I remember to just go out and play.

When you try to sell your art, you sometimes lose sight of what attracted you to it in the first place. I find I've lost sight of the fun - I only pick up my camera if I'm either paid and/or requested to do so. It's for a specific purpose, and to please someone else. I mean, I enjoy the results of those endeavors, but when's the last time I made something just for myself? I decided to dust off my Lensbaby and head out to Blacklick Metro Park with Craig. While he did the rounds on his recumbent bike, I just played, my trusty Magic 8-ball providing additional muse and entertainment.

Amidst all the Ugly, I'm reminded.

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

A few of my favorite things.

Craig making music with friends.





Flowers and a cozy spot to read.



Children.

Wedding photos that spontaneously show a beautiful moment.



My family.