BIG NEWS

Well, a New Year. I’m jazzed! After an exhausting and emotionally draining end of the year, I am ready to start anew. I love setting goals. I remember as a young women in my church we had a program called “Personal Progress”. It is a great program that teaches the importance of setting goals and working hard towards becoming a better person. I absolutely loved it! I know my friends are rolling there eyes right now but, … I really did. I love setting goals, even really hard ones, and the personal challenge of trying to achieve them. So here I find my self with the opportunity to set some goals. I do this every year. Of coarse the typical no more sugar, I’ll never sleep in instead of running, I’m going to get really organized… and so on popped into my head.

“NO Ashley,” i thought “It must be grander.”

After a rough holiday season of over scheduling myself with photography, I have decided a big change was inevitable. Something JUST HAD TO CHANGE.

I think women refer to it as “losing it”. Well I was on the brink. This happened last year too, and I vowed to not let it happen again. Its tricky because I have a job that I can be home (mostly) for and allows me to be with my kids. My job pays pretty well (sometimes) and something I absolutely love doing. However, it is just that… “a job”. I never really intended for photography to become a career for me. It started about 10 years ago. I was hooked and ate and drank photography. I learned all I could. Really, just to be a good photographer… not to have a business. Then slowly people began asking me to take their pictures. I started doing it so much that I thought, “I might as well get paid for this”. That is how it began. Now here I am. Overwhelmed and not in a place I pictured myself being in 2010. It has become too much business and not enough creativity for me. Most of all I miss just being mom. Don’t get me wrong, my husband and kids have been great. They have always supported me and encouraged me. My husband has been my greatest fan.  I am so fortunate to now be in a position that I don’t have to work. I know I would feel very different if I did, but I have a choice.

So back to my goal. Really I’m not going to say it is a goal because I’m not going to work toward it. It’s just perhaps a change.

So here it is- I QUIT.

That feels really good.

I can’t wait to get back to the basics of life. There are some areas of my life that need more focus and attention. Isn’t it funny how when you make the right decision you just feel light and free. Thats me. I have felt heavy and burdened and any of you who know me know that is not me. So I also thought what the heck am I going to do with this blog. I guess I could do nothing and just shut it down, but I would love to still share my work with those who I know like to see it. It will be photography of my personal life, so I don’t know how interesting that will be. Who knows, It may actually be better since I will be able to put a little more creativity into it without deadlines and such.
I have always wanted to do a gratitude journal. I have heard that it really changes your perspective and enriches a person. That sounds good to me. This IS the year of change.

Perhaps that should be my goal. Yes, I will write one thing I am thankful for every day on this blog. I will still take photos, since that is what I love still, and I will have fun doing it!

This will be a great year I can feel it.