It’s time for a celebration!
I am moving to a new studio space, how cool is that?
The details…
This space is twice the size of the current location in the Dome district, it has three different shooting areas including a most wonderfully wonderful natural light room! It is right next to the Robert Daniel Gallery, not far from my current location.
How did this come up? 
Recently I voiced an idea I had of a shared space for photographers to a couple of friends. (See what happens when you say things out loud??) I could find a place that had room for multiple shooting areas where we could have different sets and lights set up all the time. We could pool our resources and equipment and create something awesome! I’m thinking someday, in the future. About a week or two after I said out loud that I would like to put that together, a post came up for a space on the Tacoma Art ListServe. I saw it and knew I had to at least LOOK at it. When opportunities present themselves I feel I have to take advantage, I don’t want to look back on my life and think of what could have been. So, I checked it out, rounded up some photographers, and now it’s a go! Yay! There is still work to be done but when it is all finished it will be fabulous!
I will be having an open house so everyone can see the new space. When? One thing at a time people! There is work to do!! I will post when I have a date

Willow

Your Tacoma Photographer

Do you ever try to do the things that your insides say “uh-oh, not sure, maybe not, I can’t”?

I’m not talking about sky diving or running across the tracks just before the train comes.
I’m talking about things like “Should I go talk to him/her?” or even as simple as “I don’t know if people will think this outfit is cool…maybe I won’t wear it…” or “that image isn’t good enough to show my photog friends, I’ll skip it”

These types of thoughts can be little or big fears depending on the person, right? Ultimately they hold you back. I want to challenge myself and ignore that voice in my head that talks me out of stuff. I don’t want to stay the same, I want progress!

What happens when you go against the doubt in your head and face your fears? You end up kicking ass and taking names and you feel soooooo good! You wonder why you ever doubted yourself! By your accomplishments you then have some ammo to fight those negative thoughts next time.
My point? I’m facing my fears. The “I can’t” in my head. I’m doing a mini triathlon.

When Sky asked me if I wanted to do it my head said “let’s just think about this…”. Instantly I knew the answer had to be yes, the exact opposite of what my thoughts were telling me. Sometimes the biggest challenges in our lives can be overcoming our own thoughts.

OMG! ¼ mi swim, 8 mi bike, 2 mi run. Yeah, I know, crazy!!!!!!! It’s on September 7th and the countdown is on! Of course I will be blogging about my progress and I will be adding a category on the sidebar for this particular personal challenge.

So what are my fears? Might as well lay them out there, you say them out loud, they lose their scariness!
What if I train, it’s not enough, and I can’t finish? What if something happens to my body before the tri and I can’t do it after I said I was going to? 8 miles on a bike after a ¼ mile swimming and there are hills!!!!! Then I have to run 2 miles! I know I can do all three separately but all three together?!?!? What if I get a side ache? What if I’m so nervous I throw up? What if it’s just not enough time to train and I’ve gotten myself in over my head? What if that voice inside my head was right? Bahhhhh! Fagedaboutit! All I’m telling myself right now is “I know I can I know I can I know I can!!!”

So yesterday Mike (the boyfriend) and I rode 4mi of 5 mile drive. Today I ran 1.5 miles down at Ruston and walked the last 1.5 back to my car. FYI the Kaiser Chiefs album Yours Truly Angry Mob is perfect for running. Threw in a little Jamiroquai Funk Odyssey at the end, that was cool. Then I rode around the neighborhood with Mike, then rode to the gym for Pilates (the stomach is going to ache tomorrow, I know and love this!). My goal is to do some sort of combo or at least lift or run 6 days a week. I’m going to check out swim schedules and start kickin on that too.

WOW. That is really all I can say at this point. My question to you all is this: What are your fears? You can comment anonymously if you want, why not just put them out there? What fears have you conquered?

Willow

Your Tacoma Photographer