FAMILY SESSION: back again
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family sessions
She sent me this picture of the canvas on the wall in her youngest daughter's bedroom.
It's what I do in my "spare time"...
well...
not spare time really...
I honestly do not think I would survive "well" if I didn't have little creative outlets...
sure, my house tends to fall apart, I am rather late to appointments and I "forget" to get other things accomplished, but in all reality, I think this is what allows me to function in my sea of "imperfection"!
I could get very bogged down with myself...my lack of "perfection and performance" and therefore, I must allow myself the freedom to "let it all go" for the sake of creativity and JOY and just BEing...
I know that probably would irritate some people...and cause massive frustration for others...for me though, it's part of my way of embracing who I am...
I speak some rather stern "self-talk" to myself from time to time...I'm a perfectionist at heart who realized early on that I would never be perfect...and this devestated me...you would think, in a logical brain one would then "get on with life"...but not me...NOPE, I continued to strive for perfection even though I knew it was unattainable...I EXPECTED it of myself, and I knew in a handful of times I came somewhat 'close', (IMO) and so, I couldn't give up trying...
fast forward many years, counseling, a patient husband, 3 kids and hitting my 40s...and I have a new approach...
Instead of 'bad-talkin' myself for not living up to my own expectations...when I feel like everything is closing in...I won't make a deadline, my house is a mess, I feel like a bad parent...and I don't know if anyone will ever want me to take pictures of them again...
when I start saying to myself that I'm a failure...
that is typically when I have to recognize the signs and STOP...
it's when I choose JOY instead of criticism and pain...
and for me, choosing JOY often means creativity (or reading)...
a way to dig down to the deepest part of my heart and find all the little creative bits that don't get much attention and let them come out...imperfections and all...
This family has made seeing me part of their visit to family in Ohio from New York each year.
I love meeting up with them (not only because they are all so darn cute to photograph) but, they are so kind and genuine and unbelievably generous!
You might remember that their Christmas card won the drawing for one of my Christmas canvases...she then asked me to create/paint a canvas for her daughter's room...
I loved going out and choosing colors/style based on the bedding & other little things in her room.
It was magificent timing as things were winding down photography-wise but being stuck inside the house during the winter was starting to take it's toll on my "cheery outlook"...
I thoroughly enjoyed painting and allowing myself the "break" from everything else.
I was tickled when she came to visit again and picked it up and even more so when she sent the text of it hanging in their home!
These are some of my favorites from their family session and I think you'll see that their smiles are contagious and their hearts are pretty evident!