Being empathic means that I feel emotions at a personal level even when they don’t directly involve me. I removed the Facebook app from my phone on Wednesday because of the election and its fallout. I don’t know when… or if… I will return to Facebook. It got too inflammatory for me to handle. As most of my faithful readers know, I process difficult emotions by writing, and this week has been a difficult one. I have anguished over what to say and have decided that it doesn’t really matter to anyone but me. I need to write for ME… but I’m not quite ready to talk about the election quite yet. I’ll write about why my heart hurts, even if I don’t publish it, but I wanted to explain why I’m not on Facebook for the foreseeable future.
Day 309 ~ Wimberley Valley Art League
Friday, November 4th, 2016
Wimberley, Texas, has been home to artists for many years and is chock full of galleries and shops. The Wimberley Valley Art League is a group of Hill Country artists that celebrate and promote the arts in our area. They had an open call for entries for a juried show so I decided to enter. I had a large 30×20 framed standout canvas of Lost in My Head that I had intended to submit for ARToberfest but it printed a little darker than I wanted. So I submitted that plus two others and was pleased to find out that Lost in My Head was accepted for the show. Friday night was the reception and everyone was so incredibly warm and welcoming. Each person I talked to asked to see my image and talked about it with me. They said the show was highly competitive and only 40 pieces were accepted. What an affirming experience.
The very next day I participated in the jury process for the New Braunfels Art League, where I had to submit three images for three judges to critique. I had to score 15/20 in order to become a displaying artist and have my work in the main gallery year-round. One of those images was Lost in My Head, which is currently hanging in Johnson City, Wimberley, and New Braunfels (all three juried shows and one in which I got a ribbon). I was shocked when I came back to get my score and pick up my artwork. They gave me an 8 (!!!) and the scoring section had ranges which made no sense. It was so bizarre, and so far below what I was expecting, that at first I thought it was a mistake. After being pretty upset for a few days, I reached out to them via email and they said they didn’t understand the judges scoring either. They thought I was meant to score a 13 which is better but still means I was rejected. Rejection doesn’t feel good but art is subjective. I am proud of my work and I know in my heart that I am a good photographer. Special thanks to my very supportive family and especially to Curtis for taking this photo and for being my rock.
Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2.5 | 1/200 | ISO 200
Day 312 ~ 3D Printer
Monday, November 7th, 2016
We promised a big ticket item to the kids last spring when Curtis got a nice commission. Dominic chose a 3D printer and has been waiting on the Tiko to go to market. We finally gave up on them (they’ve had major production issues) and we got him an XYZ DaVinci Junior 3D Printer from Barnes and Noble. It is so freaking cool! It can print wirelessly and prints objects nearly 6x6x6 inches big. It is much cooler than I thought it would be. Dominic has started a little business and is selling creations at school as well as taking orders. My little entrepreneur.
Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2.5 | 1/200 | ISO 3200
Day 313 ~ Providing Comfort
Tuesday, November 8th, 2016
We had a teacher meeting with all of Anna’s teachers, the school’s special education team leader, and the principal on Tuesday afternoon. We talked to them about some of Anna’s major stumbling blocks and how to handle them. We asked for specifics on where they are having issues and gave them some tips on how to handle her. Overall it was a good meeting. We finished up about an hour before school was over, so we let Anna leave early. We then went over to the middle school and picked up Dominic early too. After a short visit home, we took the kids out to dinner to celebrate Daddy’s birthday. While at the restaurant, Anna heard a toddler fussing. Dominic is so good at giving her comfort. They were actually nice to each other the entire night.
Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2.5 | 1/200 | ISO 3200
Day 313 ~ Happy 47th!
Tuesday, November 8th, 2016
Curtis turned 47 on Tuesday. We got him a VR headset to use with his phone and it is amazing. We are such technophiles, it’s ridiculous. Since we are trying to be healthy, we also got a used treadmill and just half a lemon cake for a treat. Happy Birthday to my honey!!! This is going to be the best year yet!
Nikon D750 | 35mm | f/2.2 | 1/160 | ISO 2500
I woke up in the middle of the night Tuesday and heard the election results and couldn’t go back to sleep. By mid-day Wednesday, I knew I needed a social media break and haven’t been back to Facebook since. I actually deleted the app off my phone. Because I didn’t sleep, Curtis actually took Dominic to therapy Wednesday afternoon then took him shopping to get some cold weather clothes since we are heading to Ohio for Thanksgiving. Thursday was spent in the car… Anna and Dominic had a visit with their psychiatrist. The psych made a minor med change for Pickle and printed up some notes for us. This was our last visit with him since we are transitioning psychiatric care to San Antonio. Everyday has been packed with meetings and appointments. I didn’t shoot much this week… my heart wasn’t in it after my rejection from NBAL then the election furthered depressed me. I hope everyone understands my need to withdraw. Y’all know how to reach me if you need anything. Love you all.
Thanks for reading.
