~ balance ~

Happy New Year!

I've started many new projects today!  Last year at this time I began my first 365 (photo a day) project on flickr.  I failed in August.  When I say "failed" I mean that I didn't complete the project, started missing days and gave up.  However, I did (virtually) meet some wonderful people along the way!  Many of them completed their 365's yesterday and are beginning a new one today.  I, too, am beginning again, today!  I am hopeful that I will succeed this year.  Many of the people that I met through the 2011 project, are also doing a 52 week project (one photo per week).  I'm doing that, too!  The social aspect of these flickr groups are really powerful, encouraging, and helpful along the way.  I'm very excited for these two projects!  I will continue to participate in several other groups like 112 pictures in 2012 (I failed at that one last year, too) and one of my favorites, the group We're Here!  I think both of those groups will help move the 365 project along and I will be less likely to get into a rut.  I will overlap photos for these projects as needed.  That should make it more manageable.  Now that I know a bit more about myself and the groups and how it all works, I think I have an advantage as I begin this year.  Overall, my goal is to have fun and learn a little more about photography along the way.

Another project that I started today is called One Little Word 2012.  This is an online class, taught by Ali Edwards through Big Picture Classes.  The basic idea is that you choose a word for the year (or let the word choose you).  This is a word to "focus on, meditate on, and reflect upon" throughout the year.  This year long class guides you through the year with your word by providing monthly prompts to help you get to know your word, focus or refocus around the word, and make your word more visible in your life.  I'm super excited to begin this project!!

I had a difficult time choosing my word!  If you know me at all you know that I have a difficult time making decisions or making up my mind sometimes!  Well, this was no exception!  I thought about the word "present" or "presence".  I thought this might be a good word for me because sometimes I am not "present" with my family like I should be.  Instead of being present, I will be thinking about work, photos, scrapbooking, you name it!  I can't tell you how many times B has come over to me and shut my computer for me!!!  But the word I kept coming back to was "balance".

In my work, it is important to create the perfect balance when providing instruction for students.  That's where I first met my word.  I found myself, over the last year, using the word "balance" a lot when discussing professional books that I was reading, when coaching other teachers, or when working on other projects with my colleagues.

Then I had the miscarriage, another encounter with the word.

After I miscarried my mother gave me a necklace.  The necklace had a gem on it and a round, silver charm with a symbol on it.  My mom isn't really into zodiac signs, but the symbol on the charm is the libra "sign" (which happens to be my sign).  I looked up more information on the symbol and it lead me to read about what a Libra "is".  "Balance" kept coming up.  Here is one example of what I saw when I searched:

Part of balance in my life is balancing work and play, creative times and family times, and realizing that balance doesn't always mean "equal".  Another part is related to food and exercise, which includes a balance of good food and fun food!  :-)  And still another is related to my first encounter with the word, as it pertains to balanced instruction within my professional life.  So, balance it is.

My first photo of the year, taken with my new macro lens, "balance" :

the necklace that inspired my OLW

I think I might be using this photo on the cover page of my OLW project as well.  I will share my pages as I finalize them.

Oh, and by the way....I have NOT finished my Dec. Daily project!  I've had an extra busy winter break that has put me a bit behind!  I will not allow it to go onto the "failed in 2011" list!  :-)