Favorites: Weather Pattern

Weather Pattern

Parco di Monza, Italy, 2009

[Note: I'm in the midst of moving from Italy to the US right now, so instead of letting my blog sit idle I'm sharing some of my favorite images from the last two years of living in Italy and traveling in Europe. If you like them, you can vote for my portfolio in the One Life 2011 photography contest.]

Love Letter from Italy

"You have entered my life and colored it with amazing colors I did not know before..."

This is a rough translation of one line of the love graffiti found on the path in Parco di Monza Saturday. Isn't it beautiful? I captured this image of the graffiti for the interest in the photograph but when I looked at it on the computer, I fell in love with that line.  I could take that quote for myself, to describe my time in Italy. Or the beauty and peace I find in Parco di Monza. Or the relationships with my husband and son, also pictured in the distance. So many interpretations in one simple line. 

We had a beautiful weekend spent doing a few last, favorite things around our home in Italy before the dismantling of our lives this week. It's a weird feeling, this dismantling. Taking apart piece by piece the life we've built here. What seemed so exotic a couple of years ago has become so normal. When did that happen? There was no exact moment in time, I know, but a gradual adjustment that just now becomes obvious as we shake things up again.

Beyond my move, there is quite a bit going on around here, I want to share with you too...

- I am featured today in Beth Nicholl's "Shared Stories" on the Do What You Love blog. Please come by and say hi! There are also lots of wonderful stories in Beth's archive, if you want to look around a bit.

- Exploring with a Camera: From a Flower's Point of View continues for another day, link up by the end of the day tomorrow if you are participating. I am loving the entries for this theme!

- Will you share what interesting new sites you have found in the Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap? Yesterday I shared the link list and asked you to share your favorites in the comments. There are so many wonderful artists participating! Please come by and let us know who you've found by leaving a comment on yesterday's post.

- I did something crazy this weekend and entered a photo contest, my first ever. I've looked at a number of contests over time, but for some reason this one felt like it "fit." Would you come by and vote for me for the "people's choice" award? (This is an example of me feeling the fear - both of putting myself out there in a new place and asking people to vote for me - and moving ahead anyway.)

Whew. And I'm moving internationally in the midst of all of this. Doesn't that sound a bit crazy? But for some reason, it's all working out just fine.

I hope you have a wonderful, creative Monday! I am linking in to Creative Every Day and The Creative Exchange today.

A Realization of the Heart

There are some things that loom larger than life in your future, and then there are the things that sneak up on you unaware. I had a moment yesterday where a "larger than life" part of my life managed to sneak up and catch me by surprise at the same time.

I was walking in Parco di Monza and admiring the wonderfully refurbished Lo Scrittore* sculpture. It's all shiny and looking its best after they worked on it last month. I was wondering how long it would take before it started looking worn again, with peeling paint and the wood falling off. Then I realized, I won't be here to see it. I really won't be here. I burst into tears. What I've known at an intellectual level forever finally hit me at an emotional level. We're moving in three weeks. Three weeks. I will no longer be here, living in Italy. No longer walking in Parco di Monza everyday.

It's interesting, how I can hold two realities in my head at the same time. The reality of living in Italy and the reality of living in Oregon. Both seem so comfortable and real. What is completely unreal and hard for me to even grasp is the reality of living in Oregon after living in Italy. What will it be like to be there, as a completely different person? Because my time in Italy has changed me, changed all of us in our little family, more than I ever imagined. And I'm so, so happy with the changes.

What I have finally realized is that I'm not returning to my "old life" in Oregon. I'm moving to a new life, that happens to be in an old place. Going back to an old place doesn't mean going back to an old life or an old me. It reminds me of the time, four months after my son was born, that I finally realized life wasn't going to go back to "normal." There was a new "normal" with the addition of my son then, and there will be a new "normal" for my life in Oregon now. In a way, this realization is kind of freeing. I'm open to redefine things however I like, as long as I avoid falling into assumptions that life has to be the same just because it's the same place.

I think I've been writing this blog post in my head, over the last 24 hours, as I've wrestled with some of these realizations. There was the little, planner part of my brain that said, "No, no, you're doing Scotland photos this week!" But as always, what I need to write wins out over what I planned to write. This blog is about my creative journey, and I can't write anything else and be true to me. I think that's why I've avoided calling myself a travel blog, or an expat blog, or even a photography blog. Because my blog is all of those things and none of them, depending on the day. Conventional wisdom for "growing a blog following" is to know your topic, know your audience and write for them. Today I'm saying aloud something I've felt for a long time: To hell with conventional wisdom. I write this blog for me.

This blog is about one woman's creative journey wherever she may be. I write about what is important to me, fascinating me, challenging me in that moment. It happens that I have a passion for photography and can't help teaching when I'm passionate about something, and that's why you see a lot of photography. I love art and creativity and reading inspirational books, so you get that too. Since I've been living in Italy, I write about my life here and our travels. All because it's who I am right now. Where my life happens is going to change, but who I am will stay the same.

Thanks for joining me on this unpredictable journey. The fact that my little life and interests can connect with others is one of the most rewarding things I've ever experienced. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

___________________________

*Lo Scrittore is a sculpture by Giancarlo Neri, installed in Monza Park (Parco di Monza) in 2006 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the park. The sculpture is painted plywood over a metal frame. The table  measures 7.5 meters high and 11 meters long, and the chair is 10 meters tall. I captured this picture while they were working on it last month, to give a better idea of the scale. I absolutely love this sculpture.

A Gentle Twist

This morning on my walk in Parco di Monza I noticed the tree trunks along the path. I noticed how some trees grow straight and tall while others have a gentle twist. Why is that, I wonder? 

If you know the scientific answer, don't tell me. That was a rhetorical question. I would rather envision these stately trees reaching and stretching for the sun with gentle yoga-like twist to keep them energized.

Seeing the twist in the trees comes from the one and only sketch I did last week on our visit to Scotland. Much of the time it was windy and it rained off and on, so I wasn't standing or sitting in any one place long enough to sketch anything outdoors until our last day in Edinburgh. We went to the botanical garden on a gorgeously sunny day where I found this interesting tree trunk. I sat and sketched the form of it - the details of texture and leaves are beyond me at this point, I'm afraid.

The best part of this drawing is not how it looks; the best part is what it helped me see today. This morning, as I was walking and noticing the twists of the tree trunks, I was very grateful to all that art has brought into my life. It doesn't matter the art form, all of it helps me to see the world around me in different ways and capture it in my own way. Whether it's photography or drawing or painting or words, that's what I'm doing, isn't it? Seeing, interpreting, and then sharing it here.

(Linking in to Creative Every Day and The Creative Exchange today. Happy Monday!)

A Summer of Change

Ah, summer. Long days of sunlight and warmth with nothing to do but lounge around in the hammock and read a book, right?

Um, no. Not for me this summer.

As most of you probably know, my time in Italy is coming to an end. Our apartment will be packed up in a few weeks, as my son finishes his school year. Shortly after, we'll say goodbye to friends, neighbors and colleagues, and fly back to Oregon on July 1st. A new adventure awaits, in an old, familiar place.

With all that going on, you might find me absent here and there from the blog over the next couple of months. Since blogging has become a habit, I'll probably be on more often than not, but I'm giving myself the freedom to let things slide a little more than usual. (This is hard for me, I must admit.)

In addition, for the summer months Exploring with a Camera will run with re-posts of earlier themes. I've selected posts from last year, before many of you had joined in, and will run them as "second editions" with some new example photos along with the additions of the link up and Flickr pool for sharing. If you've done the prompts before, this will be a great opportunity to share what you captured the last time around, or cement the ideas further by using the concepts again.

Thanks a bunch for hanging in with me as I move through this transition.

It Happened Among the Roses

Yesterday I found myself in a rose garden, a completely unplanned event. I had walked down to a local art exhibit of young artists, to get a little bit of creative inspiration. As I was in the gallery I looked out the window and there was a rose garden, in full bloom. It was gorgeous. I was kicking myself, I hadn't brought my good camera! It was a hot and humid day and since I was walking, I wanted to travel light so I left my SLR at home. Strike one against me.

I did have my little point-and-shoot camera with me, which always does well in a pinch. I explored the rose garden, looking to find interesting compositions, color and light. Since I have Finding Form on my mind as the current Exploring with a Camera prompt, I noticed that roses are an amazing subject for the study of form. So much light and dark, along with intricate curving shapes, within a rose. I was happily exploring away when the "low battery" light started blinking and the camera eventually died. Strike two against me.

Finally, at a loss for photographic equipment, I pulled out a little sketch book and a mechanical pencil. I had dropped this in my bag at the last moment, thinking of my recent painting class and the instructor Flora's encouragement to sketch nature. These roses were too beautiful, I felt the urge to continue to study them, and pencil and paper were all I had left.

Look what emerged on my page...

Now, I was wholly and completely stunned. I was just focusing on shapes and light and dark and look what happened? I tried another one...

Um. Yeah. Can I just tell you, I had no idea that I had these in me? I'm trying to figure out where these came from. I used to draw, back when I was a kid, but of course all art stopped when I went  for the "college prep" classes in high school and then studied engineering in college. I've done a little bit of drawing here and there, the last couple of years, but never had it click like it did yesterday. 

I've discovered a new love. Photography, painting, and now I'm going to have to explore drawing more too. The feel of a pencil on the paper, the drawing of shapes and shadow, was amazing. What would happen if I actually practiced? I'm going to have to find out.

It turns out, I'm glad that I didn't bring my good camera. I would have never spent the time with pencil and paper if I had that camera, my first love, with me. You don't often hear stories of where being unprepared pays off, but in this case it did!

(Linking in to Creative Every Day and The Creative Exchange today. Hello to all!)

Share Your View: Rimmed with Light

It's been a week since I posted Exploring with a Camera: Rimmed with Light. Have you been seeing your subjects outlined this week? If so, share them here or in the Flickr pool, we'd all love to see!

I'm on vacation this week so today I'm not able to post images from the Flickr pool today, but I'll share some of my favorites next week as we wrap up Rimmed with Light. Instead, today I'm sharing this spring image I captured on a morning walk in Parco di Monza. I loved how the trees were outlined by light coming from the left, defining each one. As I prepped for this topic, my morning walks recently became study time. Can you imagine me, stalking people in the park with my camera as I learned the angles and backgrounds it takes to capture rim light? Unfortunately, the people moved too quickly for me to capture images good enough to share, but they sure helped me learn! Keep my experience in mind if you are struggling with capturing rim light, sometimes just observing for a while can help you learn enough to eventually capture the image you are seeking.

I hope you are having a great week, I'll be back here on Monday!

Seeking Beauty, Finding Contrast

As I was photographing the flowers under the trees last weekend, I started to notice the graffiti on the park wall. My goal became to adequately capture the contrast in the scene, between the natural beauty and the man-made creativity. This is very nicely executed, artistic graffiti, but it doesn't belong in this setting. That makes it all the more interesting to me.

I also couldn't help notice the irony of the signature and the copyright symbol. Here we have an artist seeking legal protection for an illegal act. Another contrast, layered within, that made me think. Do you think artistic protection of an illegal form of art would hold up in a court of law? An interesting conversation, for sure.

I found this after the "waiting to click" shot I envisioned, of a bicyclist riding the path through the flowers, just didn't work out. There were no bicyclists coming by at the time I was in the park. Actually, there were a couple of men who rode by on mountain bikes, but I was looking for a dressed-up Italian woman on a city bike. Never happened. I gave up on waiting to click and went seeking something else to shoot, when I found this image.

Has your "waiting to click" shot worked out? It's not too late to link in to Exploring with a Camera: Waiting to Click. Today is the last day to link in, and tomorrow I'll share some new images from the Flickr pool.

Remember: If you don't find the shot you are waiting for, that's ok too. I'm sure you'll find something else interesting to photograph. As this image reminds me, I always do. :)

Time to Blossom

Have a great weekend!

This image will be available as a download in my next newsletter. Come visit the blog to sign up if you haven't already!

Flowers Marking Time (Two Years in Italy)

April brings these lovely flowers to Parco di Monza. They carpet the forest under the trees, and never cease to make me smile. I watch the shoots as they start to push up through last year's fallen leaves, growing tall and strong. Then the flower stems appear, the buds hinting at what is to come and suddenly, one day, they are all bursting open like fireworks, celebrating spring.

These flowers are a marker of time for me. Two years ago today, I arrived in Italy to start my assignment, and as I took possession of our apartment that first week these flowers were in bloom under the trees. I would drive by the park in those early days, see them and smile. I had the desire to walk under the trees and to capture the beauty of the flowers with my camera, but life was a blur of craziness at the time. Just figuring out where to find items in a grocery store was a major, energy-draining event.

One year ago, as the flowers started to bloom, I was able to capture their beauty. This time last year was an amazing time for me, having made it through that first year and settled comfortably into daily life, I was really moving on my creative journey. I was able to see the world with fresh eyes, to approach my photography with an unrepressed joy. I was discovering and uncovering the creative self, the artist, that had been lurking inside of me all along. The burst of creativity I felt in capturing the images of these flowers last year resulted in the first ever Exploring with a Camera post, From a Flower's Point of View. You may recognize these flowers in the Exploring with a Camera button and page, they are the symbol of what "exploring" really means to me: coming to the world around us with wide open arms and hearts, and finding absolute joy in what is discovered there.

This week, I went into the park with my camera once again. I wanted to capture the beauty of these flowers, but I wondered how I could possibly top last year. The excitement and joy of that outing, and the love of those images, still stays with me a year later. But as always, my art reveals things about me I wasn't expecting. With the passing of a year, I have changed and grown. I see differently. While I may have started my outing with the leftover vision of last year's exploration, what I saw in the flowers this year was new and revealing.

This year, I noticed the shadows.

I discovered the beauty of the flowers, revealed in new way.

I saw the leaves as the canvas upon which light painted flowers.

I completely and utterly lost track of time, I was so engrossed in my exploration of light and shadow. I immersed myself in the rediscovery of these flowers, and along the way, had the sad realization that this is my last year of seeing them bloom. Two years in Italy are gone, a little over two months left. I shed a tear or two, there amongst the flowers, holding my camera.

How can I not be wistful, as I contemplate leaving a place that's given me so much? I know it's not Italy itself that has changed me, it has been my response and willingness to take every experience that comes my way, living life to the fullest and seeking growth. As I photographed the shadows of these flowers I realized: Italy is the canvas upon which life has painted me. It is here I learned to look closer, and I discovered myself in the light and shadow.

Creating Art with your Whole Heart

Yesterday I read a wonderful blog post from Karen Walrond, author of The Beauty of Different. In it, she talks about heartbreak, and a philosophy that comes from another author, Brené Brown. Brené, she says, tells her she can't be selectively numb. We have to feel both the good and the bad. We need to lead wholehearted lives.

Wholehearted.
Whole hearted.
Whole heart.

I've written before about following my heart. The only way I know how to truly create, is from my heart. My best work, whether it's writing or photography, starts in the heart. It's a feeling I've learned to recognize and follow. Like this morning, with this post. It came from that place of heart.

I didn't always recognize this feeling or know how to follow it. That has come over time, as I've unmuffled the feelings of my heart along my creative journey. You see, in order to avoid facing any pain or darkness in my life, I had numbed myself to the good as well as the bad. It makes so much sense looking back now, that when I was willing to accept both the light and the dark in me, I was also finding and owning my voice as an artist.

We can't have wholeness without dimension. In art, that means light and shadows on a surface, which create a three dimensional form out of two dimensional shapes. In our lives, that means light and shadows in our soul, which create the depth and dimensions of a person. For our best work, we have to come to our art with a whole heart. In order to do that, we have to come at our lives with a whole heart first. We have to unmuffle the tiny voice inside ourselves, so that we can hear both the good and the bad messages. We have to be willing to accept what we hear, no matter how uncomfortable it may be, so that we can learn from it and bring it to our art.

As I think through this, I'm realizing that living with a whole heart is an important key to claiming your artist. When you claim yourself an artist, you put yourself out in a public way, saying, "Here I am world, look what I create!" You open yourself up to the possibility of criticism or rejection. You open yourself to the bad stuff, the stuff you might want to avoid. In this way, not claiming your artist is a form of self-protection. A way to shield your heart from any pain. But in doing so, your heart is muffled and numbed. You won't be able to hear the good messages either. Your art and your ability to create your best work will be affected.

Today, take a quick look at the status of your heart. Are you living with a whole heart? Do you allow the dimension that comes from light and shadow? Are you protecting yourself from potential hurt and pain and in the process numbing yourself to your heart's good messages? If you're having trouble claiming your artist, maybe this is a good place to start. It's certainly been an important point for me to ponder, to reaffirm the desire and acceptance of living with a whole heart, because I want to hear that little voice inside that leads me to create from my heart.

Sunrise Sky

It's amazing how many sky images are popping into my head, since I wrote the Exploring with a Camera: Capture the Sky post on Thursday. This one is from an early morning walk in Parco di Monza. I remember the morning well, I had to get up early to take Brandon to school for a field trip and started my walk just before sunrise. It was early, but the time paid off in the form of a gorgeous sunrise, and one more beautiful sky to share with you.

Stop by Ashley Sisk's blog Ramblings and Photos today, to visit all of the photographers who are linking in their "Capture the Sky" images as part of her Scavenger Hunt this week. Thanks Ashley, for including Exploring with a Camera! I look forward to seeing all of the sky images the participants have captured.

The Final Fog, and a Winner!

I'm sure this won't be the last fog photo to ever grace my blog, but it might just be one of the final fog photos of this year. Our days have turned sunny and warmer and the fog has been mist more often than not on my morning walks. Spring is coming! Enjoy this last little bit of the fog, knowing that the change of season is coming soon.

Who won the postcards, from the Exploring with a Camera: Fog link in? My dear friend Mosey of mosey along. Mosey, these will be in the mail to you soon!

Thank you ALL so much for linking in with your wonderful fog photos. I loved seeing them. Join me tomorrow for a brand new Exploring with a Camera topic, I've got a fun one planned and I can't wait to share it with you. See you then!

Share Your View: Fog

Yesterday I took my camera and spent time noticing the details of Parco di Monza as fog hid the greater world. I saw new things, like the moss and roots of this tree, because I was looking closer. I almost felt done with the fog this year, but I reviewed my images from yesterday's photowalk and I've fallen in love with fog all over again.

Have you seen fog this last week? Did you find a favorite fog photo in your archives? It's not too late to share your view! Even though I opened the linky in last week's Exploring with a Camera post on Fog, you can still link up for another week. Come by the blog to see who's already joined in. Visit some of these sites, there are some wonderful and creative fog photos included already.

Don't forget there's a giveaway of postcards too - I'll draw a winner from those who link up. One lucky person will win a set of my Black and White postcards this week! I can't wait to find out who it will be.

Exploring with a Camera: Fog

Winter brings fog, one of the most wonderful weather patterns for photography. I know I've said it before here on the blog, but I love fog!  Because you can only see what is right in front of you, there is a delicious sense of mystery, of things slowly revealed.

Fog forms when there is high humidity along with a temperature that is very close to the dew point, it is essentially a low lying clound. You can read more about the science of fog here. It will form readily near bodies of water, like lakes and rivers, and in cooler temperatures. That's why you often find fog early in the morning, dissipating as the weather warms up.

I've had the good luck to live two places now where fog is common: Oregon and northern Italy. It forms frequently here at my house in Italy, since we are right near the large Parco di Monza through which the Lambro River runs. A large, natural open space is a great source of fog - temperatures are always cooler in the park and the moisture is abundant from the landscape.

How can you use fog as an element in your photography? Here are a few ideas...

Fog provides a great backdrop, to capture a single element. A distracting background can be completely hidden in the fog. I use this feature to capture silhouettes, like the lead-in image of the post and this image below. The detail is highlighted by the blank backdrop. I also converted both of these to black and white, to heighten the contrast. One thing to be careful of with fog is underexposure, because the light white background will dominate your camera's meter readings. Play around with overexposing your images just a little bit to compensate.

As you move closer to a object, fog slowly reveals. Vary your distance to a subject to create a different effect and feel in your images. The two images below are of the same tree on the same day, but taken at different distances. The first one,  farther away from the camera, creates that sense of mystery I was talking about earlier.

For both of these images, I again converted to black and white to heighten the contrast. Fog desaturates colors and your images can look almost black and white straight out of the camera, but converting to black and white can keep the focus on the shapes and tones rather than what little color remains.

You can use fog to get a sense of depth in your photo. While photographers often manipulate the depth of field through aperture, you can also create depth using the atmosphere. Fog creates depth by successively lightening the objects in the background as you move away from the foreground. You can see this effect in the image of the trees below.

Light fog can give a subtle effect, as in the next example. Along with placement, focus and color, the sense of the largest tree as the focal point is enhanced by the fading trees behind.

Heavy fog can make depth obvious, even at short distances. This image of a tree shows the effect of a heavy fog, the back of the tree already fading significantly compared to the front.

All of these examples so far are from farther away, what happens when you get up close? You can see condensation on the surfaces. Get in close to see what I call "beads of fog" on the smaller objects around you.

I've talked about what is revealed as you move through the fog, but also consider what is revealed as the fog is lifting. This image, taken looking up through the fog, shows the blue sky peeking through as the fog is burned away by the sun.

In this image, you can see how interesting it can be to capture the sun through the fog. This was an unusual day, because the fog seemed to be disappearing from the bottom up rather than the top down.

Finally, don't forget about capturing the world in fog at night. You know I love night! Fog seems to amplify the artificial lights of night, creating a warm glow that is unlike any other night effect. I did no color or exposure correction on these, I liked them as they came out of the camera.

I know many of us are anxiously awaiting summer for the warmth and light of the sun. Instead of focusing on what you don't have right now, take a moment to celebrate fog, one of the delightful gifts of winter.

Today I am going to try something different! As a welcome to the participants in the Scavenger Hunt from Ashley Sisk's Ramblings and Photos, I'm going to open the linky today and keep it open for two weeks. (If you are in a blog reader, come over to the blog to see the link tool.) I'll still post the linky next Thursday for Share Your View as usual, if you want some time to capture the fog or look through your archive.

In addition, I'm going to give away a set of my Black and White postcards by random drawing to one person who links in a fog photo. I haven't given away a set of these yet on my blog, and since this set includes the foggy tree image it is the perfect time to give these away.

Thanks for sticking with me! Good luck with your fog photos, I look forward to seeing what you capture. You can find the code to copy and paste the Exploring with a Camera button on your blog here.

Lessons from Abroad: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Lessons from Abroad: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

[This post is part three of a five part series. You can see the first two parts on Monday and Tuesday.]

We’ve talked about how to Change up Your Schedule and Find a Regular Practice as keys to finding your passion and purpose. The next lesson from abroad is this: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone.

Certainly, moving to a new place is a big change for anyone. Moving internationally, to a different culture is even bigger, because it goes to the fundamental assumptions of everything in your daily life. How you interact with other people, how you pay the bills, even how (and where) to find the essentials you need for daily living. Add in a different language, the added complication of not even being able to communicate basic questions and ideas, and you are set back even further. I literally felt like a child, and for a while my independence was completely gone and my confidence shattered.

For some people, an international move may be a piece of cake. For me, and probably for many, it was significantly outside of my comfort zone. It seemed a big choice, a big risk in the initial decision. And it was a big stress, with the move and subsequent adjustments. Not only dealing with my own insecurities and stresses, I had my family along in this adventure – I had to worry about them too. We went through all of the phases with any big adjustment – the “what the hell did I do” phase, the honeymoon period of excitement, the frustration period of learning to do things differently, and finally acceptance. I am in a good place now, in our second year of the assignment. I have learned to love much about this beautiful country, and accept the things that I don’t.

When you have the opportunity to really shift out of your comfort zone like I have, you start to see things in a different light. In addition to really looking at the fundamental assumptions I was making in life, I have noticed where I was placing unnecessary restrictions on myself. I can now recognize the rules that I had placed on myself and my life, as well as the rules that our culture places on us. I’ve started to question those “rules” as they come up. I examine each one and ask myself, “Do I need this rule? What does it get me? What does it provide others? Do I want to keep it or throw it away?” And I recognize that for each one I throw away, others in my life might not understand or be happy about it. I have to be willing to deal with the results, but it’s important to first be able to see the rules, or you can’t ever decide to change them.

Getting out of my comfort zone with this move has also shown me that I was expecting perfection of myself, or something close to it, since I was comfortable where I was. When you get to a place you are good at something, it’s hard to go back to being a novice again, in any area of our life. It’s hard to accept the fact that you make mistakes, because you get so used to not making them. You have to learn to laugh at yourself again, enjoy the new-ness of something, delight in those first experiences. Let yourself be the beginner for a while. The only way that you can learn something new is to open yourself up to risks and move beyond the current state. You can’t expect perfection right out of the gate.

In reflecting on this experience, I can see that this move was not unlike other times in my life that I’ve gotten out of my comfort zone. Whether big or little changes, they have had similar effects. Getting out of your comfort zone does this amazing, wonderful thing – it doesn’t just shift the realm you are comfortable operating in, it grows it. That’s why difficult situations are often called “stretching” or “growing.” When you get out of your comfort zone, there is that initial discomfort, but over time, with practice, you gain new skills and confidence. You’ve added to what you can manage in your life, the landscape you can negotiate.

When you can add to your life in this way, there is this important side effect that can directly lead you to your passion and purpose: You can begin to see new possibilities. Thoughts or ideas that would never have seemed plausible before can become real. As I was walking in the park this week (part of my regular practice), I was enjoying the first fog of the season and came up with a wonderful analogy. Often, when you get out of the comfort zone of your life, it can feel like you’re in the fog. You can’t see to far ahead, only the next few steps in front of you. More and more is revealed as you move further. It can feel scary and uncertain. But once in a while in the fog, if you stop and look around, look up, you can see a glimpse of what the day is going to be like – the blue sky and sun. That’s the new possibility that you can only see as you start to look at the world in different ways, because the fog obscures your normal view. You won’t notice this little glimpse of your future, without the fog, or the shift in your comfort zone.

How can you get out of your comfort zone, and gain the benefits of this new perspective? How can this help you connect with your passion and purpose?

• Actively seek an opportunity to move out of your comfort zone. Maybe it’s a job change, taking on a different assignment. Maybe it’s a new activity. Have you had an urge to take an art class, even though you have no previous experience? How about drama – putting yourself out there in front of others? Maybe it’s learning about an aspect of technology. Maybe it’s a change in relationships – adding, removing, changing your interactions with people. Maybe it’s travelling to a new place. Anything that you might have the thought, “Yeah, that looks interesting but I could never do it for reasons x, y, z.” Why not try? I started painting while in Italy, just because I got the urge. That activity led to me really exploring my creativity and the beauty of the world around me in a whole new way.
• Recognize that uncomfortable feeling you get when you step out of your comfort zone. Acknowledge it, accept it, but don’t run away. A natural way to react when you feel uncomfortable is to turn around and go right back to where you were. The first step to recognize, acknowledge and accept. Then take a deep breath and move forward. The uncomfortable feeling will still be there, but know you are doing this for a reason – it’s called growth.
• Be willing to let yourself be a novice. People who are new to things make mistakes. Their work isn’t the best. It’s really hard to go from being on the top of your game to being the newbie when you step out of your comfort zone. Instead of avoiding mistakes, give yourself permission to be bad at whatever you are doing, but keep going. Learn from the mistakes, the “failures.” Laugh at yourself as much as possible, and seek others who will help you keep this light-hearted perspective. You might find that the failures aren’t so bad after all. One of the best things that I have learned in this experience is to laugh at myself. To marvel at just how little I actually know!
• Keep track of those little rules that pop into your head. The ones that say, “I never…” or “I should…” Write them down, really take a hard look at them. Are they real? What can you do to remove them? What would life look like if you no longer lived by this rule? Make a decision, whether or not you want to keep this rule. Maybe observe when you use it, and if it’s serving to keep you safely rooted in your comfort zone or if it will help you move in the direction you want to go.

I have recently been pondering the quote, “If you do what you’ve always done, you will get what you’ve always gotten.” I can’t really argue the truth of this statement. How do you get something different, something better, if you do the same things all of the time? You can’t. Life doesn’t work that way. The only way to get something more – whether it’s time or money or relationships or personal growth – is to do something different, take a risk, move through the fear that holds us at the status quo. Move out of your comfort zone.

(Photo is from Parco di Monza, Italy)

Morning Sparkles

I'm having such a busy week, I almost forgot to post today! I captured this beautiful morning frost sparkling in the sun on Monday, in Parco di Monza. This was captured with my little point-and-shoot, as are many of my shots in the park. Just a little reminder that you don't need a fancy camera to capture the sparkles in life.

Today's 9 Muses Musing prompt is SPARKLING. Tomorrow's prompt is CELEBRATE. See you then!

The Spiral of Creativity

This photo of Parco di Monza in summer has been coming up in my mind lately, which means I need to share it. I loved the cloud formations on that day, the spirals I saw. I didn't see the clouds as spiraling inward, but moving outward. I saw in the clouds a spiral of creativity, where ideas are born at the center and then gain momentum as they spin toward the outside. The ideas eventually break free and are sent off into the world at high speed, flung with the creative energy they attained through the spiral. All that, read in the clouds on a summer day.

I can see why this image has popped into my head, because the whole idea of the spiral of creativity fits perfectly with some reflection I've been doing. As I work hard on finishing my Find Your Eye class, I've realized that I have moved to a dramatically different place in the creativity spiral. The place where the ideas are about to completely break free, and move off into the world.

I decided today I would share these fresh thoughts on the creativity spiral. These are the different places or phases I've experienced, so far. I'm curious to know, is this how you have experienced it too? Where are you in the spiral?

The first phase of the spiral is Absorbing. Opening yourself up to all of the creative ideas that exist in our world, and absorbing them into our creative center through reading, observing, learning. This is an active step, because you have to seek the ideas out and expend energy into taking them in to yourself. This may also be the absolute center of the spiral, like the eye of a hurricane, the place where there is calm. You need peace and quiet to absorb.

Processing is the second phase. I think the phrase I like to use, "I have all of these ideas swirling around in my head," fits perfectly here. This is where the ideas you absorbed begin to be transformed. You think about them, write about them. You are seeking where they fit in with your life, your experience, your philosophy. You are in the spiral proper now, beginning to really move.

After Processing comes Practicing. You begin playing around with your creative ideas. You give your creative self a playground, a safe place to explore and practice. You delight in the discoveries you make. It is through this practice and play that new connections are made in the ideas you've been absorbing and processing. Brand new ideas are born.

At some point, Practicing transitions into Acting. Some of the ideas that are born during play will become ready for action. Things are really moving now in the spiral. Dreaming of how to bring the idea to fruition becomes doing. You begin to take the next steps, to make the ideas real and get them ready to release into the world.

Finishing comes next, very close to the outside of the spiral. You are moving quickly, putting the work into completing the remaining actions to send the idea into the world. This, in some ways, is the hard part, because it's not all swirly fun and play. It's the nuts and bolts of getting things done. There are deadlines and external requirements at times. The excitement is still there, but it is different, tempered with effort. In this phase, your commitment is tested. Will you really launch the idea into the world? Or will you let it sink back into the spiral?

I find myself in the Finishing phase of the spiral right now, with my Find Your Eye class. It is interesting to discover, even with the effort it is taking, that my commitment is stronger than ever. Each time I work on the class, no matter how much I still have yet to do or how much I see that I need to improve, I find myself saying, "This is good stuff. I need to get this out to people." This one idea, of the many that are born in my spiral of creativity, will be launched into the world.

What comes next in the spiral of creativity? I don't know yet. I can only see the parts of the spiral I have been through so far. I don't know what happens when the creative idea is launched into the world, but soon I will. Have you launched your creative idea? What has come next for you? I would love for you to share your experiences with me, to let me know what phase comes next in the creative spiral.

While I don't yet personally know what comes next, there is one thing I do know:  In order to work, the spiral must always be kept in motion. In order to keep the momentum, even for one idea to launch, I have to be Absorbing and Processing and Practicing too. Without that continual creative energy fueling the movement, the spiral will die. Like clouds on a sunny day, it would will eventually blow away, disappear into the sky. So I keep reading and journaling and writing here, sharing my little insights with you all, so that my spiral of creativity continues.

Today's 9 Muses Musing prompt is SHARING. This is the post I needed to write today, regardless of the prompt, and I'm surprised that it even is remotely related.  Tomorrow's prompt is STORIES. 

Into the Unknown

There is a place on my normal walking route in Parco di Monza, were I sometimes find myself in the middle of nowhere. On foggy mornings, all I can see is the path I am on and the empty field around it. I am suspended in a place where nothing else seems to exist.

Our journey through life can be like this too. We can find ourselves on a path, where all we can see is just a little bit right in front of us. The rest is utterly, completely unknown. The only thing to do, is to take one step forward, and then another, on the path that we can see clearly. We have to trust that the path that opens up before us will lead us to good things. Take the steps in faith.

I've been revisiting part of my creative journey recently, as I prepare the material for my Find Your Eye course. It has been an enlightening exercise. By looking back at my journey, I can see that each little step into the unknown was leading me exactly to this place, where I am today. I can see every action, leap of faith, "aha" moment clearly in retrospect. It all fits together, what was unknown is now known. The fog has cleared.

Do you know what I've learned, more than anything else, by retracing my steps along this journey? That whenever I find myself in the unknown - that place where I can't see the end of the path - I need to just take the steps. Put one foot in front of the other, along the stretch that I can see in front of me. I can trust that all will be revealed in time, and it will be good.

Today the 9 Muses Musing prompt is JOURNEY. Tomorrow's prompt is VILLAGE. Come by and share your journey, or visit the links to see those that are shared today.

Crunch

Yesterday morning it was c-o-l-d and frosty on my walk in the park. The puddles were iced over, with these beautiful shapes and patterns. So I captured a few, for posterity, and then....

C R U N C H !

There is something so satisfying to crunching a thin layer of ice, don't you think? I don't know, maybe it's just me, but it's one of winter's little pleasures in my book.

Don't worry, I left a few of the puddles unbroken, in case a kid came along. I didn't want to hog all of the fun.