Tag : Community

Featured in UPPERCASE magazine. WOOT!

Last summer during the Tribe retreat, we spent an afternoon making vision boards. We had tons of magazines, posterboard, and gluesticks at the ready. While we talked about our dreams for the upcoming year, we poured over the magazines, looking for images and words that spoke to us and captured some of what we were visioning for our futures. In addition to the typical glossies that you pick up at the grocery (Oprah, Whole Living, Real Simple), I brought along some of my favorite magazines that are more like journals, catalogs of art and creativity — UPPERCASE, Mingle, and Kinfolk to name a few. As I found images of cameras (even an SX-70!) and hearts and bikes that I wanted to put on my vision board, I knew for certain I wanted to cut out the masthead of UPPERCASE and use it for my vision of the future. I was clear that one of my big goals and dreams for the coming year was to have my photography and writing published in UPPERCASE, a magazine I adore that features amazing work by all types of artists.

Not long after returning home from the coast of Oregon, I began working on a submission to UPPERCASE. Like I tell my students about publishing academic research, the surest way not to get published somewhere is to not submit your work. Thus, I took my own advice, and crafted a story and selected accompanying photos. After working it through many times, writing and re-writing, pouring over photos, I took the plunge and submitted it. And then I waited, asking the Universe to do its thing (please and thank you). I journaled about it and reminded myself to trust the process. I repeated a mantra to myself that I had done my part, did the work, put myself out there, and now I had to believe this creative endeavor would take the course it needed to take.

And then it happened. I heard back from Janine Vangool, the editor of UPPERCASE. She said she liked my photography and my writing, and said she’d keep me in mind as she worked on future issues of the magazine. A month or so later, I heard from Janine again, saying she wanted to use my story and some photographs in an upcoming issue of UPPERCASE. YES! I did my part and the Universe did its thing.

Issue #16 has recently shipped to subscribers and stockists, and it landed in my mailbox just this week. I can’t tell you how ecstatic I was to rip open the plastic covering, and turn to the Table of Contents to see my name listed. I was beyond thrilled to then flip to page 29 and see my words, my photographs, and me (self-portraits, you know!) among the pages of this magazine I so adore. I also love that the photographs included in the piece are a combination of self-portraits and Polaroids shot with Impossible Project film. I feel grateful and so happy to have realized another creative dream.

To help celebrate this milestone and my photography and writing being published in the pages of UPPERCASE, Janine is sponsoring a giveaway of a year subscription to the magazine! How awesome is that?!? For your chance to win the subscription, please leave a comment on this post by Sunday, January 27th at midnight Central time. I’ll select a winner using a random number generator and let you know who won!

As always, thanks for being a part of my creative journey. You cheering me on means more to me than you know. xoxo

I have been feeling a little down of late. Nothing, in particular, has happened. Life is pretty good at the present moment, all in all. And yet, I’ve been feeling a bit low. This happens to all of us — this I know for sure. I think some of it has to do with starting the semester, being pulled in a million directions simultaneously, and the sometimes solitary nature of the faculty life. I’m a strong extrovert and derive my energy from being with other people. Thus, my academic position can leave me feeling a bit lonely as many of my work activities (writing, writing, writing) are solitary ones. Thankfully, a good ol’ fashioned dose of girlfriend-time, and re-focusing, came right when I most needed it.

My small group of kindreds here in Lincoln got together for a post-holiday “holiday gathering” last week. Our schedules were filled to the brim in December, so we postponed our get-together until the hustle and bustle quieted down. Rest assured, we didn’t have the quietest of nights! We had some yummy cocktails, exchanged small gifts, and caught up on everything. I brought along my Instax to play and capture our time together. That little marshmallow-looking camera is so much fun, ejecting business card-sized instant photos. Since the film isn’t too pricey, we kept shooting group self-portraits one after another until we got it “right.” Or as “right” as we could manage.

I think this one sums up the evening and our fun perfectly. Thanks, ladies. xoxo

How are you feeling these days? What do you do or need to shake off the blahs?

I’ve been searching for the words to tell you more about my trip to NYC a few weeks ago and about seeing my photograph hanging in the Impossible Project Gallery. I promised you I’d come back and tell you all about it. To be honest, I’m still struggling with describing my emotions and the experience of it all. It was surreal. And incredible. And overwhelming — in a good way.

Over the past few years, I have visited the Impossible Project NYC space two or three times. I’ve gotten the chance to meet some of the amazing people who work there (I’m talking about you, Anne, Frank, and Dave!), and I’ve seen a number of gallery shows that they have hosted in their gorgeous space on their impossibly tall walls. I’ve seen work exhibited there by some of my favorite instant photographers including Andrea Jenkins and Irene Nam. And in those times when I’ve visited and looked at the photography exhibited, I’ve whispered dreams to myself that maybe some day my photography might be hung on those walls.

And then, it happened.

When we came off the elevator (or the “hellevator” as it is known), and walked through the door, my photograph was one of the first I could see. And in that moment, it didn’t seem quite real. I felt a bit out of my body. My dear Tribe sisters were with me (so grateful for that) and I think they were able to be more present at first than I could be. So, I had to catch my breath and take my first real look. Thankfully, Melissa graciously captured photos as the experience unfolded.

The photo above reveals my happiness in the moment. It helps me see the pure joy I was feeling in seeing my self-portrait enlarged and framed, hanging on the gallery wall at the Impossible Project. In NYC! And then this photo, this is where it hit me. Really hit me. A dream realized.

I was filled with emotion. Tearful. Grateful. Humbled. Proud. Although I can’t quite articulate it in words, I was so aware of how much this means to me. Yes, I want to be a good photographer. But I really want to be a good great Polaroid and instant film photographer. To do this, I have been working hard and practicing my instant photography over the past few years. I have had many growing pains, but the process has been incredible and I’ve learned so much. I can see my growth as I look back over all the instant photos I’ve taken. I love my Polaroid cameras and everything about instant film and photography. And I adore the instant photography community. The Impossible Project makes instant photography — the very ability to still use our Polaroid cameras — and the fostering of that community exist today. So to see my own development and to be seen and acknowledged by the Impossible Project, to have “made it” on to their gallery wall, means more to me than I can adequately explain.

So thank you, Impossible Project. Thank you, Tribe sisters, for trekking to NYC to see this moment. Thank you, Melissa, for capturing this experience for me. Thank you Christy, my Mortal Muse sister, for coming and for taking the iPhone photo with both my photograph and me in it. Thank you, Universe, for all that you provide.

I’m eternally grateful. xoxo

Happy New Year! Welcome, 2013!

After traveling “home” to Maryland for the holidays and then getting resettled back into life here in Nebraska, I’ve been carving out some space to reflect on all that 2012 brought me — the good and the not-so-good — and to prepare my intentions for 2013. Part of this process has been deciding what my one little word will be for this year ahead. My word for 2012 was practice and this word served me so very well. Practice allowed me to focus on cultivating daily habits of photography and creativity. My word helped me to engage more in the process and begin to pay less attention to the outcome. Practice also helped me to pay attention to my own journey, my own growth and development, rather than looking toward others’ accomplishments.

Now what for 2013?

For a while, I considered staying with practice. This word has been such a helpful beacon to me over the past 365 days, and I don’t quite think I’m finished with its teachings just yet. However, choosing a new word for the new year seemed more prudent. I planned to make a list of all the words that may be swimming around in my head and heart, and then focus on each one to see which was “right.” And then that’s not what happened. Like many people I know who also focus on one little word for the year, my word seemed to pick me. One word came to mind and seemed to take up residence. Similar to last year’s practice, this word is not sexy or pretty. It doesn’t have the beauty of words like “fly,” “bloom,” or “authenticity.” No, this word is a bit more solid, more practical, more nose to the grindstone.

FORWARD

My one little word for 2013 is forward. This word builds on my 2012 word of practice so well as it carries forth the momentum of that word and all it brought me. Forward helps me continue focusing on the creative habits I’ve developed and move them along. Forward reminds me to keep doing the work. This one word helps me stay the course, put one foot in front of the other, dust myself off when needed, and keep going. Forward means “onward; into view or consideration; out; ready, prompt, eager.” I love all of these meanings. I want to be moving onward. I want to bring more of myself, my work, my creativity, into view and out. This fits so well with my belief in needing to put myself (ourselves!) out there and asking the Universe to do its thing! And I am ready and eager for my journey to move forward and to unfold into all it will be.

So today, this year, forward will be my guide.

Do you have one little word for 2013? I’d love to hear what you chose (or what chose you) and why that word resonates for you. There is power in our intentions.  

Wishing you so much love for 2013.

May all good things come your way in this new year. xoxo

Wishing you the merriest of Christmases. I hope that you are doing exactly what you wish this holiday, that you are surrounded by love, and that all is well in your corner of the world. xoxo

I’m over at Mortal Muses today talking about capturing our lives mobile-y. I have been so grateful in many moments that I have a small, easy to handle camera phone to capture parts of my life that otherwise may have fallen by the wayside. Here are just a few photos from my iPhone over the past two weeks…

I hope you click through and check out the rest of my post here.

Neighborhood tree…

Grateful. Blessed. Filled. These are some of the words I can find as I reflect on this past weekend in NYC with my Tribe sisters. We had an amazing trip and a beautiful time together. We laughed a ton and also shed many tears. We saw the tree at Rockefeller Center in all its sparkle, walked the High Line on a gorgeous December afternoon, and shopped the Brooklyn Flea on a gray and rainy Sunday. We caught up on everything we could possibly fit in during our two days with one another. I can easily tell you about spending time with these sisters.

But, to tell you about seeing my photograph hanging in the Impossible Project Gallery…I’m still searching for the words. It was incredible and surreal. And it has left me a bit speechless. I’m going to gather up my emotions and my words and come back and tell you all about it. I promise.

Thank you, Celina, Emily, Melissa, Sarah, Sophie, and Rebecca. You have no idea how much it meant to me for you to be with me this weekend. And dear Elizabeth, how we missed you so. xoxo