Quote of the day: “Nature poets can’t walk across the backyard without tripping over an epiphany” — Christian Wiman
Wild Cherry Tree Blossoms
Even though the day is cloudy and cool there is beauty to spare in my own backyard. I went out for a couple of minutes with my camera and before I knew it a half hour had gone by and I was late leaving for a lunch meeting.
I get lost in photography—making pictures, working with pictures, thinking about pictures. It’s never work for me, always play. Wouldn’t it be amazing if everyone had one thing in their life like that?
Bleeding hearts and ferns
What lights you up? What makes time disappear? Do you know?
For most of my life I wished I had a “thing,” a calling, a purpose. And then I stumbled upon my “thing” almost by accident. I have always loved wildflowers and nature walks. One spring I went out with my little automatic camera and tried to capture the beauty of spring ephemerals in the woods.
I failed totally!
I was frustrated because I didn’t know how to create that dreamy blurry look in the background. I knew nothing about depth of field or F-stops. I just wanted to create a painterly photograph of some of my favorite wildflowers and I couldn’t figure out how to do it. I longed to know how it was done.
Tight green buds
Following that longing led me to sign up for a 2-day photography workshop. Two days was all it took to discover that nature photography was absolutely fascinating to me.
I wasn’t a good photographer at that point. I had so much to learn. But I loved it and I was consumed by a desire to capture the beauty I saw all around me.
The almost instant feedback available from the digital camera fit my learning style and helped me to create a learning structure that fed my desire. After a couple more photography workshops I was totally immersed in a love of photography.
Jacob’s ladder
Even before I was laid off from my 25+ year career as a software engineer, I knew that I wanted to find a way to do photography all the time. The lay-off was one of the most timely blessings I’ve experienced in my life.
I decided that life was too short to not do what I love and started a photography business. Now, two years later, I realize just how crazy and wonderful that decision was.
Shy lilac flowers
Crazy, because I had no idea how much I had to learn (still have to learn for that matter).
Wonderful, because I had no idea the places this calling would take me. I have learned so much. I have experienced such joy in what I am doing. And I have found the courage and trust to know that listening to my heart is the best thing I can do for myself.
I hesitate to call this a calling, but it is the most wonderful “thing” in my life. I feel so blessed to be doing what I love and to have the opportunity to play this way.
All of the photos in today’s post were taken during my “couple of minute” walk that turned into a half hour in the back yard. I am blown away by the beauty of nature again and again and again. It takes my breath away.
Crab Apple Tree
If you have a thing in your life that takes your breath away, congratulations! You are so very lucky!
If you don’t have one thing that makes you light up, start listening to the yearnings of your heart. There is some “thing” that can light up your life if you let it. Start listening to the shy yearnings, the frustrations, the lightbulb moments. Your “thing” is there inside you, ready to emerge. Notice the things that you’ve always done, always liked, always been drawn to. Somewhere inside those things is a thread of purpose waiting to be pulled.
It may not make sense to you now but if you follow it, one step at a time, you will discover that “thing” that makes you sing.
And soon you will be tripping over an epiphany in your own backyard.
Wild Columbine Flower
Bleeding hearts
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