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“the general rule to pruning is to always cut in a location where growth will occur, whether the cut is next to a bud or another branch. cutting a branch beyond where growth will occur effectively kills all portions of that branch back to the closest branch, bud, or dormant bud clusters…”

i guess in a lot of ways, a blog is like a painting.  it’s never truly finished, but stops in interesting places.  this is one big conversation i’ve shared with all of you.  and to say that it is over would make me nervous.  but i can’t continue it right now, here.  even if this is the end, i just can’t say so.

since beginning my blog, i needed it.  it was my intention to motivate myself as an artist.  but lately i have been feeling like it’s an obligation to keep up posts here, and i don’t want my experience as a blogger to be remembered as a chore.  my original purpose was gradually fulfilled and somewhere along the way, the habit of writing and publishing my thoughts crept in and i didn’t notice.  what a wonderful habit it was… but i’m already speaking in past tense.  i think about how precious my time is, how quickly this year has fluttered by…

i’m delving into some projects right now.  some are purely personal and some are so golden i won’t mention at the moment. breaking out and moving onto other things asks for letting current habits to change. this is part of the process.  i think letting go for a bit (and putting it in words, putting this out there) really helps me to turn off the constant radar, the one that subconsciously monitors my life for potential blog content.  it’s never been noticeable to me before, but lately i’ve felt like it’s taking up headspace where i could be more in the moment.  meep, meep meep…so loud, i have to turn it off!  it’s funny- as i am sitting here typing this up, trying to convey all my feelings (and wishing i could go into more detail on some things) it’s not as if i’ve run out of things to blog about.  in fact, i feel a bit silly to interrupt the flow because i have so much to catch up on, things that i want to share with you…at least forty drafts i’m sitting on, all interesting, all worth getting into - but i just don’t have the heart.  and i’ve always been one to stop when something isn’t all heart.  i want you to know it’s exciting to think about freeing myself to the next step. to get into a new format. i want to invite a process without an audience, and that leads me to my next thought…

i want to thank all of you, for being a part of my process.  for reading, leaving comments, writing me.  some of you may never know the impact you had on me.  and the advice, the support, the examples of artistic living, the encouragement, it is worth its weight in gold.  so i hope you understand how this is me growing - not leaving you.  pruning a branch here and there is going to help me focus tremendously.

i can’t pronounce an official end here or a beginning to the next step, because i’m not sure what some of it is yet, but that’s what excites me.  find me: noticing beauty, creating photographs and small things.

i’ve been kindly invited to share at polaroid week, so come and see me there if you’d like, i’d love to see you.  i have some never before seen shots from south america to show.  to stay connected, sign up for news (big news!) about our polaroid book, and updates on natural historie collections coming up soon.

mwah x,
jenny