It's 2018 so that, of course, means time for new projects and assignments! I am excited about this one and I wanted to share it on the blog as well as with those participating in the project. It's more personal than my usual posts and much more candid and open than I tend to be online but I'm excited to share my struggles and triumphs with you. 

I have joined a group of extraordinary photographers and artists who are attempting to take one self portrait per week for the entire year. This project is aimed at raising self esteem, improving technical skills, and enhancing creativity. As photographers, we tend to stay behind the lens and I love that this project gives us a chance to be in front of it and to hopefully raise our opinions of ourselves and help make us feel comfortable in our own skin.

As this project will [hopefully] end up with 52 separate images, I will update this post as they are created instead of creating a new post for each week. At the end of the year, I'm excited to be able to look back on my work and hopefully witness my growth as not just an artist, but a person as a whole. 

Without further adieu, I present got you "Get in the Frame 2018"

Week 9

9

Week 8

8

Week 7

7 Feeling like part of me is missing has been the theme of the week. 

Week 6

6 After the funeral, all of the flowers came to my house. It was nice to have some greenery in the middle of winter but the price was not worth it. In a desperate attempt to keep my mind busy, I decided to incorporate them into my project.

Week 5

5

This week, my mother passed away suddenly. It was the hardest week of my life so far and I had not an ounce of creativity in my body. The coroner called me early on Sunday, January 28th. At 4am, I received a voicemail: "This is _________ from the Lincoln County Coroner's office, I am trying to get a hold of family of Brenda Pizzo." 

My heart sank and I knew what to expect before I even called back but the news itself once I did call back was absolutely gut-wrenching. My grandparents, her parents, did not know yet and it was now my job to tell them. 

I waited about 45 minutes before leaving so that they got to have one last morning in their "normal" world and then I headed to their house to shatter their hearts, a day that will forever be etched in my memory.

Week 4

4 This week, it was incredibly hard to get myself in front of the camera. I'm not feeling particularly inspired, despite my recent visit to the art museum and many books borrowed from the library. I find myself very dull at this time of the year and I decided to express my desire to be both seen and left alone simultaneously. I want to do this project - I want to grow and remain inspired by the many talented individuals that are participating in this project. 

But it is hard sometimes to feel good enough to photograph.

And that's okay.

Week 3

3Phone - Samsung Galaxy S8

I have recently decided to start treating myself in small but luxurious-to-me ways. One of my favorites is enjoying fresh tea of out a china teacup. This simple ritual has truly inspired a change in the way that I view self-care: I think that it is important to truly value oneself and that tiny changes in the way we look out for ourselves and nurture ourselves plays a huge role in our confidence and our overall success. Life is too short to drink tea out of anything short of artful and fancy. 

Week 2

2

I chose my hands with my phone as a subject to remind myself that work doesn't have to be overwhelming. I often have these moments of pure panic about responding to emails, messages, and phone calls and sometimes I completely shut down. I struggle with communication on electronic devices for some reason and I am incredibly self conscious about talking on the phone so that is something I am working on this year. Most of my verbal communication is reading lips so when I can't read someone's lips or body language, I feel like I have a barrier between myself and them. 

This image is an important one to me because, when you look at it, a phone is such a small thing and it is truly a miraculous and powerful tool when used correctly.

Week 1

1

Depression and anxiety are the two main culprits for my discouragement. They hold me down and tell me why I shouldn't do things, why I can't, and why I won't. My soul fights to see the light but they turn to clouds and block every ray that tries to trickle through. But I will continue to fight them, to overcome them, and I choose to allow them to inspire me. 

This is the year that I will focus on building up my self esteem because I think that is mostly what is holding me back from my personal version of success for myself. My brain constantly chooses to focus on why I can't accomplish my goals instead of choosing to focus on what I can do to inch closer to them. This year, I will make a conscious effort to silence this negativity and hopefully overcome it. 
I want to stop hiding and listening to my depression and anxiety; this is my time to peek out and see what I can do!