october 19

October 19, 2009 - Monday 

through the lens Current mood:  artistic Category: Art and Photography i consider myself a novice of many, many things and a master of none. i "tinker" with projects, start many at a time, and rarely finish them to completion. it's not because i'm scattered, although i was diagnosed with ADD not too long ago. it's simply because i like to get my hands dirty, feel it out, see where it takes me and when it's taken me as far as i want to go, i move on. when it comes to arts and expression, whatever works that day is my chosen medium. sometimes it's simply music. i can put some selected tunes on the ipod and feel free as a bird, expressive, fulfilled. unfortunately music is not one of my gifts but i relate to it, feel it, it moves through me and if i can only listen, then so be it. other times, writing seems to do the trick although lately i haven't felt much like writing prose or doing anything worthy of sharing. painting and drawing are longtime obsessions of mine and ones i haven't done in quite some time. partly due to time constraints of being a full time mom but also because i'm afraid of the results. this painter is rusty and it takes me quite some time to get back in the groove. then when i'm in the groove, real life pulls me out and i start the process all over again. very frustrating. pottery, sculpture, metal arts, textiles, graphic design, dance. all of these have at one point or another been a part of my self expression. i love to dabble and see where things take me, how it moves me. lately though, i've been feeling the need to rekindle my love of photography. i've taken many classes over the years and my love affair with it, the appreciation of this art form, has always been strong. so lately i've been picking up my camera, a very average digital but has a few bells and whistle, and reacquainting myself with f-stops, aperture and shutter speed. this is a far cry from the way i learned the basics during school. before it was roll after roll after roll. the only thing that kept me from getting good shots back then was the cost of development. those days are long gone. with the capabilities of digital, you have endless possibilities and the only thing standing in the way is your ability to work the damn camera properly or lack of batteries. so i'm starting again to explore this avenue of my creative process. along the way, i'm picking up some things i didn't know i had. my eye is better trained, my composition has come a long way from that of a young woman. i think the fact that i'm a mature woman (although somewhat debatable depending on the day) has helped nurture my eye. i see things differently now and i'm amazed at what that little camera has opened in me. didn't know it had been laying in wait all this time but now that it's awake, i'm enjoying it thoroughly. still have miles and miles to go. lots to learn, but i'm sure enjoying the ride. i like looking through this lense.