goals
Understanding your goals to help you achieve them.
2020: the rough draft for 2021
Dear 2021… It’s going to be a tough year to be a photographer. But not impossible. Thanks to one big lesson the chaos of 2020 illuminated, the lost art of preparation and vision setting. What used to feel like the only thing to take photos of were spontaneous moments of beautiful landscapes, dressed up portraits, or highly stylized food is now a distant memory in a digital album. I’ve learned that it’s not about the object in front of the camera as it is about what you use to shape the light that hits the narrow frame of space in front of the lens. While complying to social distancing I spent hours at home experimenting with lighting and later thinking about how the colors, angle, and composition affect not only the image but the viewer. Before 2020 this is something I sort of took for granted and didn’t spend much time learning to be intentional with. The more I photographed the less I wanted to review on the computer afterward because while the results always had certain areas I loved I could hardly put my finger on what was working or what was missing… But when I started to experiment with short video scenes and sketching out a storyboard beforehand I recognized that it helped improve my still photography and efficiency sorting and editing through them on the computer. This is one of, if not the biggest lesson I learned and always a win worth dancing to because who wants to spend all day hunched over a screen?
By Danielle Deutsch5 years ago in Motivation
Finding My Voice In 2021
I decided a few weeks ago that I was going to begin writing as a career. It is what I have always wanted to do and due to present circumstances, it's a necessity that I find a way to work from home. I started with reading blogs and watching YouTube videos by professional writers to get an idea of what it would look like to be a freelance writer. In doing so, I began to realize that what I had thought was a pipe dream may actually be possible for me.
By Holly Rae5 years ago in Motivation
Twenty Twenty Won.
As much buzz as we can get these days, from (at least) Zoom with your coworkers, FaceTimes with foreign friends or non scheduled meeting with your ex at the grocery store (of course with your makeupless face)... Seems like all of it starts with these seven little words, perfectly packed into "So what are your plans for this year?" question that, well, at least some have the answer to.
By A.B.5 years ago in Motivation
Bitters and Honey
As I pulled up to a stop sign, just miles past my childhood home, I caught a glimpse of my feet. Overcome by both horror and amusement, I sighed. “Happy 2021” I grumble-giggled to myself. I was on my way to a dental consultation, in slippers.
By Allegra Louise5 years ago in Motivation
Rise to Resolution.
Dear Self, As I scrolled along these challenges this one took my eye. I think a true resolution only can come from a story in your life per say. Something you deeply want to change about you. Some can be with how you may look or a silly thing as a diet change. Mine comes from a much darker place and I hope that with this challenge weather I place first or don't place at all. I hope that a message can get out through my story. My name is David and I used to have a very strong addiction to pills. An addiction that overtook my life without me even realizing it. I had a great job at the point in time this happened, I worked for Bridgestone Tires and was on my way up in life in getting married and starting to finally branch out and make a path through life when I fell into the downward spiral that was pills. I started talking them just to get by and forget the day, forget the pain. Escape for a moment from the tough world I was about to walk through. During my job with Bridgestone it started effecting my job performance to the point that I got sick and had to finally leave the company which in turn lead to the collapse of my relationship. I was ashamed and broken but even that couldn't break the habbit that was pills. The escape as I said before that was that high. To just get away. So I moved back home with my mother to get back on my feet. I found a less decent job that I disliked and ultimately as you can probably guess couldn't handle. The pills had taken over my life. I spent everyday thinking of how or when my next fix would be. How I would get it at any cost. What went from a little habit soon was turning my world around. The pills started taking precedence over everything in my life to the point that I pushed my own mother away, I lied. I stole from her. I damaged the most trusted relationship one should have over a pill and I felt I was the victim. If she had just given me the money.. Had just taken me where I wanted. To just give in so I could have that high. One night, I had had enough of it all and decided I would instead steal what I couldn't buy. It was one bikeride away down into town in the middle of the night for pure bliss. This bliss turned into nothing but a nightmare when on the way home from getting my score, I was run down by an SUV. Be it they didn't see me or I just didn't care if I was seen. They ran me down. I lay there as they took my money. My pills. My phone. Everything I had just to be rolled into a ditch left for dead. If it wasn't for a passerby that saw my broken bike in the road who knows what fate I would have had. I was picked up 15 minutes from home where I was bleeding out and rushed to the ER. All for a rush. A high. I was clinically declared dead in the ER at one point but was revived as we got into the hospital. I only remember flashes and voices and then darkness. I was rushed in where I had emergency surgery to close my wounds and repair what was a completely crushed right leg that had been ran over. During the many blood transfusions, I was again declared dead once again for 5 minutes until being somehow pulled back to life. I woke in the hospital after that with a tube in my throat and tubes feeding me through my stomach and only a reminder of that night by the reflector mirror that had hit the back of my head and broke off from the SUV that hit me. I struggled to come to grips to what happened but after 6 months of recovery in the hospital I started to have a revelation. That I had truly destroyed every aspect in my life and the ones around me and I had almost been killed all for my own selfish habit that was pills. I eventually did get better, the scars healed, although I am left with some scars that are reminders of what could have been. The one thing I do hold into deep appreciation is the fact that, the one person I hurt the most. The one person I thought hated me, was the one person that stood by my side, changed my tubes when I was home recovering and fixed up my wounds. My dearest mother. I will never be sorry enough for everything I did to her and I still try to repay it to this day. Even before the accident I had been getting into trouble, going to jail and it was her that payed to help me out that ultimately lead to that accident. After the accident, and I was back up on my feet I was mad at world, mad at everything still playing a victim. Soon after though, I finally came to terms that it was all my own wrong doings, my selfish behaviors that lead to all of this and the only true person that stood by my side was her. With all this said, my new years Resolution is that I plan to share the happiness I have now in life with anyone who needs that lifting hand. Or feels worthless. Hopeless. Defeated. You can overcome addiction. You can achieve true self worth if you just believe in yourself and hold close those who are dear to you especially in these days that we currently live in. We all forget sometimes the little things we take for granted. Just being kind, lending a hand, helping someone else you may think is going through addiction even can be a great inspiration and maybe just maybe will save the next lost boy from going through what I did. It took literally dying and going through hell to realize my life was worth more than a pill. Something so simple. So small. Can destroy everything. So I say to myself in this resolution. Keep strong. Keep being clean and share my story with whoever I can. I now run an anti bullying page on Facebook for anyone dealing with bullying and hate that could even end up to drug addiction. This year I will strive to be a leader to others and take care of those I love. Never take life for granted. Take time to step back and see the joy in life because it truly can be over in a moment. I hope with this story and resolution others can maybe find some strength to keep up the fight in the world that we live in now. That there is hope. Stay away from drugs, keep healthy and headstrong. Stop the hate. The bullying. There is only ONE race in this world. Human. In closing, self, let's keep up the progress and work hard and honest. God bless everyone.
By David Lasowitz5 years ago in Motivation
To My Dearest 2021...
Hello 2021. How’s it going! Nice to meet you. I’m sorry to say, but I’m here to utterly destroy you. 2020 was obviously a tumultuous year for everyone on such a multitudinous level it can’t truly be described by even the most verbose of bards, scholars nor bloggers. For myself, it was genuinely one of the most difficult years of my life... Even beyond the global catastrophes that littered the landscape.
By C.S. Meigs5 years ago in Motivation
Dear You.
"2020 was one hell of a ride huh? But hey b*tch, you survived! *lovingly looks at butt in mirror, slaps it & smiles* I know it's grim but the reality is alot of people didn't. After an earth shattering year from hell; tally, stock, and claim any wins you can. You deserve too after all you've been through.
By Bethany 5 years ago in Motivation
Dear 2021, It's Not You. It's Me.
New Year's Resolutions have never really been a thing for me. I tend to go with a word or a theme for the year, and let that be my mantra. One year, "You're Going To Do It!" was on a continuous loop in my head, and it was a year of huge achievement for me. Last year, my mantra was, "Balance and Peace."
By Jennifer Gulbrandsen5 years ago in Motivation
New Years Resolutions Wrapped In a Pretty Bow.
Goodbye 2020 hello 2021 Hey girl! This is future you knocking at your mental and explaining how 2021 is going to be your best year yet. I know I know you’re doubting it tremendously but hear me out! Im going to do all the hard work for you and all you have to do is follow the guidelines, cool?
By Blue Dymond5 years ago in Motivation
