text design by the wonderful jasmine fitzwilliam, photo & quote by me

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything really personal on here. This past year has been a bit of a blur, and it has been amazing, but I am so looking forward 2013, because I know that there are big things in the horizon for me.

2012 was a great one, most notably that I worked heavily on my movement from within project. On top of that, I got published in a magazine for one of my dance photos, auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance (I’m serious — never did get a chance to blog about that!), had my first showing for my dance photos, camped solo for the first time ever & got lost in the snow, sky dived, went to Yosemite multiple times (can you believe it was my first time there only a year ago??), helped a friend open a dance studio, photographed & navigated my way through my very first big commercial project & the biggest step of all for me — I launched my personal portfolio.

I have big dreams for 2013, two of which I will briefly share here.

Firstly, I have been thinking the last few months that I would really like to take my movement from within sessions outside of Southern California. I know there are so many people out there who I could reach out to, I just need to get to them! So I have begun brainstorming a project, one that involves Kickstarter, that will allow me to reach all those dancers outside of the Southern California radius. I don’t know if this crazy idea will even work, but I have to at least give it a try. There are so many people’s lives I know I can reach, if I can just get to them!

Secondly, film has been inching its way back into my life. I have been shooting film on and off for the past few years — & before that, it hadn’t been since college. But over the last few months, I have been feeling an overwhelming need to shoot film again. A lot. There is something with film that I don’t get with digital — it’s not just the results, but the process for me. It’s so easy to shoot off a hundred frames in digital without a second thought, but I realized that when I do that, I’m not truly paying attention to what I’m shooting cause I have multiple frames to fall back on. With film, I am literally paying per image, so I have to be more conscious of what I am framing. In other words, I am totally paying attention to what’s in front of me. On top of that, I don’t  have a screen on the back of the camera, making me obsess with the results of the image, like I do with digital. Instead, shooting film gives me the freedom of not worrying about the outcome, and instead, I focus all my attention on what’s in front of me, and just the process of creating.

Both of these dreams, if anything, is an experiment. I don’t know what the outcome will truly be with either one, but I know that my heart is pulling me in that direction, so I must follow. And I must get out there. My quote above feels very fitting for all this too, because in many ways, I am leaping. The whole of 2013 feels like one big leap for me. Into more film, into my dance project, into all the other big dreams I have tucked in my little pocket. :)

I hope the same for you too, friends. I have always been about adventure in life, as well as getting out there. Life is too short to not follow your dreams, to not go where your heart tugs. No one has ever said that they regretted following their hearts. Sure, it can be rough, it can be a lot of work. But the feeling of joy one gets from it, is second to none. Maybe falling in love. ;) But following your heart is very much like falling in love, I think. Instead of falling in love with someone else though, you fall in love with yourself — and the world. <3

So here’s to 2013, may it be filled with dreams, adventures & getting out there — whatever that may be for you. :)