Thinking Out Loud Again
I’m in a fantastic lull period where I’m just resting, writing, and dancing. For now I’m taking longer breaks in between photoshoots because I can. No huge projects are on my agenda until January and February which I’m perfectly fine with. For those new to my series and I, I’m not doing what I do for other people. I’m doing it for myself and openly inviting others to perceive my art. You could love, hate, take, or leave me and I’d still be doing what I do.
Lately I’ve had to crack down on my time because I live in a city with a constantly moving culture. Personally I think it’s endearing that the party never stops here but I do have to step back every so often and catch my breath. I spent my first few months in SoFlo networking, shooting, dancing, and partying. It was absolutely worth it and my first book signing renewed my love for this series.
That said, life is a balancing act, even in the 305/954. I’ve had to take breaks to keep my sanity here. In my twenties, I could probably keep going nonstop, but thirties I’m reevaluating who and what are worth my time. I’m so lucky to have a supportive group of friends, partner, and family. With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up I am forcing myself to spend more time with them. After all, I moved south to be closer to them.
Yes, parties are fun but at the end of the day I’ll never regret missing a single one of them. Positive attention on my art is also appreciated, but being an artist is only one part of who I am. I’m also a family girl, “the eccentric outdoorsy friend that lived in Alaska for a bit”, a runner, and a huge advocate for community service. What’s my point of writing this post? I’m not driven solely by money and attention. Those are both great, but they don’t feed my soul. What does is the simple act of creating the art in the first place, serving nonprofits close to my heart, loving on/chatting with my man, hanging out with my longtime friends, and spending quality time with my family.
In a way, I’m very relieved everything went down this past year as it did. I’ve spent time with people who wanted to use me and preferred me to be a work horse to keep the dollar signs a-flowing. No thanks. I’m far past doing anything for anyone else’s approval and it took the right place/people in my life to see that. At first Miami’s me me me mentality was intimidating until I realized that I’m a part of that. I live here and now I too can make it all about me me me. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m not over extending myself. I’m spending time and energy where it needs to be spent instead. If this is your sign to take time off, please take time off and take care of yourself.
