MAKING ART: WHY IT’S HARD AND WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP MAKING IT ANYWAY

I remember when I was in college, my photography professor told me that in order to create one good image, you need to take four rolls of film (this was in 2001 when film was still actively in use within the industry). A roll of film typically allows for 36 images, so multiply that by four and you have 144 images. So, one in 144 images is worth using. Or, another way of looking at it is, if you really want to increase the quality if your work, shoot four rolls of film and choose the best image from that body of work, and only print that one best image. And then shoot another four rolls of film in order to get two good images. This idea was so profound for me and I don’t disagree at all. Putting this into practice is difficult, though. For one reason.

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TURNING 40

I recently celebrated my 40th birthday (September 19th) and I thought it might be nice to compile a list of things I have learned thus far. Forty years is not immensely impressive, but it’s also not nothing. It’s four decades (holy crap) and includes childhood, puberty, and the terrible twenties (I was miserable in my twenties). Once I reached my thirties, things markedly leveled off. I can recall a moment (I was living in New York City, despairing, and searching for relief from the darkness I had been feeling for the extent of my entire life, reading Happiness by Matthieu Ricard) when I was hit with the thought that maybe there is hope after all and that my life isn’t going to continue to be a series of dramatic passageways through various versions of hell. I still don’t know if this realization came from the book or from the fact that I was finally through my twenties, but either way, that moment became a turning point for me. To know that life might be something more than just struggle upon struggle felt like such a relief and kept me motivated to continue on my path.

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RELATIONSHIP SEX: HOW TO FEEL CONSISTENTLY POSITIVE ABOUT SEX WITH YOUR PARTNER AND NEVER, EVER DREAD THE ACT

Have you ever been in a relationship and had sex with your partner when you didn’t want to? I can’t imagine that any woman reading this (or even any woman not reading this) would answer no. For women especially, this is just something that we have been conditioned to do, and I think all of us have experienced at one time or another, having sex with our partner when we weren’t in the mood. Continue reading RELATIONSHIP SEX: HOW TO FEEL CONSISTENTLY POSITIVE ABOUT SEX WITH YOUR PARTNER AND NEVER, EVER DREAD THE ACT

CREDIT CARDS 101: EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CREDIT CARDS BUT PROBABLY DON’T

I have to admit that I’m very lucky. I had a father who taught my sister and I the basics of finances from an early age. When we turned 16 (we’re twins), he gave each of us our own credit card so we could establish some credit in our name, and told us he would pay $100/month towards the balance and no more. I think the credit limit was something like $1,200. I really had no idea about credit cards or how they worked. It just felt like free money (newsflash to those of you who still think credit cards are essentially free money—they’re not!), so I racked up the balance in probably a month or two, and the balance remained at $1,200 until my dad paid $100 every month. Continue reading CREDIT CARDS 101: EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CREDIT CARDS BUT PROBABLY DON’T

IS YOUR CHILDHOOD SELF RUNNING YOUR LIFE?

I had a revelation last night when I asked for help from The Goddess in a moment of need. First, let me back up and tell you how this all came about. Continue reading IS YOUR CHILDHOOD SELF RUNNING YOUR LIFE?

THE PRECIOUSNESS OF A POLAROID

I have been putting off writing a post about Polaroids for a long time because I am not entirely certain that I will be able to adequately tame my emotions surrounding these objects of enchantment, in order to think clearly enough to channel writings that make any kind of sense. My hope is that after you have read this post, you will, at the very least, feel a greater appreciation for and understanding of Polaroids and the preciousness of their nature. Continue reading THE PRECIOUSNESS OF A POLAROID

SPIRIT ANIMALS

I feel so much gratitude this week, coming off of a rich and inspirational weekend with my tribe. Last year, for the first time, we decided to rent a house in the woods of Pennsylvania for a weekend, and the trip was cathartic and beautiful and amazing. We decided to do the same thing again this year, and this gathering was another resounding success. There is too much that happened and most of it is quite sacred to me, not even appropriate to share on my beloved blog. However, I do feel excited to share with you the details of one of the exercises that took place on this trip (each of us plans a spiritually reflective activity or workshop for the group to partake in). The exercise I led focused on exploring our individual spirit animals, and it was incredible and super fun! If you are fortunate enough to have a tribe, or even just a group of friends who are open to new things and with whom you feel comfortable being vulnerable with, give this a whirl! Continue reading SPIRIT ANIMALS