Never in my wildest imagination did I expect to be broadcasting right now while quarantined at home.
We're currently on day 13 of my daughter being home from school, and our governor here in Virginia just made the call that schools will be closed until the fall. At the very least, a lot of our friends and their kids are grieving.
And rightfully so. There's a lot of sadness and uncertainty right now.
Because our reality right now is not ever something my imagination could have dreamed up as even remotely possible during this lifetime.
Even though they are not the same, I find myself comparing the Covid 19 Pandemic to our pregnancy loss back in 2009. The trauma of both of these scenarios then and now are real. We had expectations and plans – we had imagined how life would be. And now the reality of what's actually unfolding is totally different. It’s tragic and disappointing.
But the cool thing about imagination is that we can use it to shift our perspective even during the hardest moments and find the good again.
Be gentle with yourself.
Be gentle with yourself on the days that you can't get out of pajamas.
Be gentle with yourself when you can't wear all the hats of mom, teacher, CEO, nurse – all of them at once.
Be gentle with yourself when you watch the news and anxiety strikes.
When you're gentle, you soften, shift your perspective and use your imagination again. When you’re gentle you allow yourself to see the good that still exists.
I promise there is a gift in the eye of this pandemic and today's episode I know will help you not only to look for it but to capture it from behind the lens of your camera.
My guest today is Lindsay Davis. Lindsey is a documentary photographer who lives in North Florida and loves capturing ordinary life in an honest and unique way.
Through her photos, she will inspire you to treasure life’s ordinary moments. When she is not taking photos, you can find her homeschooling her five kids. I know you're going to absolutely be inspired and hopeful after listening to her share about her personal projects and imaginative approach to picture taking.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
- What Linsey does to fit her documentary photography in with her life as a homeschooling mom
- How Linsey develops her projects and how she goes about starting them
- How Linsey benefited from learning to “follow the light” late in her creative development
- What led to Linsey’s interest in drone photography and what her process looks like now
- How photography can transport you back to a different time and place
Linsey’s Links:
Beryl’s Links:
Three years ago, our daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety.
Surprisingly, my reaction was not one of sadness or fear or worry. My immediate reaction was one of relief.
Our kiddo’s diagnosis brought me relief because it gave me permission to honor and advocate for who she is. Her diagnosis reminded me how lucky I am to mother a child who is so comfortable with her creativity, and it led me to my own ADHD diagnosis not too long after hers.
Here at Momtography we are champions for imagination and creativity, not only for our children, but for us as parents and role models as well.
Today’s return guest, Dayna Abraham, is the founder of Lemon Lime Adventures and creator of the Calm The Chaos Framework where she supports parents out-of-the-box kids going from just surviving to thriving.
I wanted to have Dayna on the show to talk about what happens when we infuse more curiosity and imagination into our parenting, especially when we are feeling the most defeated or disconnected from our kids.
We talked about breaking the stigma around raising out-of-the-box-kiddos so we can stop hiding the qualities in our families that often make us feel fear or shame.
We chatted about how the more we talk about these truths, the deeper a connection we can make with our communities and with ourselves.
And we talked about how when we learn to embrace the things that make us and our children different, we are granting ourselves permission to show up in life with more creativity, curiosity, and imagination.
Photography tip:
Every episode, Momtography Club community Director Jen and I sit down together and share a tip you can use to get more comfortable with your camera so you can capture more of what matters in your life. Jen's unofficial title at Momtography is the Queen of Photo Projects. So with that in mind, this month Jen and I will be sharing photo projects to spark your imagination and inspire you to go capture, develop, and preserve more photos!
Listen to the full episode to hear:
- How parents of out of the box kids find joy again in their parenting journey
- What happens when we use curiosity and imagination in our parenting?
- How parents who have lost that spark of imagination because they feel so defeated can tap into their imagination again?
- What to do if your interests and your child's interests don't intersect
Links:
I am not a Barbie mom.
The reason I'm not a Barbie Mom is that when my daughter asks me to sit and "play" with her– whether it be with her Barbies or lego or stuffed toys–I freeze.
Imagination is not my superpower.
And...I don't think I'm alone in this.
As a mom, my guess is you are more accustomed to cycling through your endless to-do list or getting your family from point A to point B than expressing your creativity.
Somewhere between childhood wonder and adult responsibility, we lose sight of what it means to play. We forget how to use our imagination and express ourselves creatively.
And that is why all this month at Momtography we're exploring imagination and how we can infuse it into our lives and our photos in a way that makes us feel excited–not awkward.
For today’s return-guest, Natalie Allgyer, (Episode #68) photography started like it does for many new moms, taking photos of just her daughter. As her photos improved and people began asking her to start a family and newborn business, something didn't feel right.
She realized her imagination was much bigger than her reality.
Today, Natalie and I chat about her process and the world of fine art photography. We talk about what happens when you step out of your comfort zone, use your imagination, and step forward with a healthy dose of patience and consistency.
Photography tip:
Every episode, Momtography Club community Director Jen and I sit down together and share a tip you can use to get more comfortable with your camera so you can capture more of what matters in your life. Jen's unofficial title at Momtography is the Queen of Photo Projects. So with that in mind, this month Jen and I will be sharing photo projects to spark your imagination and inspire you to go capture, develop, and preserve more photos!
Listen to the full episode to hear:
- Natalie’s story of going from mom with a camera toward fine art photography and why she didn't go the traditional photography route as most moms do
- How she discovered her process of intricate details and how that process is largely a process of patience
- The importance of mentors when we are trying to learn a new skill
- What it takes to get a foot in the door of Fine Art Photography World
- And how Natalie was able to heal her crippling anxiety by embracing her imagination and expressing her creativity
Links:
- Natalieallgyer.com
- Natalie on Instagram
- Natalie on Facebook
- Fine Art Compositing with Brooke Shaden
- Momtography Club