Reflecting & Moving Forward

As I normally like to do around New Years Day, I spent some time this morning reflecting on the past year and boy was it filled with so much good stuff. Even the painful parts are good. Here's a quick summary I put together to put things into perspective for myself.

2013

January: Put together and launched the Kickstarter campaign for the Butch/Femme Photo Project.

February: Both the Advocate and the Huffington Post wrote an article on the Butch/Femme Photo Project and the Kickstarter campaign was successfully funded for $10,456. Travel planning began.

March: Completed travel planning for a 9 day whirlwind tour of the northern US and Toronto, Canada.

April: Used my passport for the first time when I traveled up to Vancouver, Canada for the photo project. Stayed with some awesome people and photographed more awesome people. Also got to meet a couple of amazing photographers, Belle Ancell and Robin Toma.

May: The first major trip for the project sent me to Utah, Colorado, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Canada, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Fourteen cities, sixteen photo shoots and 7 flights in 9 days. It was awesome and exhausting all at once. 

June: Traveled to Texas for project shoots in Dallas, Plano, Spring, Houston and Wichita Falls all in one weekend. Visited my sister who I haven't seen since our Dad passed away in 1997.

July: July brought lots of changes in my personal life.

August: Traveled to Oakland for the Butch Voices Conference where I finally got to meet a photographer whom I have admired for years and who has been one of my greatest inspirations in the world of photography, Syd London. Not only did I get to meet her but I got to assist her on a shoot and sit on a panel with her at the conference. A great friendship was sparked between us, of which I am so grateful for. At the end of August I traveled down to Southern California, Arizona and New Mexico for the project and to visit family. During my trip I was able to say goodbye to my Grandmother before she passed. I was also able to be there for my Mom when we received the news of Grandma's passing. While there I reconnected with my cousins, niece and nephews, which was wonderful. 

September: Said goodbye to, my friends, family, a lot of my material possessions and Portland then drove across the country to North Shore Massachusetts with the intention of starting life anew.

October: Three weeks after arriving in Massachusetts I landed two pretty awesome part-time jobs. One in a doggie daycare and the other at an IT company.

November: Reconnected with the Burner and art community by taking a trip into Boston to help clean up an art space with a bunch of Boston Burners. Explored Ipswich with my camera, had some hard conversations around relationships and started working on getting to know myself.

December: Started practicing being in the moment, letting go of the past and focusing on the positive. Took the train into Boston for First Night and saw some fabulous Burner art in the default world. Welcomed in the new year with a hot bath and some quiet reflection. 

This new year will bring many more changes and exciting adventures.  First up is this weekend! This Friday after working with the pups in the morning I head for Brooklyn, New York to spend the weekend with Syd London and her partner Jay Toole! It'll be my first visit to New York and I am so excited! 

Here's to a great year filled with lots of letting go, taking in lots of positive stuff, working on getting to know myself, focusing on the good, lots of adventures, more writing and photography, laughter, joy, family, love and, I'm sure, more mistakes and pain. I think Neil Gaiman sums it up best with his quote about mistakes.

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.

So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it."
-Neil Gaiman

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!! Let's make it a great one!