Blog Archives
New Beginnings
What many do not know about my history as writer and photographer is I created a website for trucking families on my graduation from Northern Michigan University in 1997. The website was homeroad.com and I ran the website from my living room near Gwinn, Michigan. I eventually sold the website to layover.com and came on board as their managing editor. With layover.com, I traveled as a photojournalist taking photos with the ‘company camera’ at truck shows in Dallas, Las Vegas, and Louisville. This was my first experience as a photographer in a professional manner. I knew absolutely nothing, but I was developing an eye for what worked, what drew interest, and fell in love with color, light, and contrasts.
Life threw me some curve balls and due to a divorce, I walked away from my life in trucking to work on healing my soul. I worked as an AmeriCorps worker in Gwinn schools, attended massage school, and returned to my interest of nutrition and natural foods. Along with healing, came a new relationship to a man who hiked trails with a camera. On hikes, I would bring along a disposable camera and click carelessly exhausting my 27 images long before the end of hikes. I eventually purchased a digital point and shoot, then a bridge camera, and finally a big girl DSLR. I was discovering a new genre, photography.
Love of the trails led to becoming a trail runner. I often ran with a camera. But as I healed my soul, and gained fitness, I also began collapsing after races. Irony, as I healed my soul I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, Celiac Disease. Try as I may to heal my body I was reaching roadblocks. I now had to learn to listen on a deep internal level to the needs of my health. I stepped away from running the trails and back to hiking with my camera.
As this autumn approaches, I am feeling the strength of brining my journey to others, to bring words, photos, and story together to help heal others thru my experiences.
Full Moon Dreamboard — Full Flower Moon
Jamie Ridler prompts her viewers that the Full Flower Moon asks: “How would you like to bloom? Who are you when you’re in full bloom?” And this month I feel my process did not bring that question to the surface. What I do notice in my dreamboard is simplicity and a lot of space. I see I’m being drawn by the idea of summer, space, the beach, and the open feel of imaginative living.
I asked a yoga instructor in my community for a private session. I want to develop a home practice that honors my body where it is now. I’ve been coping with injuries and perceived limitations. It messes with my mind and spirit. I am trying to let go, blossom, and unfold.
I would like to bloom, like a flower mandala each petal a lesson I can share with others. I am a healer and envision running and owning a healing spa with art and bodywork.
May Full Moon Dreamboard, 2012
Magic Froth
On my last day off work for the next 13 days, I headed out to the woods, driving far to avoid the crowds at popular locations in Marquette, Michigan. I found myself at the Yellow Dog Falls out on County Road 510. I needed to reconnect to the energy of the earth and believe in the magic that shapes and shifts thru our days.
I thank all those who have visited this blog recently and for the kind and supportive comments. I feel neglectful for not having more time in the day to visit all of your blogs–but the day will come where time is abundant and self-directed. I feel the energy you’ve shared and my heart is grateful.
-Namaste
Marquette Sets a Guinness World Record!
Guinness World Record: “Largest Skateboard Parade” in Marquette, Michigan on the campus of Northern Michigan University.
Marquette Informal Longboarding Foundation And NMU Skate and Snow organized a Skateboard Parade to break the world record, and of course they were successful! Whoot!
I was on hand to take event photos. You can check out the full slideshow at my Flickr account.
As for me? The only record I set for myself was a long list of incomplete projects and piles of chores that I now have to squish into my Monday evening.
Ice forming…
Each step I take brings me into deeper healing, brings me back to poetry, opens my heart to sky!
It was just a short walk today…from camp to water’s edge. I jogged back up the hill, though. This weekend I refused to rush myself. I did little of what I had planned and I slept a lot.
On the ride to camp, I read poetry by Russel Thorburn from his book, “The Whole Tree as Told to the Backyard”
I love these lines:
At my typewriter close to the window/the cold earned its right to be a metaphor,/but none could be found as we heard/the tree crouching in its dreams.
We took things from the yard and garage (at Craig Street) to camp for winter storage. We brought home wood for the garage woodstove. I picked up buckets and pots. Found three small pumpkins in the garden.
We dropped lumber at Michael and Beth’s home, too.
Dinner was re-warmed roast chicken and I smoothed yesterday’s leftover mashed potatoes into a casserole dish and baked them until slightly crusty.
Now, I have little energy for anything else.
I feel ice forming. It’s below 30-degrees. I am ready for an afghan and more poetry.
AEDM–In the Pink
I am learning to live in the pink! Pink used to be the color of “days off” in my planner. I would carefully highlight the “off” in pink. Pink is time to be me. Relax. My main job is blue. Sub-teaching green–for x-tra green in my pocket. Now time focused on my biz, photos, writing is yellow. Yellow is JOY! Pink, is still the goal. Pinks keep me light and open.
Art Every Day Month–My Top Selling Photo
Blue Web, Marquette Michigan
My current top-selling photo at Zero Degrees Artist Cooperative is “Blue Web”. I sing with joy every time I sell this photo of a dead fly! It’s a moody piece yet I feel it speaks of hope and offers promise.
This photo is also available at my Etsy Store.
Green-Eyed Dragon
This Green Eyed Dragon appeared at the 10th Annual Ishpeming Renaissance Faire, Saturday. Many happy children heleped him dance thru the crowds.
Mike Walks on Water
This shot was a favorite from our August trip to Copper Harbor. But like many great shots it was taken in bad light at the end of a long day. I wanted more light but I wanted this image, too. I once had a young man say to me if you use Photoshop you are not a good photographer. A good photographer, he said, waits for the shot. I am not a photographer that puts my life on hold. I am not a tripod carrying photographer. I do not have an assistant to carry my bags. I am a trail seeker, hiker, who takes photos. There may come a time when I research a shot and plan, and bring that tripod–but for now I take shots on the fly. Here are before and after shots. Let me know what you think of the corrections. (curved, brightness/contrast, hue, and midtone and shadow color tweeks).
Create With Kim 
You must be logged in to post a comment.