“Every person needs to take one day away. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.” (Maya Angelou)
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]nce upon a time, photography was a creative outlet and stress-reliever for me. Somewhere along the way, I lost focus (pun intended). This morning, I thought about what to do on my day off (which I’d taken in exchange for spending last Saturday working at an event). After some much-needed quiet meditation, it dawned on me that I couldn’t recall the last time I photographed something for me. Not for work, or a sponsored post, or Instagram, or clients… for me.
I grabbed my Fuji X100T and drove to the Rose Gardens of Farmers Branch for a breath of fresh air and dose of photographic inspiration. After a leisurely stroll (and impromptu serenade from a songbird), I headed to Mallon Park so I could sit underneath my favorite willow tree.
The tranquility felt strange. Uncomfortable, even. Funny how trying to relax sometimes makes me more anxious. After returning home, the urge to open my laptop and check work email started to threaten this reclaimed peace. So I sat down at the piano and played and sang, drowning out any notifications from the outside world. Because, for one day, that world would keep turning in my absence, and I could stop spinning out of control.
