“Fear has two meanings; ‘Forget Everything and Run’ or ‘Face Everything and Rise.’ The choice is yours.” Zig Ziglar
On Saturday, June 16th of this year, wearing my favorite shoes (see previous post) I took a step towards my fears. I entered four photos into the Iowa State Fair Salon. Standing in line, white knuckles hesitating to hand over the work that represented hundreds of miles of gravel roads and hours of preparing not just the photographs but also myself, I was just excited to be facing my fear of simply entering. Seeing the stacks of pictures already dropped off by hopeful artists, I couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. I appreciated the simplicity of the process at that moment. Already past the first check point, there was no turning back. I handed over the four prints, paid my fee and walked out congratulating myself on doing what I had set out to do.
To some, it may seem like no big thing, entering photos in a local photography contest. Big deal. Yes, for someone who often finds themselves paralyzed by her own fears, it really is a big deal. For someone who struggled for years to even share my photos with family and friends for fear of being laughed at, it’s a big deal. For me, it’s not just about the contest, it’s a step forward towards a dream I’ve had for years. It’s a chance to really put myself out there and win or lose, learn from the experience. And maybe even more important, right now, in this moment, as I sit here looking at the postcard that just arrived in the mail, telling me that one of my “photos has been accepted for display”, it’s a big deal to just be excited. To be proud of the work I’ve done and allow myself to celebrate a goal achieved. Every journey begins with a single step, right?
I am so excited for you! Both the step and for getting a photo accepted! Congrats!
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Thank you Marcia!!!
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From one fellow photographer to another, congratulations on your acceptance. One of my pics also made the cut this year, although I have absolutely no idea which one made the cut. Iowa’s a very tough competition for photographers, and it took me at least three years of trying before having my first acceptances last year.
https://chuckthewriter.blog/2018/07/09/so-i-just-heard-back-from-the-iowa-state-fair/
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Thank you and congratulations to you as well!! I was excited to just get up the nerve to enter and having one go through just made it sweeter. Loved your blog post and I’m personally voting for the school bus photo! Very cool!
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It is always hard to “put your work out there”! Picking which images to put up for judgement -which is so subjective- is just as hard!! Congrats on taking the plunge! I truly enjoy your blog and your great photography.
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Thank you!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the blog. Sometimes that’s harder to share than the photos. 😬
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