Sunday, October 18, 2009

Every day a new day

I started school this week! It feels so good to be back in class, striving for a goal. My degree will be in digital photography- something I have alway loved- photography. For over 20 years, I have been behind the camera taking pictures. It's amazing to see the world through a camera- I have the ability to see small details that others may not.

The classes I am taking this quarter are: obeservational drawing, basics of photography, speech and communication and computer literacy. It may sound strange, but the observational drawing is the most difficult class for me so far! Our homework this week is to draw 80 5 minute sketches. For the othe students in my class that isn't all that difficult- I am guessing a lot of them have been artists their entire lives. The girl who sat across the table from me Thursday was sitting sketching people- and she was really good! I haven't really taken the opportunity in my life to draw things, and this is a difficult class for me.

I did manage to draw a pretty life-like apple the other day, and was pretty impressed with it!

So what have I learned this week... other than not to let my perfectionism get in the way of accomplishing my goals? One line at a time- one mark at a time- a pencil creates the picture you guide it to create. Every day, one act at a time, one decision at a time... our lives are created. All I have to say is... thank goodness for erasers!!!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Pick your angle!

The angle at which you approach something is exactly how you see it.


Have you ever noticed that when you approach a situation, the angle makes a complete difference on how it plays out? If you enter angry... more anger tends to grow. If you come at it from a place of peace, or being willing to "work things out" then usually things go peacefully? Of course, if there is another person involved, that can also affect the outcome, depending on their agle as well.


My camera taught me this profound truth this week, as I was attempting to take a picture. Things just weren't working the way I wanted them to, and I was getting horribly frustrated. I took 2 steps to the right, and realized I had simply been looking at the picture from the wrong angle.


What a profound lesson - and one I will always keep in my heart!