hurry never..

to live content with small means;

to seek elegance rather than luxury,

and refinement rather than fashion;

to be worthy, not respectable;

and wealthy, not rich;

to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly...

to listen to stars and buds, to babes and sages,

with open heart; await occassions, hurry never... this is my symphony.

-william henry channing

Deetjens Big Sur, California Photograph

Deetjens Big Sur, California Photograph

i stumbled upon this poem a few days ago, while making a collage with old magazines soon to be discarded. i have read it countless times throughout the week. it speaks volumes to me, each and every line. is there a better way to live other than to be content with small means?

tonight i began to ask myself where and when in my life have i felt a sense of being overwhelmingly content, when have i truly felt that it is ok to hurry never. of course it happens to all of us at many different times, but i wanted personal imagery to pair with this poem.. if nothing else, but to serve as my own reminder of the little things.

big sur was the response that came to me and specifically the photographs i took at deetjen's. i love its historical charm and understated elegance.. and the way this magical place allows you to just . slow . down. so, here's to listening to stars and buds and hurrying never..

[photographs taken at Deetjen's in Big Sur, California March 2009 and February 2010]

i wish..

i wish i could paint my name on the purple one. just putting it out there.

[Photographs taken in Big Sur, California, March 2009]

my favorite place to be..

if i had to pick a favorite place in LA, it would be this spot above the city where i stand, catching my breath after a steep climb. i can't count how many times i've stood here, and yet only now and then do i sit on this bench and swing my legs, fully realizing how far i've come.

[photographs taken with my diana camera, June 2009, at Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles]

utterly grateful..

There is a still, quiet beauty all around us, every day… if we are open to seeing it. Photography is a gift that has inspired me, since I was a kid, to take notice and appreciate life’s subtleties…those heart-wrenchingly beautiful moments in ordinary life that make you pause and feel utterly grateful.Those are the moments I strive to capture.

i have been on inspiration overload lately, a combination of a lot things coming together and helping me makes sense of the world, or at least my teeny tiny sliver of it. the combination of solitude with daily hiking and walks, weekly yoga classes, and a lot of writing. it's amazing how suddenly a burst of clarity can arise after months of diligence, stillness... and nurturing of one's self.

as i was re-discovering my intention with photography and refining my artist statement above, i realized there are so many photographs i have taken over the years that are collecting virtual mold in their plain yellow folders stacked on my c:drive. so i am going to make a point to share a few now and then, those moments that have made me pause and take notice of the beauty around us.

[photographs taken at Malibu Creek State Park, March 2009]

happy friday

"i am at the beach alone, quite literally.pondering why i haven't done this before. listening to the waves as they pound in unexpectedly, yet like clockwork. as i look down at my page, the sound intimidates me and fills me with a rush of energy. 'i'm alive,' my heart says."

-excerpt from my journal

Fine Art Photograph | Carmel, California 

i went to sit and write at the beach this morning following a yoga class i took at Bhakti Yoga Shala. a happy and peaceful friday, indeed.

do something nice for yourself this weekend... you deserve it.

[photograph taken in Carmel, California, June 2009]

saying goodbye..

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive."~ Gilda Radner

Yoda came into our lives almost 16 years ago, a miracle in so many ways. I never thought he would leave us and it is so very hard to say goodbye. (r.i.p. Yoda: around Thanksgiving 1993 - September 3, 2009)