With the starting of this new year, as I’ve already mentioned, I’ve been taking more and more photos with my mobile phone.  I’m loving the spontaneity it allows and the quick editing and sharing abilities.  No tedious uploading of files, and converting raw, then saving high res, plus another low res copy, and the extra low res watermarked one…  It’s so simple.  Since taking that Time Caspsules class last year, I’ve been looking for ways to capture life as it is, in a less polished and formal way, and my phone allows me to do just that.  I’ve also been using many apps.  Maybe too many.  And I thought I’d list and post examples of work created with some of my favorite applications.

I won’t lie, it’s really cold here.  Even for a northern girl like me who’s used to winter, it’s cold.  I may have all the adapted clothing and outerwear I need, I’m still shivering when going outside.  We had a first icy blast late December, then last week, we had hopes of spring.  Warm sunlight, birds chirping.  Today’s it’s back to reality, another blast of Arctic air hits us. I’m not one to complain usually, but I’m really dreaming of spring at the moment. I’m stuck inside and although it helps with my healthy resolutions, I have time for cooking, juicing and exercising, I’m longing to be out there shooting.  I have briefly picked up my camera to capture the cold, my fingers would freeze after a couple of seconds, my battery drained and my face burned.  It has nothing fairy tale like, it’s not a Disney movie.
Well, at least I’m still keeping up with my photo projects. The 100 Days of Happy one comes easy for me, I find sources of happiness everywhere, and it’s such a feel good project!  I really hope weather stops acting up so I can get to more serious and portfolio worthy work, I have a long list of written ideas to complete…  Meanwhile I guess I’ll stick to yoga, breathe in, breathe out, and wait for winter to pass…

Thrive  intransitive verb \ˈthrīv\   : to grow or develop successfully : to flourish or succeed

That’s my word for 2014. After a year of looking for direction in my work, I think I’m ready to see it grow and flourish. I want my work to thrive, but I also want my personal life to prosper as well.  My goals for 2014 are quite simple, and listing them here will make me accountable, so here’s to committing to a better life in the next 365 days.

This is our last Sisterhood post for 2013…  This year has gone in a blur! I know the year’s not over yet, but when the Holidays come it’s also a time to reflect on the past year.  What were your goals for 2013?  Did you manage to reach them?  Did you have a word for this year, and how did this word inspire you through the year?  My word was Quietude, and although it hasn’t been too quiet, I feel like I’ve settled some issues.  I’m less anxious about my decisions and I feel like I found at least part of the sense of direction I needed in my work.  I enjoy every part of my life more, so that’s my progress this year.  I’ve also diversified my portfolio and worked on putting more work out there, on different platforms, so maybe next year, one of my dreams of having a photo of mine on a book cover will be a reality.  Fingers crossed x

You probably wonder what this post is about…  Boys of course.  Little ones and growing too fast ones.  What about them?  You may know I’m a mother of boys, two wonderful specimens if I say so myself.  Recently I was troubled by some thoughts they were having and it lead me to realize we don’t care much about the boys self image issues.  We make a lot of fuss about the girls image and the way society expects them to be, but what about the boys? They are confronted daily with social expectations, peer pressure and what do we do about it, we simply ignore it.  It’s true that our society puts a lot of pressure towards growing girls, teaching them early to watch every calorie they eat, putting photoshopped models on every screen and magazine.  And we have a lot of work to do about it.  Boys and girls face the same issues, on different levels, but it does have side effects.   And one of these is anxiety.