kreative in the home : a photo essay

maybe i'll blog again.

two years ago, i posted that i had a big girl job. i had just started dating. and i had just graduated from college.

but two years can change a lot of things.

i'm getting married in ninety-six days.
my brother got married.
my job situation has changed.
i ran a marathon.
i'll be a homeowner in less than a week.
i have a nephew.

lots can change in two years and it's exciting. in the midst of all these changes, i've been embracing my creative side again. it's mostly out of necessity: i love the office space and desk job but my brain felt dead inside. so i've been taking more photographs. i worked with a bridesmaid to create my veil for the wedding. in the next few weeks, i'll be putting together wedding favors.

it's good to work with my hands and engage my creative juices again.

hello, real world.

holland, michigan

in the last week and a half, i've only been home two days. in less than forty-eight hours, i went from sleeping in a tent to sleeping five minutes from the White House.  my trip to Holland can be blamed on the boyfriend. but the trip to DC is because of my job.  that's right.

a job.

in some ways, i feel i have hit the real mark of adulthood.  i'm now a respectable adult who can make her way in the world with a job that does not entail wiping snotty noses (though i really do love babysitting), flipping burgers or folding clothes. although i must admit: my maturity as an adult is actually debatable.  upon my arrival in DC, i was dumped into this underground city that was musty and dark. most americans would call this dark, musty place the Metro, but i digress. once i figured out how to purchase a ticket and find the right metro, i dumped my luggage at a hotel five minutes from the White House (that's what's up) and set out to discover what might be my most favorite american city.  if you're looking for a guide on how to see every major landmark in washington in under two hours, i'm your girl.

national archives, washington dc.

and then i spent the next day in meetings. because i'm a big girl with a big girl job.  hello reality.  it was weird to wander the streets of washington in a business suit like the rest of the real world, and carry a folder with briefing notes.  (in one sense: i was in heaven. a city of people who were policy nerds like myself.)

after graduation, a job was what i least expected to find, let alone one in my field or one that would interest me.  i suppose i was in the right place, at the right time and knew the right people because an internship landed me a job with a think tank i never dreamt of working for until after my Masters.  i feel like this quote from john steinbeck is applicable here:

"If it is right, it happens—The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away."

i could've taken another job. applied for graduate school.  traveled overseas (well, i still could).  there have been so many moments in the last four months where i've wanted to rush things along and take matters into my own hands, but i forced myself to pause.  and i'm glad i did -- i am gainfully employed and i have a boyfriend who treats me like a princess.  a move to washington, a trip overseas and graduate school may still be in my cards, but for now, i'm happy and content that i can spend one day on the beach and the next, discuss foreign policy in our nation's capital.

God is good.

Michigan's Upper Peninsula

my hipster shoes. even though i'm really not that hipster.

covered road, near houghton.

lake superior, au train.

lake superior, au train.

lake superior, munising. 

I'm graduated!

I did it!  This was the year I graduated (with honors) and I couldn't be any happier.  I know that a Bachelor's degree is not the end-all in this journey of life, but I have long anticipated this day.  So excited about all the possibilities and opportunities I'll be pursuing this year!

graduation!

i've been a little busy getting ready to graduate (hence the expression in the above photo. and do you see that large manila folder? that contains about one hundred pages of my research that has to be read by the department chair in order for me to graduate).  for the last month and a half, i've been busy conducting various amounts of research, writing reports, analyzing data and doing other nerdy things that sociologists do.  the entire pre-graduation experience has been a bit surreal; some days i'm extremely happy to finish, but i am mostly sad that i will be leaving the academic world (for a year).  in other news, i have a fabulous internship that will keep me busy through the summer and probably into the fall.

it's funny because so many people keep asking where i'm going and what i'm doing, and for the last month, i had absolutely no idea.  i feel like many college graduates try to "find the path" or "figure life out", but life is happening and there's no need to find it.  consider this: i applied to live in kosovo, looked into moving to Washington, i considered traveling to Europe for six months (and then promptly reconsidered when I saw the exchange rate) and i applied for several internships.  i had no idea where i'd land.  do i wish i were scaling the alps and sipping cappuccino beneath the eiffel tower?  of course!  but i'm not there right now: i'm here. i'm in Michigan working this job and i'm content that tomorrow will take care of itself.

this is life.

j+k: engaged.

pinhole press.

pinhole press

I've been on spring break this week and working like a mad dog on various projects in addition to working additional hours.  In the midst of all the craziness, I discovered Pinhole Press, and specifically this Big Book of Names and Faces.  This is by far the most brilliant business ever, especially for a photographer myself.  I love giving people unique gifts (especially to friends who's children I often photograph) and this is an amazing way to combine it all.

I haven't ordered anything yet, but I've read so many good things about them and I'm looking forward to placing several orders soon!  If anyone else has used Pinhole, I'd love to know your thoughts!

w+p challenge: right.

Yesterday was the Michigan primary, and being the language lover that I am, I couldn't resist posting the following photo from Hamtramck, Michigan:

via the New York Times.

Although I was not the photographer, I thought the photo represented my word of the day yesterday, and that was right.  I can be a political curmudgeon at times and I had considered abstaining yesterday for several reasons.  However, I realized that in America I actually have a right (or an entitlement) to vote, and so I did.

A Word+Photo Challenge.

I seem to have hit a sudden blogging binge.  It has been months since I have blogged regularly and boom, in the middle of February, I'm blogging with gusto again.  And here's why.

About two months ago, I was not taking pictures at all.  Technically I was doing the occasional shoot, and while that's fun, I was not casually shooting everyday objects.  And I realized I missed looking for something pretty or inspiring in the mundane.  I began to brainstorm.  For a month I attempted all sorts of methods that might motivate me, but it really was no use.  Until I had an 'aha' moment after some web surfing.

You see, I love the thesaurus.  Some people are addicted to Pinterest, but I am obsessed with typing in ridiculously long words and clicking through to other words (at least it's educational).  And so, I decided to take my two loves and combine them.

Thesaurus + Photography = epic photo challenge.

I decided to make a list of words and each day, I select one in the morning.  I think about it, mull over the definition and think about photos I could take, mentally arranging things or ideas.  But I don't shoot right away.  And I think this is crucial to my personal photo challenge.  If I shoot right away, I find that I miss out on other opportunities or I misinterpret the word I've selected.  I'm simply taking a photo just to take a photo.  So, I keep thinking.  And thinking. And thinking.  Then when I feel ready, I snap.  Do I always get the right shot?  No.  Sometimes I have redos, but I try not to think about those or do them frequently.  I think this is also equally important in my photo challenge as I tend to be extremely picky about my photography (it's not artistic enough, the lighting seems weird, etc).  Telling myself I have three shots encourages me to focus.

This process has allowed this extremely impatient person to stop and think about a potential photo.  But it has also given me a great appreciation for photography and I have been able to develop new strategies in how I run my photoshoots.  Plus, simply taking photographs reminds me how much I need photography.  Without a creative outlet, I go crazy.  And a crazy Kristin is not always a good thing and I'm excited to share more photos!

Happy Saturday!

it's still winter?!

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather."

{trees.}

"Every crag and gnarled tree and lonely valley has its own strange and graceful legend attached to it."

painting.

winter portraits.

 

it seems winter has decided to finally visit Michigan (at least temporarily)!

zelim dupla kafa!

It has been one of those days.

You know the kind where you only got three hours of sleep and have a million things to do?

Yeah.

It's on days like these I wish I had some super strong coffee.  The kind of coffee you can find in Bosnia, puddled in miniature espresso cups.  And so, I stare at this picture and dream about drinking bosanski kafe at Tito's in Sarajevo.

the big picture?

sarajevo, bosnia-herzegovina

i recently found an application that allows you to convert photos into tilt-shift images. i think it's a pretty neat application, but it reminded me of my current state in life.  only a small, little slit of my life is in focus right now.  i know i'm in school, that i have assignments to finish and a graduation in thirteen weeks. and that's about it.  my future is one big blur. i can see outlines of what's in store, but i have no concrete ideas.  (but i suppose that's what i get for electing a gap year between my undergraduate and a possible master's program.) ayn rand once said, "People create their own questions because they are afraid to look straight. All you have to do is look straight and see the road, and when you see it, don't sit looking at it - walk."

i may not be able to see exactly what surrounds me, but at least i can see the road.  and so, i'm (attempting) to embrace this new journey.

It's January!

And I'm in my last semester of undergraduate!
And I will be turning twenty-three in exactly one month.
And today, I completed my very first watercolor painting ever!  I love photography and admiring art (especially paintings), but I never envisioned myself as the painter; I have taken kreative to a whole new level!

2011: Photo of the year.

At the end of each year, I like to go through all of my pictures and select one that represents the entire year.  It's awfully hard (given the sheer number of photos I take), but it's a good exercise.  Looking back at photographs is like opening an old journal.  And so, I present to you, the following photo:

zagreb, croatia

To me, this photo represents a place that has affected where I'm headed in life, but also a place that altered my perception of people.    

People.  I didn't time this shot, nor do I know the lady looking back at me.  But trams in Eastern Europe taught me a lot about people and what they are going through. I loved the trams, despite their stench and the gypsies, because it allowed me to get a brief glimpse of the people who make Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.  You can read a million books on a particular people, but until you see their faces, you do not really understand them, because a simple look can tell a story.  Trams (or any mode of transportation such as a train, subway, etc) are brief and temporary.  People get on and then get off before you have a chance to blink. 2011 was all about making the most of friendships.  It was about reconnecting with old friends, as well as making some new ones.  I have come to realize that life isn't all about work or blazing a trail that will radically change the world.  Rather, it's a balance.

2012 is shaping up to be a very different year.  I'm looking forward to all the places I'll go, the photos I'll capture and the people I'll meet.  (And hopefully, I'll get better at blogging about if all!)

of transitions.

Last night, I had a dream that my Fulbright Grant was approved and I was hours away from boarding a plane to Bosnia.  I was teary as I hugged family and friends, nervous about the life that awaited me.  I woke up with a start, disappointed only to realize that I was still stuck in this snowy state.  But it got me thinking.

There are some major changes coming my way.  A possible trans-Atlantic move or a relocation to New York or DC looms on the horizon.  Add a graduation to the pile, and my life is full of transitions.

But I have this fear.  Until today, I thought it was a fear of actually going away from home for longer than two months. However, seeing the world and living elsewhere has always been a life-long dream; I am not afraid to see and experience things.

This afternoon, in the hallway, I saw a professor I've worked with in the past. We chatted for a few minutes and before he left, he asked when I was graduating.  I replied, but It was his response that really got me and revealed the root of my fear.  "Wow," he said, "be sure to stay in touch."  And that's when it me.  I'm leaving my professors, these classrooms and the books.  In a way, it seems that my identity as a student was leaving me as well.  But is that really true?

Being a student is my identity, it's who I am.  Writing research papers, conducting statistical analysis, critiquing papers and debating with my colleagues is what I do best.  It's an identity I have developed over the last four years and one that I am reluctant to give up.  But I'm realizing that my identity as a student really won't change on April 29, 2012.  The classrooms will.  I won't have the same professors.  My classmates won't consist of the same individuals.  But the learning never stops.  The books I have read and the relationships I have established thus far only enable me to be a better student in the future.

So I say, bring it on.  There's nothing bittersweet about graduating, only the happy thoughts of a limitless classroom at my doorstep.


(Oh, and I can't wait to reread this someday, when I'm forty and grading a stack of papers. I only hope I'll have the same optimism and enthusiasm for life.)