Social Media, The FInal Chapter...

I have been without Facebook for two years and a little more than a week ago I dumped Instagram. I did leave fair warning on both and let people know if they didn’t have my number or proper email then send me a note and I would give them the information. Too many people have become to rely on social media and such to maintain contact with friends and even relatives. Well, social media does what it is designed to do it seems. Either by design or by fate I really don’t know. To me, social media is walking into a store or restaurant and seeing someone there you know and saying hello, to their faces. Shake their hands, give them a hug whatever...

So, with my leaving social media as it is I gave people a chance to maintain contact. Since leaving the realm of a fantasy online world of likes, love and meme wonders, I have theoretically lost about 400 friends and have literally cleaned the contact list on my “cellular device” of over 40 people. My online phone usage has gone down about 5gig a month, my screen time is down and my image production and research is up about 150%. When I left Instagram a photo subject was concerned that she had no one to tag in the images she posted that I had captured. Well... mention my name in a comment then.

I am thinking that was beyond her comprehension so... bye-bye.

One thing I have noted since leaving the fakery of FB and IG was a rekindling love for my keyboard (piano) as well as books, a closer to thee feeling with my fiancé and meeting a wonderful couple who are becoming an integral part of my life. It is amazing how much was being missed and how work had suffered and so on. Sorry folks, you either send me an email or pick up the damned phone and call me. Is that too hard? I randomly send a text to someone every day and a lot of the time it was at the most perfect moment.

Anyway, My work continues within the realm of the shadow, looking at some fun bodyscape work through the winter as well as developing a certain and ancient source of light to a more modern useable form to use in my imagery. I was once told that I was a Master of Light. Recently I embraced that. Now the teacher who was once a student now becomes the teacher once again.

Walk with me along the shadows edge, take my hand as we drift into the darkness and I will take yours as we regain the light.

Is there a start or end?

When writing a blog... where does one start or end? How often should a person draft a post? No one can answer those questions other than the writer. There was a time when I made nearly daily entries... over 1000 in 3 years but that sad existence is gone now and a new life is well underway. I have tried to go back to sort out when I figured things out and when I began to let people know what was on the horizon.
 

One life gone in favour of a new and authentic one.

 So with that in mind I put together a chronological list of events but I won’t bore you with that. Needless to say I quietly celebrated my 6^th birthday this past October. Many things have happened since I first sorted out a rather chaotic thought process and most recently with conversation and messages with my massage therapist, I have sorted out even more of my life’s mysteries. Without friends like her, my esthetician, and the loving support from Laura I have moved further and quicker into my life. I can include a number of “soul” friends from the Pacific Rim all the way to a wee island in the Atlantic in those benefactors and treasure their existence deep within my heart.

 

I bared my soul and body to the world.

There have been changes in my body which I love and a few I don’t but I still embrace my entire being as I have learned to love myself and all that I am. Yes I curse random hair growth but who doesn’t so I do what I feel I need to in order to make it right... by my standards not by anyone else’s. I don’t care what others think and never will... it isn’t any of my business anyway. I dress for comfort and sometimes can be a little bit of a show-off but everyone is entitled. No one can tell me how to dress but I am open to suggestions. I do not fear openly shopping for clothes or asking for advice and I rather enjoy it.

 

Meditation or prayer for lost souls...

 There are several things on my mind as Remembrance Day is approaching but that is to be expected and I sometimes become very quiet and withdrawn. I plan my own schedule and sometimes that involves ripping out a few hairs (figuratively speaking) but when sorting out studio times, personal times and mix in with that social and studio travel and can be mind boggling. I still, much to the chagrin of some just wander off unannounced and without a solid plan but that has been my way for a few decades now. There are times I will be traveling with Laura and Sam, and other times not. If I am on a studio trip, my mind is solely on the purpose of the journey. But... when I want to go exploring then I will drag anyone along that wants to go.

 My vision is at a stage where my travel (by car) for any reason is limited and I find that extremely frustrating and even a little depressing. I work my way through those stages of depression one moment at a time. Knowing I will once again find the waters of the Pacific and have already planned another journey to a small group of islands in the Atlantic. There were times I would drive for 16 -18 hours in a single day just to reach a destination sooner... thereby having more time where I want, where I need to be. But more on that later...

Be well, be kind to each other and be blessed...

Monochromatic Artistry and more...

Julia... a softer side.

 As I explore the realm of light and shadows I discover new things with each sitting. The raw look of a monochromatic image is unforgiving when it comes to minor skin imperfections and that makes the image truly beautiful.

Monochromatic capture.

 I have worked with Julia for a number of years now and each sitting brings on entirely new images with individual uniqueness. I will continue working in many forms with this wonderful subject who is also a good friend and an absolute delight to explore the shadows with.. 

Sophisticated in her own way.