Week 2: Day 1 Journal

I am immensely enjoying the photography workshop I mentioned in the previous post. I'm learning so much, not only about my camera, but also about myself. Below is a journaling exercise I completed for an assignment this week. Thought I'd share.

I took this picture on a whim. I was driving out of the grocery store parking lot, 6 kids in tow, when I noticed the light of the sunset falling on the tips of some tall grasses. They grew in a marshy area between the store and the building next to it. I almost passed it up, but the colors were calling to me. I flipped around, put my teenager in charge, and with camera in tow made a little trek through the snow and ice. (Luckily, I had boots on that day.) There was a gentle breeze that captivated me and that golden light drew me in. Before, leaving I took a look around to see if anything else caught my eye. Perfectly silhouetted on a small hill was this tree, framed by a magnificent rainbow of oranges and golds. I keep being drawn back to this shot.

I was analyzing my thoughts and feelings on the photo and thought it was the sunset itself that had captivated me. We rarely see the sun at this time of year, so I held a little more awe than usual for the display itself. There was a new appreciation for the daily miracle displayed before me. As I read through poetry I felt related to the piece, I realized there was something more that I just couldn’t put my finger on. Then I read the meaning of the color orange.

“Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation…”

And…

“This is our moment to sculpt our rawness, and refine ourselves into illumed orbs of creative beauties. In silky waves of orange we become aware of our physical-ness and begin to make prime connections about the magnificence of our bodies. Orange speaks to us about exploration…”

Yes!! This is where I am in life! For a long time, I’ve woken up each morning with the lists of “have to’s” running through my mind, from the chore list to the errands to even the way I teach my children. Definitely, they’re all important and I feel like I have my priorities straight, but lately, I’m realizing more and more that the beauty of life comes from exploring this world in a way that appeals to me, teaching my children in a way that speaks to them and awakens their wonder. Little by little we are stepping out of the molds of mainstream and opening up to the possibilities of the world through “sculpting our rawness,” exploring, following our hearts, and letting go of fear and doubts. That’s one of the reasons I’m here.