copyright, Keri Smith

I don't even know where this amazing little top 10 came from exactly. I found it on Facebook on a friend's page but it got there from somewhere else. So, I wish I could accurately credit this amazing graphic but I can't. If you can, please let me know! Ever since I saw it, I have kept in on my desktop. It's just so very true and I hope that it resonates for you guys as well.

For those of you who have been keeping up with my blog this year you know that 2011 is my year for putting my work "out there" in a new way. It's been really challenging. It's different showing people my art work. When I put my studio work out into the world it feels more insulated. It's tangible and concrete and, although I put my heart into it completely, it's a little less raw and personal. My art, though, is only about me and the most vulnerable parts of me too. It's much more vulnerable.

One of the best things about this year has been the feedback I have gotten from you guys. I can't tell you how much it means to me when you cheer me on with your emails and comments. Thank you for putting yourself "out there" too and sharing your stories with me. It makes me feel amazing when you say that I have inspired you too.

This comes from another person who inspires me. It's a blog post from Seth Godin.

Art is what we call...

the thing an artist does.

It's not the medium or the oil or the price or whether it hangs on a wall or you eat it. What matters, what makes it art, is that the person who made it overcame resistance, ignored the voice of doubt and made something worth making. Something risky. Something human.

Art is not in the eye of the beholder. It's in the soul of the artist.

So, my sweet friends, thank you for beholding my art, cheering me on and helping me face the voice of doubt. I appreciate you.

Edited on 5-31 to add: Many thanks to my reader who found the source of this great piece of art!  Turns out is belongs to Keri Smith and her blog is here.  I am in love with her site and think you will love it too! Thanks Keri for making this and inspiring all of us!

I know, certainty is dangerous and there's little to be certain of anyway. Most things are outside of our control and who would want to control it all anyway? The random stuff is often some of the very best stuff. Lately though, and especially the last few days, I am so uncertain that I actually feel edgy and uncomfortable. My friend, Danny, says it's just because I'm a crazy pregnant lady, which may very well be true.

There has been so much change this year and I know part of this uneasy feeling has to do with all of that. The only thing that I know for sure is that life is flying by at a dizzying pace. and I'm trying to craft this authentic, meaningful life that feels truly like "me". I want to edit out the chatter find my own personal recipe of work, art, home, friends and family.

In the process, I am putting new things out into the world. A few weeks ago (yes, it took me this long to tell you) I got my hand slapped. I packaged up my best art pieces, wrote my statement and sent it off to a gallery here. This is what I got in return.

I didn't even tell Steven for 2 weeks. I told Sayer first actually. Sweet boy that he is, he just touched my shoulder and said, "Mommy, I really like your art work. Don't be sad". I think that's why this picture is my favorite this week. It is Sayer's hand in mine and there is certainty there.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset at Lawndale for saying no. In fact, I knew it was unlikely to get a yes on my first try. I did kind of hate that it was a constant contact email though. Kinda made me want to "safe unsubscribe" to be honest. However, I am not going to go down so easy. I'm going to submit again to The Big Show. Now, if they say no to that too, you may find me face flat on my floor at home for a week or two.

So, what about you? What have you been thinking about and what have you captured in your lens this week? Anything that moved you? I hope you'll comment and add links to your blogs, Flickr, images, etc. in the comments below or add your images to my Favorite Shot Friday Flickr pool. Your comments and feedback mean so much to me. Thanks for reading and sharing!

This morning was magical. I hadn't been out for a run in a while and was going batty because of it. I had my normal workout at the gym (the best gym ever by the way, West U Fitness) and then headed over to Rice for a loop. All around the loop these amazing bushes (see the pic, I have no idea what they are) are blooming and the scent filled the air. Not only that, the weather was crisp, the sky was vivid blue and the sun was shining on everything! Pair that with Louis Armstrong on my headphones...like I said, it was magical.

As I walked, I was thinking about how the simplest of things can transform your view. If your eyes are open and you are watching out for them, tiny moments (big ones too) can be breathtaking. Recently, we went to see Cirque De Soleil. The boys have seen it once before and just adore it. Steven and I do too. I always sit aghast and amazed at what the performers can do with their bodies. At the most recent show, the first solo performer did these unfathomable balancing acts. At one point, he was up about 10 feet off the ground balanced on one hand with all of his body off to one side. It literally took my breath away. I can't even do a simple handstand! Sayer was on my lap and he whispered to me, "that is so beautiful! How does he do that?!". I whispered back, "that is his gift and he practices it a lot". Later Sayer asked what I meant by "his gift". I explained that we all have something special in us. An ability or talent that, if cultivated, can be like that performer we saw; awe inspiring and a gift to the performer and to the world.

So, as I walked today, I kept thinking, what is my gift? I've been mulling it over all day. For now, I would say that I have two gifts. I can see (in a photographic/artistic sense) and I can teach. These are the things that bring me tremendous joy and, hopefully, that joy spreads out to others who come into contact with it.

What about you? I want to know, what are your gifts?

That's me alright, seriously adrift. You may not know it if you peeked into my life right now. In fact, in many ways everything is falling into place. I got some seriously good news about my book project, the studio is humming along, I've been invited to speak somewhere important, planning a workshop, and more amazing news just like that. I should be energized and psyched! So, why do I feel so adrift? I'm not sure and, if you know, I hope you will tell me.

This image captures my feelings perfectly and I love it when that happens. Do you have any images like that? That image that perfectly captures your state of mind? Yours may be exuberant and bright and mine probably will be next week (crossing my fingers). In the meantime, is anyone else out there wandering around in a little fog cloud? Who knows, maybe we can feel unmoored together?