remove what ails you

you can

rig up those sails, new

hearts on trial, grew

we did

without further ado

austere, clear, taboo

don’t need

the money, the image, the froufrou

a strengthened worldview

(restful)

get to your dreams before curfew

(c) Michelle Black April 2012

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who take the time to make positive, optimistic posts on your blogs. Danielle LaPorte and Jenna at stopdropandblog.com are two of the first that come to mind! Sometimes all it takes is one sentence to give someone the motivation to try a little harder for themselves, or for someone else.  So writers, you’re doing a great thing for people and hope/encouragement is where it starts. Words are an extremely powerful thing and those of you who are making an effort to send out motivational messages have encouraged me in SO many ways. Thank you. Sometimes, even just telling a story that another person can relate to is enough to offer some consolation. Please, keep writing and keep blogging.

I recently read a rather cynical blog post about “people writing and talking about positive things on the internet isn’t as necessary as doing things and not needing to talk about it” – basically saying why not go out into the world and be a physical example of hope and help without having to say anything. Actions speak, but words are equally powerful. That’s why there are books

For starters, those of you who sit and make time to write out your thoughts and start up important discussions, raising important questions, pointing out beautiful things about the world —- you’ve helped me realized that my photography work alone, as a profession, or even just a hobby, wasn’t *quite* enough. And while I LOVE helping educate other photographers, being an educator in the field of photography isn’t quite enough either. Having been so busy with work the last several years, I haven’t had as much time as I would like to get out there and use my talent differently…. to throw myself into situations where I’m directly involved with the things that move me. I’m grateful for my friends and colleagues at SEE [Stories for Everyone, Everywhere] who are providing a stepping stone for others to get out there and make a difference, no matter how small. Even just a simple conversation with someone else, even if just to listen and not say a word. SEE has already given me opportunities to work with and get to know people – for the sake of the experience.

TO LEARN OR NOT TO LEARN

I’ve mentioned that I started school again recently. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to manage the time involved in learning and working, all while balancing the time I spend with my 10 year old and the activities he is involved with. Two weeks into classes, and still adjusting, I have zero regrets on making the decision to return to school. I chose to be a sociology major with a minor in philosophy, as I feel both subjects relate directly to photography and I have every intention of using these skills and knowledge to take on more documentary assignments. I’m already rearranging the kinds of sessions I’m doing, with a special focus on storytelling this year (as mentioned HERE) and am very enthusiastic about focusing more on wedding coverage. I’m also prepared to be a completely poor college student if I have to, in order to fully absorb all of this new information.

The Value of Your Services

Whatever it is that you do professionally, you are an asset to someone. Don’t ever feel less valuable than someone else. Don’t ever let someone tell you that what you’re doing for humankind is any less important than what someone else is doing. Anytime you put forth an effort, you’re making an impact. If you’ve read this far, it’s because you care and you are thorough in what you want to understand, and that in itself is a quality that deserves to be praised.

The Value of Your Interests

Is there something that has been tugging at your heart, something that you feel like you need to do… but you’re afraid, or don’t think you have enough time? Here’s the thing: do it. Talk to people who support you. They’ll tell you the same thing! You only live once – ONCE! It isn’t setting or even accomplishing goals that gives something significance – it is the effort you put into your experiences along the way.

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for reading! Until next time….

Awareness is key… and I’m happy this new campaign video has been raising so many concerns… my heart aches for the children involved…

This (ongoing) problem should speak for not only itself but for the entire world and the terrible TERRIBLE things that happen to children, every single day. In addition, such issues should be a part of our concerns on a regular basis, from here on out, and we should be having more conversations regarding morality, educating ourselves, and actually taking actions. Keep in mind that actions have been put into place on this issue for quite sometime now and the LRA has been committing these actions for 20+ years… in 2011 our president issued troops to assist in this cause (with no reported results to-date):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/small-us-force-to-deploy-to-uganda-aid-fight-against-lords-resistance-army/2011/10/14/gIQAyDOvkL_story.html

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/10/obama-sends-100-us-troops-to-uganda-to-combat-lords-resistance-army/

I hope the sudden urgency to make a difference because of this video, released on Monday March  5th, will inspire us to do more than just post about it on facebook or tweet about it – such as learning about the issues in our own communities/country and ways to impact things like child prostitution, neglect, abuse, murder, molestation….

Quoted from a conversation online: “One of the reasons the U.S and Britain didn’t intervene in the Holocaust was because no-one could decide on what should be done, and therefore no course of action was taken. At least Kony 2012 is attempting to do something.”

“What I hope it leads to is people taking responsibility for keeping themselves informed via all media channels, not just the news. The internet is beautifully democratic – whilst the Kony film takes one portrait of a problem, there will always be blogs posted to point out any distortions of the truth, just like this one. No one I know watches one video and then goes back to what they were doing: one video leads to another, leads to an article, leads to a photoshop parody. We are a much more informed mass than we were before the internet came along, and that has to be a seen as a positive.”

Posted by a 15 year old

“”Adam Says:

March 7, 2012 at 6:01 pm

I’m 15 years old and up until watching the video today I had no idea who Joseph Kony was. Even if this campaign is not successfull I believe that it shows everyone how powerful media has become and the way it conveys the word “Kony” to an explicit amount of people through social networking, gatherings websites and the “cover the night” campaign ect. Is truly an admireable acheivement for anyone to see. It is the first small step in indicating peace and justice within the modern world which I believe is important. I am one insignificant little grain of sand in a world and I know nothing about politics or war crimes. But the thought of bringing people all over the world together to fight for something they believe in will carry so much more significance to me and this to me is much more than a fight against Joseph Kony, the Ugandan government or the LRA. I think that the act of a community of people banding together to stop injustice is a recognizeable acheivement. It’s honestly quite beautiful and astonishing.

I Have the upmost respect for anyone who supports the campaign.”"

——–

I’ve been reading, watching, and studying things all evening long and still don’t feel like I know enough. I was on the phone talking to a friend and reading information and sharing ideas. While I don’t know a lot in this isolated catastrophe, I do know it is up to each of us as individuals to educate ourselves further and finding ways to impact the situation.

Ending with this quote from an online conversation:  

“Petitions and elections just don’t cut it any more. We need a way to influence our government to do what’s right, and this is the first step in starting that movement.”

I don’t know enough about how IC actually operates to say whether or not I support their organization, although most of what I’ve read about past campaigns and their accomplishments have been positive and they have had a consistent web presence since 2008. One day of research isn’t quite enough to understand an organization fully but I’m not finished. I am one of the people who didn’t know about the Invisible Children organization until this week although I did know about the events because of Obama’s sending of troops in October.

Regardless of that, it’s wonderful to see and hear the kinds of conversations I’ve seen today and hope that the people who can stop these actions from happening will move in the right direction. Above all….. The children are the most important thing here, and the restoration and preservation of their safety…… Not only in Uganda, but throughout the world.

LINKS TO INFORMATION AND OPINIONS REGARDING THIS ISSUE: 

(I am unbiased towards the IC organization at this point)

http://www.freep.com/article/20120308/NEWS07/120308008/Kony-2012-Invisible-Children-Visible-Children

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/08/kony-2012-joseph-rao-kony?newsfeed=true

noteworthy *** http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2012/mar/08/kony-2012-what-s-the-story ***

WAYS TO HELP ISSUES ACROSS THE WORLD

 (information culmination by myself and a few others on deviantART)

CANADA…. KIDS HELP PHONE            1800-668-6868

http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/en/home.asp

Child Abuse Hotline:            1.800.387.KIDS       (5437)

Northern Alberta only: Distress and Suicide Line:            1.800.232.7288

UNITED STATES:

BIG BROTHERS / BIG SISTERS

http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962335/k.BE16/Home.htm 

Prevent Child Abuse :             1-800-CHILDREN       - 1-800-244.53736

preventchildabuse.org

Children of the Night:             1-800-551-1300       (A runaway crisis hotline)

U lifeline – A Behavioral support system for young adults www.ulifeline.org

http://www.ulifeline.org/

Youth Crisis Hotline:             1-800-448-4663

National Hotline for Missing & Exploited Children:             1-800-843-5678

National Information Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information             1-800-422.4453       www.calib.com/nccanch

http://www.calib.com/nccanch

Friends of Battered Women and Their Children:             1-800-603-HELP

National Domestic Violence Hotline:            1-800-799-SAFE

http://www.ndvh.org/

RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network):            1-800-656-HOPE

http://www.rainn.com

www.Break-the-Cycle.org

advice for abusive relationships Legal Advocates for Abused Women

http://www.laawstl.org/

Teenline-             1-800-522-Teen       (8336) – Help from trained persons in the field of dating violence

Violence Prevention Build violence-free relationships

http://www.lacaaw.org/home.html

Australia Online Kids Counseling

http://www.kidshelp.com.au

Kids Free Help Line: 1-800-551-800

Child Abuse Prevention Services: 1.800.688.009

Child Protection and Family Crisis Service: 1-800-066-777

Domestic Violence Service: 1-800-656-463

Advocate for Survivors of Child Abuse: 1.300.657 .80

Helpline Online

http://www.sane.org/

Mental illness information and referral: 1.800.817.569

Crisis Line, Information, Counselling :1.800.622.112

Lifeline: 131.114

Abortion Grief Counselling: 1300.363.550

Care Ring: 136.169

Crisis Care Unit: 131.611

Family Drug Support: 1300.368.186

Suicide Prevention (Recording): 1300.360.980

SOUTHERN AUSTRALIAN

Living Hope Counselling and Support (08) 8277.4033

Living Hope (youth call) (08) 8277.4400

United Kingdom

Childline: 0800 1111

Rape Crisis Centre: 020 7837 1600

Careline -offers counselling and advice on any subject 020 8514 1177

Youth Access – provides numbers for counselling/ advisory services 020 8514 1177

Family-line UK – support for family with problems 0845 756 7800

Women’s Aid National Helpline 0131 475 2372 – & Women’s Aid for help in finding local support 0345 023468

Anti Bullying Campaign (counselling and advice) 020 7378 1446

The British Association For Counselling 01788 550899

Youth 2 Youth (support and advice available) 020 8896 3675

Get Connected (for young people who have/are thinking of running away) 0800 096 0096

National Association for Children of Alcoholics 0800 567123

Lifeline 0800 716701

Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre on tel: 0208 6833300

Shelterline 080 8800 4444

FINLAND

The Mannerheim League of Child Welfare Confidential helpline for Children and Teens: 9800 20400

Youth Crisis Point: 09 753 5121

Support for Victims of Harassment at School: 0800 97474

Suicide Prevention Center – 09 731 391

Rape Crisis Center: 0800 97895

Israel

Eran – (psychological help for youth): 1201, 02- 610303, 04- 8672222

The department against family violence: 03- 5231287

Shila (A help centre for pregnant girls): 02- 258841

Naan (Youth helps youth. It’s quite like TAO, only on the phone): 02- 246954, 02- 252839, 04- 9835373, 04- 9835374

Meital (A help centre for children who were sexualy abused): 02- 630428

South Africa

Telefriend: Johannesburg: (011) 922-9999 Cape Town: (021) 430-1122 Durban: (031) 450-9999 Port Elizabeth: (041) 51-22212

Lifeline: Johannesburg: (011) 728-1347 Cape Town: (021) 461-1111 Durban: (031) 2323-23 Welkom: (057) 35-22212

Childline: 08000 55555

Before I got busy with photography as a career, self portraits were the thing that “saved me” during a time when nothing made sense, everything was drastically changing all around me, and every moment seemed to be made of porcelain… delicate and fragile. The present time in my life feels so similar to then although under very different circumstances. Somewhat exciting because this time I know which direction I’m headed, and I’m starting to plan out new self portrait sessions – it’s been awhile. Admittedly, I come undone, grow impulsive, restless, unsettled, irrational, frustrated. Then in nearly the same instant everything makes sense again and a plan of action seems to miraculously surface.  If there are other Aries’ reading this now, I FEEL FOR YOU. We are ridiculously intense…. *deep breath*

However, having recognized and accepted this about myself has brought forth a new sense of confidence and strength. And self portraits give me a place for filtering the energy.

Awareness has power.

I realized this looking back through volumes of my old self portraits. I have hundreds of them. Maybe thousands… many never before shared. Some with tears even. But the most important thing I noticed is I was very present in those emotions.  (here comes the point of this post…. wait for it……).

I find it very important to live in the present moment. To let life move through you no matter how painful. I caution against being anything other than who you really are because when you start to become influenced, you’re doing nothing but sculpting an unfamiliar statue of yourself — it looks like you but has none of your qualities. DANGER! You must learn to appreciate the bad and the good together. Watch for repetition in positive and negative behavior and pay attention to the causes behind them. Slap yourself for repeating the same mistakes, but then find the root of the problem, kill it, and move forward.

We make things so much more harder on ourselves than they should be sometimes…. WHY? Because we’re human.

My son and I watched Edward Scissorhands together lastnight. While the masses couldn’t understand his alternative lifestyle, there was one family who could appreciate, and even love him, despite his extreme differences. When his talents were fresh in their eyes, he was superhuman and could do no wrong. Yet when his human qualities started to show and he began to make mistakes, they shunned him, judged him, lost interest, and even found some twisted sense of delight in watching him struggle.

Sometimes you must break away and return to your castle, if it means your sanity is safe and cared for and that you’ll have an opportunity to regain perspective. There will always be someone who deeply and genuinely cares about you, just the way you are. Not everything ends up as expected, but it ends up as it should. Your confidence will carry you.

“I’m confident. I’ve got confident, good people around me. That’s the secret.” - Melissa Rodwell Photography

self portrait
(doing more of these again *smile*)

There will always be horrible terrible situations popping up. A time will come when you unknowingly (or even knowingly) situate yourself directly in the line of fire. Actually crossfire can be entertaining sometimes, but that’s besides the point

There will be beautiful, incomparable situations that need to be let go of. There will be wonderful people who come into your life and leave just as suddenly. And how ’bout those moments where you’re left scratching your head and thinking….”did that just happen?”

Money will flow in and then become impossible to hang onto [that's okay, it was made for spending anyway and isn't as valuable as we think it is]. There will be times that everyone around you is dancing and you just don’t really feel like it…. and other times you’ll be the only one dancing.

Deaths. Births. Separations. Reunions.

Things can be pretty unexpected and overwhelming. Things can be boring and predictable. But the thing to remember is…. you’re always going to be you, and your choices have lead you right to the very point you’re situated in now. At your computer chair with crumbs in your lap and a latte that’s gone cold.

You might not realize it, but everything that happens every single day has so much significance. You never know which circumstances – no matter how seemingly unimportant – will be the ones you look back on and grow from. Or make you realize that what you need to do more than anything is suck it up. Or make you realize the qualities within yourself that could be improved upon. Or give you the courage to do something you’ve been putting off for awhile. Or make you realize something you need to do [in my case, going back to college... and I start on Monday... yikes!]

If you find yourself going through a day without finding something to be grateful for, it might be time to take a step back, slow down, prioritize, organize. You get the idea. Reason being, your mind could use the extra space for something new to fill it. Your lungs could use the extra room to breathe. Your children could use the extra hugs and attention. Your friends could use the company, your family could use the support. Your body could use the extra grooming

When you make time to nurture yourself, your relationships, and your surroundings, and make an effort to do good things and to be a better person….. desirable situations and positive, supportive people start to turn up out of the blue, the right things to invest your time in become clearer, your eating habits might even change [for the better].

Here’s to paying attention, to simplifying, to indulging in that extra cup of coffee if you want to, to dubstep-dancing while you simultaneously read marketing books [oops, yeah I was caught doing that]. Have a great weekend everyone

xo

Michelle

 self portrait

Starting over.
Survival.
Instincts.
Breaking things down to the bare bones, to the essence.

The reasons why. The reasons why not.

Knowing what is best, right.
Knowing what is harmful.
Quietly self destruct.
Privately reconstruct.
Finding all the pieces
Sneaking away to a place that is clean
Where words nurture and kind hearts intervene
Where knowledge is the song that sings
“Overcome with a busy life
And in minding proper things”

© Feb 2012

my son, age 10.

This month is my last official month being based out of Studio 77 in downtown Zanesville.  Although I will continue to host events there for my current clients, I’ll be moving to Columbus in late spring/early summer with a  slight alteration in the permanent direction of my work and the type of sessions I will restrict myself to. This is a very important and exciting year! Having examined my portfolio and what is most important to me as a person and photographer, I will be filtering out the fashion inspired sessions and studio work (although it will still be offered). Remembrance has taken top priority, far above my desire to take on creative/conceptual assignments, and producing the most honest images possible is what I’ve challenged myself with intensely over the past 6 months. While I’ve enjoyed the many (many, MANY) types of assignments I’ve taken on over the years, documentary photography stirs something within me and gets my heart going more than anything else.

The decision to become a Sociology Major, minoring in Philosophy, also brought forth the decision to focus solely on documentary assignments. As I will be studying societies and people, I look forward to the effect it will have on my work and progression as a photographer.

CHILDREN

This year, I am introducing three new session types in my area of specialization with Childhood Storytelling: 

My Morning Story Sessions will concentrate on telling the story of your children’s lives upon waking and the routines you’ve developed with them.

The Expressions Face Project is something I’ve been working on since 2008, but wanted to highlight and refine this year by offering to my clients as a full session where my time with your child will focus 100% on the landscape of your child’s face and expressions.

And lastly, Candids: Sessions at Home – where I will spend time with your child/children, in their natural environment, documenting them exactly as they are.

WEDDINGS

I have been torn for a long time over whether or not to accept wedding assignments (permanently). The last wedding I photographed produced better candid images of the groups than the “positioned” ones…. and as I was editing them it dawned on me…. I’m a photojournalist! Weddings fit perfectly into that category.  I’m most comfortable when people are the most comfortable. All the makeup and perfect clothing and ‘perfect pretty’ pictures don’t appeal to me (in my own work) the way they used to. The imperfect moments, grain, unusual light…. these are things that excite and inspire me. I’m excited that I get to share some of those images with you next week… what a wedding it was!

All that said, I’ll be offering wedding services 1000%, and then some.

FOLLOWING YOUR HEART

My advice to you as an entrepreneur, photographer, writer… whatever it is that you find yourself struggling to reach, really examine what it is that connects you to it. What is your best quality in relationship to your goals? When you can identify what that is, everything will start to fall into place. Of course, a solid plan of action to follow will take you there! We often force things out of ourselves just to reach a goal. In 2011, I took on so many projects… too many. I became overwhelmed and suffered some very exhausting issues. But when I simplified and broke it down to the core, I was able to determine where I needed to be and how to get there.

Look for a new inspirational ebook, titled “AWARE” on that very subject… coming soon!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend

xo,
Michelle