How I Stay Inspired

     I've talked about where I get inspiration but I also get a lot of questions on how I STAY inspired. I feel like inspiration comes with knowledge. When I didn't know how to do certain things or couldn't convey a story I got really discouraged. I didn't want to fail at something or show people bad work. One thing I've learned with shooting and growing in my work is to practice. I basically shoot an image every day. I never post every single one of them, but I do shoot quite often. There are a few images of mine that I've shot more than once because I didn't get what I wanted.

     For me, understanding how certain things worked really helped me to stay inspired because instead of thinking how did that work? I know how it works and I don't have any questions. Practicing your editing tools helps a lot too. Have you ever went to edit an image and knew what you wanted to do in your head but didn't know how to do it in your software? I have... and I practice and learned what works best for me. What tools are user friendly to me and what tools am I absolutely against? There are also those tools that I hate to use but tend to be very helpful at times. I found out over time that as much as I hate the pen tool, it's been very beneficial for me in many of my images.

     Here are a few things I suggest to do in order to keep inspired...

• Day Dream - Let your mind wonder. Let yourself revert into a child like thought process and remember what it was like to color outside of the lines.
• Take Something From Everything - Right now I'm looking at a game of Apples to Apples. What could I get from that? Well, apple is something easy to use. I can use this as a prop for an image. I often look at the sky. I could take colors from that particular sunset and use it in an image or mimic the pattern the clouds produce in the sky. 
• Practice - Edit an image every day. If you know you're bad at something (masking, layering, textures, etc.) spend extra time on that weak area of your editing to help refine it.
• Learn Perspective - This is a hard thing to understand sometimes but your images will greatly improve if you understand perspectives. Knowing how to do this will give you more confidence in your work and will keep the creative flow going in your mind.  
• Practice Storytelling - If you're interested in creating stories, practice them. What are you trying to convey with your piece? Sit down and make a list of key points in your story and mash them together into a story. If you go back and read my "Lament" post, this tells you exactly how I thought out that image in order to tell the story it shows. 

There really is no right way to be or stay inspired. Your mind is the limit! :)

"A Love Denied"

Can't Please Everyone

     I'm learning more and more each day that it is impossible to please each and every single person... I try my very best to make sure people are happy or go out of my way to do things for people and in the end it really doesn't matter. Someone told me years ago that I can't please everyone, to be a little selfish and if I only do things for other people that I will never be happy. Words could never be truer.

     Recently I started being more selfish about things. Not rude, but not so giving anymore. I have been more happy now than when I go out of my way for that 5 seconds of gratitude I get from people... I also work at a job where if I'm expecting to make everyone happy... well, I might as well die because that's exactly what will happen if I force myself to try and take on everything for everyone.

     I'm also realizing that I don't get anything in return for my hard work. I had 2 jobs and neither really wanted to work with each other's schedules and when I did give out my schedule... it would just get ignored. Then what happens? People get attitudes with me when I try to get my shifts covered or compromise. I try so hard to make everyone happy but that's done and over with. Who are these people to me anyways? Nothing, because I'm nothing to them either.

     I know I'm being quite pessimistic but it's the truth. I will always be a nice person at heart but I can only take so much before I just completely stop it all. Helping people does make me happy but I want to start helping people that actually need it. Someone that will take the kindness to heart and keep for the rest of their life. Helping people that can't help themselves.

     I've been in so many positions where I couldn't do things because of money, health, height, looks, gender, etc. Recently a hand full of people have found me worth it and have tried to help me every way they can. I won't list everything because I'm sure they don't want everyone to expect them to do the same things for every single person as well... but let's just say they've helped make my dreams come true!

     I want to do that for others as well but before I can do that I need to be selfish for a little while. I suggest everyone that is very kind to give themselves the chance to put their foot down and say no, I can't, or I won't. Stand up for yourself and face confrontation. Say I'm one person and I have limits. We're only human first.

Dream Big

     When I was a child I wanted to become many things; A dancer, singer, pianist, fine art drawer, professional cheerleader, gymnast, etc. I pretty much did all of those things but the one thing that always stuck with me was art. I still sing, play volleyball, piano, etc... but I NEVER took a break from art. I still do it every day in side of my head.

     One dream of mine that I never let go was to be featured in a gallery. For the longest time I had people tell me I wasn't good enough... I'd never get anywhere... I have nothing to show. Well, I do. I have my thoughts and my heart to show. I try to show it in every image as much as I possibly can.

     One thing that took me a while to learn is that I can't do everything by myself. I was so determined to show the people that hurt me that they were wrong and I didn't need anyone to become anything, and to a certain extent that is true, but in reality no one would be anywhere if it wasn't for people that are already a step ahead. That's how dreams happen - when someone gives you a break.

     Well, I finally got my break. I will be in my very first gallery and I can't explain the happiness I feel. My heart is overwhelmed with joy to the point that I find myself having almost a panic attack from the anxiousness of the opening day. This show is more than just a gallery show that I will be in. It's not a show with a bunch of random artists, it's a show with artists I have grown to call my friends. They've lifted me up when I felt down, they've stuck up for me when people tried to attack me (or even other people in the group), and we all have shared our darkest thoughts with each other. It feels like a small family and being able to meet them in person is so unreal and I'm very humbled by everything.

     What I'm getting at is if you love something and it's what you're truly passionate about, don't let others tell you that you can't do something. Nothing will be handed over to you so you will have to work hard for the goals you're wanting to achieve in life. It won't be easy but in the end it will be worth it and that is something no one can ever take away from you. I'm the type of person that learns the hard way because I can be stubborn. I get that one from BOTH of my parents, ha ha.

     Be yourself and everything will fall in it's place... unless you have a sucky personality and then I suggest you to change that and set yourself some positive goals for your life. Define yourself before someone else does it for you.