It's not that I am not inspired for 2012--I am already bursting with ideas and goals and am already 'lit-up' to get going. But sadly--I am hampered by a little four letter word....a very bad word....here it is: O-U-C-H. Yeah-- I am giving in--a week later--pain--big baby or not---mon pied really, really hurts. The strange bi-product of the discomfort of standing, hopping and gimping around the house, not being able to put on shoes (which during this time of year kinda keeps me inside)...is that beyond not being able to focus, it is starting to get me down. A little. A lot-little.
You see I was on this creativity roll---cooking, baking, creating...and now since Christmas eve I have been 'grounded' so to speak. This morning there was a small patch of sunshine breaking through the grey and I was absolutely dieing to don the running shoes and hit the beach...first time for 2012. I would have--if I could have.
On the bright side--I have had the amazing support of French Guy. He has taken expert care of Petite Fille and les garcons. Although the meals delivered on a tray to the bedroom have stopped (about one day after his proclamation that he NEVER-ever wants to be a single dad) and I am back in the kitchen to do the family meals (Flamingo-style on one leg)...I have also had some lovely long hours to discover a couple new blogs by writers/photographers that have really illuminated some inspirations for this new and shiny, blank slate year....
One is called 'Cosmic Candid Camera' by John Langford, a Texan who sold every thing he owns (including most of this camera equipment) to travel the world and photo-document his experiences for three years....great images--great read. I was also turned-on to a blog by Chase Jarvis--who is a artist-photographer-guru from Seattle--already a few of his blog posts have taught me some invaluable concepts that will certainly influence my attempt to take better pictures... and from his blog, I also stumbled upon another image 'blog' called 'Photo of the Day' by Hugh Crawford--a man that took one Polaroid a day for 6000 days--18 years--from 1979 until the day of his death from cancer in 1997---Not fancy, hi-tech, photo-edited images...... but rather gorgeous, poignant and very moving.
So with all of this talented aesthetic in my head--and unable to get out to shoot some freshly inspired pictures for 2012 (I mean really--how many more pictures can I take of Petite Fille?!--Oh yeah--silly question.) I went sifting through my files for 2011 in search of my favorite shot of the year--hoping that would spur me to write a provoking summary as my New Year's post---something amazing like a beautiful image of La Tour Eiffel with fireworks (stock image above)......but instead I found this.
2011 was not a bad year--not at all. To find a picture that sums it all up might be nearly impossible--a gorgeous picture of the market? Our sandy beach taken on a morning run? A Sunday afternoon brocante? A day in Paris? A BBQ with friends? No....just a picture of a moment--a few minutes of calm, of contentment--of being ~HOME~..... That's what this picture says--and it says a lot.
I will write at another time about plans.....aspirations....resolutions....but for now, this is enough.... 2012 is going to be glorious. It already is......
Bonne année (et bonne santé) mes amis!
