I’m certain this post will be a bit random, but I want to get some thoughts down. 

First, I read this quote recently, and it SO perfectly describes how I feel about photography these days: “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” ~ Ira Glass ~  

In other random musings….I’m reading The Upside Down Marriage by Jim Keller, and even though I’m only a couple chapters in, I’ve already gleaned some wisdom. My favorite quote so far doesn’t necessarily apply to only marriage: “Being kind wins the day.” So often simple kindness will make a day brighter. It reminds me also of the verse from Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” I NEED to keep this in mind not just with the hubby, but with my boys, and the students and teachers I encounter at work. 

End word dump.