Digital Life Photography

Back to it

We had huge storm today and it (along with being the first day back at work) has truly blown away any notion that the holidays are still with us.

bench

Goodbye chocolates for breakfast, afternoon naps and turkey sandwiches. Hello to waking before the sun does, laying out your next days clothes the night before and a hustley-bustley office.

fawley oil refinery

It’s all OK though. I’m excited – there’s a whole new year stretched out in front of me; all shiny and new and untrodden. I find Christmas a difficult time to engage my brain in anything more than studying TV listings and working out the best way to crack a brazil nut (not possible without power-tools), but now I have the rhythm of a working week back in my life I am finally ready to begin plotting and planning.

feather

Now I am ready now to properly fill out Susannah’s FREE Unravelling workbook (go and have a look – it’s a fabulous resource for planning your year ahead from someone who really knows their stuff). I mentioned before that my word was STRIVE, but I need to start padding this out with specifics. I’ve sharpened all my pencils, I have cracked open a new notebook. Let’s do this!

grass and shingle

Time management is one of the things I will be investigating as part of my plan – when you work full-time as well as inhabiting your own creative universe you have a number of time-related challenges to overcome. It can (and WILL) be done though. I’ll let you know if I discover any good tips as I know I’m not the only one in this boat (and do let me know in the comments if you have any advice to share).

weeds at sunset

All these photos – I took them yesterday. Before the storm. It was so calm and bright and… tranquil.

more weeds

This is the beach near my house so I get to visit it a lot. I get to see how it changes through the year and right now I am loving the skeletons of the plantlife that inhabits the salty, shingley shore.

yes, even more weeds

Whilst these dead weeds may be beautiful memories of the past, I think it’s the now and the future where the true beauty is.

shadows

Here’s to the future!

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13 Comments

  • Reply
    Life with Kaishon
    3 January 2012 at 20:41

    The future is so exciting, isn’t it?

    • Reply
      Angie
      5 January 2012 at 22:21

      Hooray for the future! x

  • Reply
    Roxanne
    4 January 2012 at 04:52

    I love this time of year for the fact that we’ve been given a clean slate … that’s exciting. Having a bit of an excitement hangover … but it will pass. It’s rainy here and will be for days (well, it’s the rain forest). Time to focus on bright and positive stuff!

    Happy 2012.

    • Reply
      Angie
      5 January 2012 at 22:21

      Wow, the rain forest! That sounds magical, even if there is the rain element to contend with! Happy 2012 to you, too x

  • Reply
    margie
    4 January 2012 at 07:15

    one of my 2011 highlights, a course with Susannah.

    • Reply
      Angie
      5 January 2012 at 22:19

      That is definitely something that should be celebrated!!

  • Reply
    Rhianne
    5 January 2012 at 10:03

    Strive is a great word for the year! Heres to the future :)

    • Reply
      Angie
      5 January 2012 at 22:18

      I’ll drink to that! *checks new year resolutions* oh no i wont :s

  • Reply
    Colin
    6 January 2012 at 10:15

    Wishing you and yours a great 2012. Your lovely pics of the beach near your house prompt me to ask whether you’ve thought of doing a longer-term project focusing on the area? My employer moved to King’s Cross last summer and since August I’ve been visiting a beautiful tiny nature reserve round the corner at least once a week to take pictures. I love seeing how the light and the trees and plants change over time. I’m planning to continue for a year or so. Just a thought.

    • Reply
      Angie
      7 January 2012 at 23:07

      Hi Colin – that sounds like a cool idea! It’s certainly an interesting landscape – not your typical beach, and I already have loads of photos of it! Good luck with your own new project – I loved the Thamesmead one.

  • Reply
    Cass
    16 January 2012 at 11:44

    Angie, I struggle too to find balance between my full-time office job and my creative urge (which is pretty full-time too). Throw into the mix two little beans that I want to cuddle on a full-time basis and it really is a juggling act. At least I can combine creativity and the beans: I can take photos of them, make things with them, draw things for them… But the office job does rather get in the way. I wish I could do the creative stuff all day (I’ve written a silly little story for the beans and now I want to illustrate it, but when?!). But I also know that I’m very lucky that I can enjoy my passion as exactly that: a passion. I don’t have to earn a living from it which means I can be entirely selfish about it. I don’t have to please anyone but myself. I don’t have to worry about clients being satisfied. And if I don’t want to look at pictures I’ve taken for four months, I don’t have worry about complaints about turn-around times. Still, a little more time outside of the office wouldn’t go amiss! Can’t wait to hear any ideas you come up with on that front. Happy new year (it’s still January – I’m still allowed to say that!).

    • Reply
      Angie
      17 January 2012 at 13:06

      That’s a really healthy way of looking at it – I would hate not loving what I do because I had a big bill to pay and had scary deadlines to meet.
      Right now when I finish work I can switch it off 100% and concentrate on everything else – I know a lot of people don’t have that luxury.
      I have pretty much given up housework now (not joking) – that’s my first tip of the year!!! :)

  • Reply
    Cass
    18 January 2012 at 10:15

    Yup, I’ve totally delegated that duty (housework) to the hubs. Although I might, as a concession, occasionally dust my camera shelf 😉

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