What is Your One Thing?

Some days I forget to dream, some days it feels to hard. I want to watch T.V., eat too much and not talk to anyone. 

I don't want to face the bleakness of disappointment, the uphill work of making something new come alive, the long hours of uncertainty and unknown that surely come before the Triumph.

But even without meaning too, if I've had even half an hour of silence and and alone time to recharge, I come back to the table with some new idea. Most aren't grand, many are personal. 

Here are a few dreams I've had of late:

-see my idea of a mini library collection come alive in Brantford.

-open a shared workspace (we love where we are now, but I'd love to own something bigger and gather even more artists).

-be able to buy plane tickets for my Track girls and good friends to come see me or go on vacation at any given moment.

-own a holiday home that we could rent or borrow out while we aren't there.

-work less and enjoy my life more.

-open a private school with creative learning options for children. I am passionate about good education.

Kona, Hawaii Lifestyle Photographer

So I'm asking but I want you to ask yourself too-are you still dreaming?

What is One Thing that you can do this year to make your life or the world around you better? I'm not asking for the moon, I'm asking for you to get on board with this one small idea.

Find your One Thing and commit to it with all your heart this year. Find your One Thing that makes you smile, that terrifies you, that you know in your gut is calling your name.

You can do it; I believe in you.

I can't wait to hear how it goes.

xo.

Artist Spotlight: Jake Mason//Photographer

We love great art and get inspired by fellow creative souls.

We've been doing random "Artist Spotlight" entries as a periodic feature on here, but are going to make it more of a consistent feature.

So look for Great Artists here on the first Monday of each month.

And now-meet Jake.

We met Jake over 5 years ago, on that tiny rock in the ocean called Kona. His love for God, sweetness and huge heart are unforgettable. We've bumped into him and his beautiful wife, Katherine, a few times in the last couple of years, and love following his adventures daily, on intagram.

{Follow him, follow him, follow him.}

:: Jake + Katherine ::

:: wifie ::

  :: selfie ::

And in his own words: I would not consider myself a professional photographer, for me it's a hobby and a pleasure. It all started a few years back when I found a Minolta SRt-101 with a few lenses at a random Salvation Army. Since then I've explored many of the facets and intricacies of film photography.

There are many reasons I've stuck to film over the years, the biggest one is because I don't have the cash to get a setup I would enjoy shooting with. Once you go full frame, it feels wrong to shoot anything else. And the most I've paid for an old minolta lens is 75 bucks. The most I've paid for a camera is 85.

The other reasons are more personal. I enjoy the time it takes to consider a potential photo and commit to capturing that shot. Slow down and think if I want to have a print of this and look at it everyday or give it away to someone else? Does this image reflect my idea of beauty or creativity? If the answer is no, then I usually wait. But if the answer is yes, then *click* no hesitation. Also the weight of the metal body and knowing I have a piece of equipment that is 40+ years old that still puts out great images make me feel like a boss. :)

Starting with film forced me to understand the whole process of photography before I started snapping. My first roll I didn't have a battery for the light meter and I think maybe 6 shots actually turned out. So I had to push through all my frustration of failed shots, learn from my mistakes, and keep shooting. I'll keep getting better over time, but I know that if I like my shots, then that's all that matters at the end of the day. Until maybe I start getting paid...but until then I'll keep doing my thing. :)