Tomorrow is September 1st and the beginning of a season of new work. I’ve taken six weeks to revisit most aspects of my personal and creative life and how that might look in the coming year. More specifically I’ve been asking myself a lot of questions and taking the necessary time to discover (or discard) the answers that will support (or not) my work as I continue to offer insight and encouragement in life’s transitions. I’d of course love to enthusiastically “firehose you with all that I’ve learned, but that gives you no opportunity to reflect about your own times of transition. So today I will simply offer a word to get you started … Revisiting.
My friend Erica stepandconnect.com provided the word as she was working with my husband to take a look at some of the balance exercises she has provided for helping him navigate his world as not only an older but also a now blind person.
Reviewing is another word but seems more specific than reflective in that it often implies reviewing your work,or a plan before you build something or reviewing finances. Revising is also a good word in relationship to transition but seems to also be specific to something you’ve discovered you want to change.
In revisiting you have a big picture opportunity to take a look at all you are doing or engaged in and ask yourself if this is a “fit” for your now and where you might be going. Many of the things we’ve done were good in their season, but might not be necessary now. To offer an example. On a big piece of paper I wrote down all that I am, have, am doing, pursuing, struggling with,forced to deal with, enjoy interacting with, and so on. I also tried to answer what brings me joy and energy and if what I was engaged in, was supporting that.
I don’t have answers to everything, but I do have some clarity of what needed to be edited, removed, increased, cherished and … acted on.
Today’s images illustrate revisiting. Why did I take this photo? I loved the colors, the texture, the contrast of the green tree to the rock. It was taken several years ago when I was a relatively new photographer. My artist friend, Jane Mason (artinthecenter.wordpress.com) in a creative coaching session, challenged me to revisit the photo to identify how much of it was needed (cropping) and what was the story I was offering the viewer?
Image 1, the original; Image 2, the first edit; Image 3, the rest of the story. I was telling the story of courage and new life possible in rocky times.
IBK
3 Comments
Nicely done. I look forward to continuing our conversation about your unique photography.
Thanks for this post, I think I will do some “revisiting” this weekend. It’s time.
Very timely insight for me, IBK. I have spent the summer reflecting on my experiences as a school counselor in a small rural high school. Now I shall attempt to do some revisiting of the bigger picture. This idea of yours, of course, is pure genius “On a big piece of paper I wrote down all that I am, have, am doing, pursuing, struggling with, forced to deal with, enjoy interacting with, and so on. I also tried to answer what brings me joy and energy and if what I was engaged in, was supporting that.” Thank you, IBK, for being your insightful self! What a blessing you have been in my life.