Thankful: My Life

For the past couple weeks I have been working to the point of exhaustion. From the moment I wake up to the moment I am going to sleep I have been going full steam ahead. Cutting back my hours of sleep at night, skipping showering some days, and squeezing food in here or there to fit it all in. And still I have had to push deadlines back because I couldn't fit them into the allotted time. Perhaps not the most sustainable lifestyle, but I don't regret one minute of it, because I am doing what I love. I love creating and  I love connecting with people. I may not love doing revisions for clients who don't know what they want, and who want you to just keep creating things so they can decide what they want, but it goes along with the territory. And don't get me wrong, I cherish easy-going days and pine for them amidst busy weeks. But I feel so blessed when I think, this is what I get to do in my life. I get to design, create, meet, mentor, and pour into other's lives.

Today I am thankful for my life and all that I am privileged to do with it. 

Along those same lines... I have the privilege to finally show a body of work I have been working on for the past six years. A friend of mine is having a launch party for her business, Elisha C. Her vision for her company is to make Haiti more economically stable, by putting Haiti back in the hands of Haitians. She has asked that I show and sell my photography of Haiti. Through my business, Outlook Creative and my fantastic sister-in-law, Vivian I was able to get my photography printed, mat boards custom cut and shipped to me this past week. (Knowing just how much I love love love receiving mail, you can imagine just how giddy I was when I received full on packages of my work a couple days ago.) I went on an adventure to find hinge mounting tape and spent the few free hours I had last night assembling my mats and photography. 

One part of me is so excited to finally get to share my work, yet another part of me is nervous that it will end up underwhelming people. I tend to sensationalize things that I love, and I know others might not see what I see in my work. I don't believe that other's opinions of my work will change the value of my work, because in my eyes, I love it. But I worry more that they won't find enjoyment in the experience. I think that comes with any artistic expression, you are sharing something of yourself and putting yourself out on the line. But the acceptance of vulnerability is worth all the risk of rejection. Which is utterly thrilling. 

xoxo,

r

I taped paper to floor to work as a clean workspace since I don't have a table that would work. 

PS today is the International Student Friendship Thanksgiving Celebration which I am really excited about, and I am thankful that I had an easy-going morning with you on here while drinking tea before all the craziness of cooking.