments of reverence. Unfortunately, our pace has pushed those things to the side. Instead, we honor a to-do list and multitasking motion. Reverence is abandoned. People complain of being tired and feeling like they are going through the motions. As the star of the show, we must dedicate ourselves to figuring out how to appreciate things around us more deeply if we wish to reclaim meaning in our lives. The story behind this Arizona mission art tells the story.
While it seems like there’s a resurgence of Wild West recklessness in the world lately, we are enjoying a resurgence of red colors. The reason for the popularity right now? We are looking to surround ourselves with positive energy and add a sense of individuality to our surroundings. So bringing the warmth of red inside gives us a lift. Plus, the more subtle reds create an atmosphere that feels safe. Like barn red!
Interested in the wild west? Bodie Ghost Town offers a window into the past of gold mining, gunslingers, and outlaws. Preserved for our benefit, take a look at this photo essay to see a variety of photos that show what life was like during the California gold rush.
Appreciate how autumn brings pop to beautiful scenery. Find serenity in this photo collection of fall colors in the eastern Sierras.
This sunny face of the sunflower symbol has captivated cultures for centuries. Sunflower symbols show up throughout history. Just take a look at the arts. Sunflower designs adorn pottery, tapestries, currencies, postage stamps, and paintings. Van Gogh painted 11 paintings of sunflowers, and the number of flowers in those paintings totaled 87.
Death Valley National Park is a landscape of extremes. Arid, hostile, harsh, and remote are all accurate ways to describe this natural phenomenon. Through these 26 photos, settle the question for yourself–is Death Valley worth visiting? The beauty is striking and bold, and at times, subtle and soft at other moments.
I saw a flag fluttering in the breeze. On a large building, mirrored panels reflected that flag. But as I shifted my vantage right and then left, I saw many patterns and wanted to see how they’d capture in a photo.