CrunchDays

Wondering what “CrunchDays” are?

CrunchDay posts are something I came up with to help motivate myself to post and edit more photos. I have quite a back-log from the past few years, and I want to revisit those memories along with my current photo-adventures. CrunchDays can range from years past to present-day, and any subject is fair game. I hope to post regularly, but I am also focusing on getting out and about and enjoying life! If you want to check out my current photos – head on over to Flickr.

A little more about that back-log of photos, if you’re interested…

I worked for the same company for almost nine years after I graduated from college. It was a great place with good people who, in many ways, became like a family to me. These people knew me before I was married; they knew me as a new college grad; they gave me chances to grow and gain experience in technical areas I would have otherwise never known existed. They knew my friends; I babysat for their kids… some were even in my wedding. Hopefully you get the idea.

Did I mention this company was a start-up? After a good run, it was no longer a viable business. And, in the last round of layoffs before closure, I was let go. It was not unexpected – the timing was a surprise, but I think we all had a feeling it was coming. Even so, it was devastating.

It was difficult to find joy in things that used to be fun. I struggled through anxiety and certainly didn’t feel creative. I sold off some lenses (regrets!) because I thought it was stupid to have them when I wasn’t bringing in any money… it was a rough patch. A few friends and my husband encouraged me to still get out there and take photos. They tried to convince me to embrace the freedom of unemployment for a little while, but that was surprisingly difficult. Occasionally I did get my camera out, and did end up having a good time shooting. I did not, however, spend much time editing or posting photos anywhere. The result is my long-term back-log of images, just sitting on a hard drive… until now.

I was close to giving up on my “creative” side, but I realized that having a creative outlet is important to me. It helps provide balance and perspective. Sometimes it may not be possible to embrace our creative pursuits – life is full of change and challenges and some things require all our energy and focus just to survive. If you’re in that place, I want to encourage you… you can get through it and eventually you can find your way back to the joy your creativity can bring.