Kat Eye Studio

Archives for May 2013

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Breathe Deep

It is interesting how realization comes.

Sometimes, a realization blindsides you, leaving you surprised and blinking in the bright light. Unable to move for a moment or two, from the shock of it.

Other times, a realization comes upon you as a gentle knowing. There is a subtle nod of “yes, that’s right” as the idea slips from unconscious hints to conscious understanding. It was there all along.

In the last couple of weeks I’ve had a softly growing realization of the feeling I want to create with my art.

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I want my art to create a pause. I want it to create a space, a brief moment, in a busy life to allow for a deep breath. I want my images to give a gift of greater awareness, a chance to notice the world in a different way, and connect with heart and soul.

No small feat, right?

But as I’ve looked at my Photo-Heart Connections over the last months I see this theme of “pause and breathe” in so many of them. This is what my heart is telling me I need to do, for myself. This is what my heart is telling me I need to share.

This is what other people have told me about my work for a while, regardless of subject or process. I’ve heard the term “contemplative” used. I’ve heard other descriptions, but the one that stuck with me most recently, the one that nudged this desire into consciousness, is my friend who told me my work allows him to “take a deep breath.”

So there is nothing new here, just my conscious realization that I want to cultivate this feeling. I want to seek this. I don’t want it to be one in ten or even one in two. This is what I want my work to be about. I may not always get there, but it will help to have an idea of where I am going as I create.

It’s a subtle transition, from
capturing my experience of the world around me
to
creating an experience from the world around me.
A shift from passive to active. A shift from unconscious to conscious.

I breathe deep, and exhale a gentle realization.

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Inhale Spring

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I inhale
Fresh scent of spring
Tickles and tingles my nose

I exhale
With the earth
Matching her breath through branches

I step
Along hard-packed earth
Winter’s mud only imprints in my path

I blink
Flashes of sun
Revealing forests of white petals

I see
Joy in sunshine
Leaves sprouting with wild abandon

I pause
One last tree
Waiting sheltered in earth’s shadow

Not long now.

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Liberate Your Art 2013 Blog Hop

The postcards have been mailed, received, swapped, mailed and received. The Liberate Your Art postcard swap is complete for 2013. It’s time to party a little bit, and celebrate what a fabulous swap we’ve had for 2013!

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The Liberate Your Art 2013 stats:
1290 pieces of art
216 artists
11 countries

But there is so much more to the swap than the numbers. Every year a phrase or theme comes to me as I look at all of the art that passes through my hands. This year, it was “connection.” You are all doing an amazing thing, connecting through art. Each piece of art that was liberated represents a connection, or two. I saw these connections sharing love, joy, nostalgia, encouragement, acceptance, color, creativity, beauty, peace, emotion, inspiration, light, laughter, memories, words, and life. You are influencing the world in a positive way when you connect through art.

Of course I had my own moments of connection, too. All of your notes and extra postcards and of course, your art, touched my heart. As I opened the envelopes, I found the art of old friends I’ve been in contact with online since I lived in Italy. I saw the art of local friends, people I see often in my real life, going out to make new connections. And one of the most special things was seeing a couple of postcards from artists where I was with them when they took the photograph they shared, both in the US and in England. Wow. I got chills, from the way these connections reverberate and spiral back.

Who knows how this year’s connections will spiral back to you?

Enjoy this year’s video, which includes one piece of art from every participant. The collection is an amazing tribute to the individuality and expression that comes through art. (Be sure to watch it in HD if you can, it looks awesome! Also note that there is a pause partway through, as the songs change, so don’t stop watching too early.)

And now, there’s one last opportunity to connect through the 2013 Liberate Your Art swap. Let’s hop!


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Too much of a good thing

You know that saying…. “Too much of a good thing is a bad thing.”

So. Very. True.

Too much of a food you love, and you can get sick of it. Too much passion for something and you can get burned out.

And too much computer time can injure you. I’m struggling with a sore shoulder right now, which comes out of too much mousing on the computer. I think the straw that broke the camel’s back was the marathon editing session I did on Saturday to prepare the Liberate Your Art swap video. 215 photos that needed to be straightened and cropped. the same motions again and again. I should have broken it up a bit more. Now I’m really going to have to cut back, or I risk a permanent injury. The pain is always the reminder to cut back.

It all aligns with what I want to do anyway… Spend more time outside as the weather is nicer. Hike in the mornings. Hang out with my son. Cook more from scratch. Read good books. Capture and create images that make me pause and breathe, like this one.

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Thankfully carrying an iPhone doesn’t cause the same stress on my shoulder as carrying my dSLR, and editing on the iPad doesn’t cause the same kind of pain as mousing on the computer. Maybe there is more than just my creativity at play in this newfound love of mobile photography. Or maybe I’m just lucky that I’ve got this alternate creative outlet, or I would be incredibly frustrated at the pain and might work through it, damaging myself further.

Either way, the pain is my body screaming at me to change course. It’s just too bad I have to get to this point to get my brain to agree.

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Hello, Spring

Along the edge of the trail yesterday, I noticed the wild iris blooming. I love these small, delicate flowers. They are like the quiet cousin of the typical varieties you see around in gardens.

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I got up close and personal with my iPhone, but the images just weren’t capturing the essence of these beautiful little flowers on a gorgeous spring morning.

So I looked for the light… and there it was.

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Hello, spring.

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Be part of a Positive Cycle

Have you ever been swept into a positive cycle? One good thing happens, then another, and another… the positive energy flows. We often get bogged down in negative energy cycles, but the positive ones are the best. How would you like to participate in one? I have a way you can insert yourself. You have the opportunity to help inspire others and to fuel your creativity too. Here’s the cycle you can join…

Step 1 of the cycle: My friend, Toan Lam, founded Go Inspire Go. Toan is a former news reporter who was tired of dwelling on the bad news. He created Go Inspire Go to help tell inspiring stories of people using their power to help others. How awesome is that?

Step 2: I met Toan when he interviewed me for a Tea with Toan segment on the Photo-Heart Connection for his blog over a year ago. We clicked and have become friends, meeting in person when I visited San Francisco and chatting on Skype when we get a chance. (Not nearly often enough!)

Step 3: Toan and Go Inspire Go just launched the 50-50 Campaign. Their goal is to raise $50,000 to uncover and tell 50 inspiring stories from 50 US states. They want to spread the positive message! You can visit here to read more about the campaign and meet Toan in the video explaining what he wants to do. It’s worth the watch!

Step 4: Pay close attention – Here’s where you come into the cycle! Donate to the 50-50 campaign and help Toan and his crew of volunteers bring the 50 inspiring stories to life. Whatever they raise, they will use to tell as many inspiring stories as they can. Donate what you can, it doesn’t matter if it’s a little or a lot. Every little bit will help!

Step 5: Receive my one week eCourse, Fuel Your Creativity, as a perk for any donation over $5. This is me sharing my power to help others – showing that each of us can bring the positive energy of creativity into our daily lives. It was always my plan to make Fuel Your Creativity an on-demand eCourse, and it will be available for regular registration on my site after June 3. Until then, the only way to get this creative boost earlier is to donate to the Go Inspire Go 50-50 campaign.

Step 6: Do the exercises in the Fuel Your Creativity course. Feel a boost of energy. Find more happiness in your daily life as you become more aware of your surroundings. Find joy in creating, whatever your medium.

Step 7: Share that joy and happiness you find through your creativity with everyone you come in contact with! The good that comes from creativity is contagious. This is your power to pass on. Who knows what else your positive energy will lead you to?

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There you have it. The cycle of positive energy, started by Toan wanting to share inspiring news instead of bad, continues — out from you. Each of us who touches the cycle transforms it a little bit. We all have a slightly different power to help others, and that’s a beautiful thing. The cycle spirals out in every direction! I love that I can use my unique power to help Go Inspire Go’s mission. What’s your power? You can help too!

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