inspiration is sitting right next to me

(photos by Colin Dullaghan)

The above photograph is a self-portrait taken by my husband. The other two are also photos he's taken recently. It's his hobby. And he thoroughly explores it. I mean THOROUGHLY. He's got more than a few antique cameras. (If you ask him about them he'll talk your ear off about it for hours.) He searches out cheap, expired film. And he's converted our master bath into a darkroom. (Better watch out I don't brush my teeth with developer.) But it's inspiring me to watch him figure it all out. Yes - mistakes are made and rolls are chucked. But happy accidents occur and beautiful images appear regularly. And he learns from all of it. It blows my mind, and it inspires me so much to see such intense experimentation going on.

I recently spent some time with a friend who had long dreamed about starting her own farm and earlier this year she finally did it (more on that soon!). As we were chatting I was lamenting my own inability to manifest my dreams lately, and she turned to me and said: "You know what? The best advice I got starting my farm was this -- Just get out and pull a tractor across the land."

The truth in that made my heart leap and tears come to my eyes.

It was the same for Colin... he started by simply getting an old camera and some film and snapping photos. The next step in the evolution of his hobby appeared gradually... when he was ready for it. Not before.

You have to start simply. Small. Anywhere.

I keep bringing myself back to that advice as I tend to go for the gusto and try to gobble my goals up whole (often getting frustrated before I even begin!). There is no rush to the finish. You just need to start.

Plant the seed.

Pick up the paintbrush.

Sign up for the class.

Step onto the mat.

I wonder what your small step is toward your dream?