“IT’S A NEW DAWN, A NEW DAY, A NEW LIFE…”

|| I’M FEELING GoOoOoD |

I’m playing Nina Simone’s song, “I’m Feeling Good.”  It’s one of my favorite songs and helps me put some pep and purpose in my step.  Love Nina Simone…I feel like I can strut with confidence into the future.  The whole sajiscratchy, jazzy scatting that she so skillfully renders at the end of the song gets me every time.  Put her in your playlist, and you’ll be strutting, too!

‘It’s a new dawn, a new day, a new life for me…and I’m feeling gooood.’

EDITOR’S PERSONAL REFLECTIONS + WHAT I KNOW FOR SURE

January has already started with a bang.  I’m delayed in posting for this month because I have been working almost daily on shoots since the beginning of the year, which came my way unexpectedly.

Before I begin, I am sending a quick shout out to my little client, Caleb Throop, who’s pursuing a career in modeling and acting.  Wishing him the best as he’s waiting for terrific news from his recent showcase.  His photography session inspired me.  My headshot of him drew high compliments from the agencies and industry agents who were present.  What a little James Bond.  His highlighted images will post soon in the FEATURES + P3 – PHOTOGRAPHER’S PHOTO PICK section(s) of this month’s blog.  I was told he blew it out during his interviews and auditions.  Kudos Caleb!

I heard a story about a homeless man with a million dollar painting that he didn’t realize he had.  Imagine longing to be free from the persistent perilousness of homelessness, from the painful feeling of powerlessness.  Imagine how he racked his brains and wrung his hands wondering how he landed there.  How could he get out?  Maybe he was thinking…”If only someone would help me, if only I had this or more of that?  I don’t have what I need.  I can’t do anything about my situation.”  On and on…

This is such an inspirational metaphor for me.  I realized quite quickly that it is also my story.  I have talents stored-up that are worth, I believe, more than a million dollars.  It’s a very scary place up there in my brain.  So many inventive ideas and inventions line my imaginative shelves.  What has held me back?  Perfectionism!  Can you relate?  I’ve also spent years waiting for approval, advice, validation from certain people I perceived as ‘in the know.’  Or how about this one: I spent time waiting for endorsements and the ‘green light’ that never came.  Most of the advice received never encouraged true entrepreneurial pursuit–it was often viewed as or resigned to the pursuit of worldliness.  Accepting or obtaining advice from unqualified individuals (from people who are not experts and who don’t have your best interest at heart), can be, more often than not, fatal to the dream being realized.  However, even with this as the case, my #1 enemy was found within.  Perfectionism is crippling to an artist, to anyone with a dream.  Does he live in you, too?  Well, Mr. Perfectionism just had a violent eviction from my life.  Poof!  Bye-bye!  No more.

Because of perfectionism, of waiting to have all my proverbial ‘ducks in a row,’ progress in my life was halted for years.  How about the thought: “I’d rather wait and do nothing than release a body of work that may not be my very best.”  When others loved something I had created or done, I was the one to point out the flaw or where I felt I could have done better.  I held myself back from potential great experiences because I was waiting for perfection.

Miles Davis said he accomplished all that he did, because he never disqualified himself.  He understood how to deal with the enemy that can threaten to live within all of us.

I would stifle ideas and plans, waiting and wishing I had one more thing to make it absolutely perfect.  I now opt to strive for perfection, but am grateful for excellence.  I already have everything I need; it was here all the time.  I can now perceive it and accept it.  In faith, I’m ready to go with the strength I have.  Beginning with the homeless man’s story fresh in my mind–along with my mantra for 2013, which is taken from a passage in Isaiah 43 expressing how ‘God is doing a new thing’–I now have my imagination clearly in focus, and am seeing how it is ‘springing forth’ in my life.  The scripture asks, “Can you perceive it?”  I can.

What I know for sure is that we all have a gift or something to give.  What is holding you back?  Is anything?  Do you have a million dollar painting chucked in the attic or a dusty corner of your closet?  What amazing idea did you kill while it was in its infancy, when, if allowed to grow, it may have been or may be the next big thing?  Allow yourself to give birth to incredible ideas, even in the face of opposition and ‘nay-sayers’; place around you only those who truly have your best interest at heart, those who will build you up in your dreams.  Inspire someone!

Nick Vujicic is a wonderful man with no arms and legs.  He’s an Evangelist, Motivational Speaker, Author of “Unstoppable”, Founder of Life Without Limbs –”From No Limbs To No Limits,” Skydiver, Golfer, Swimmer, Surfer, Husband, and now… a Father.  In a word…WOW!

Nick Vujicic | From No Limbs To No Limits!

If that’s not enough motivation to get in gear, I don’t know what is.  When I saw this story on Sunday morning, I wept.  He stifles any temptation in me to complain or make excuses for why I can’t do something.  I am blessed.  So are you.  Every day that we live truly is a new day, a brand new dawn, another chance to change our lives and others around us.  Let us live our lives as such.  I pray you have a great year!  Cheers!

 

 

Shannon Wright
Editor | Luxury, Fine Art Photographer
@loveshannonxo
@blaqwright

P.S.  Thank you for supporting and following this monthly photographic blog.  Check out the LATEST NEWS! tab and meet my growing BLÄQ + WRIGHT photographic team.

Filed under: A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR, WHAT'S THE BLÄQSTORY? Tagged: COMMERCIAL IMAGES