“…Too many people try to control others and their environments. Adventure is the release of control. The only control we have is over the choices we make for ourselves.
The options for living are infinite and every choice we make, even how we choose to think affects everything around us. There are so many things I want to do and learn about. I create art everywhere I go, but I don’t hold onto it because I know everything is constantly changing. Who I am today is different from who I’ll be tomorrow. That said, I try not to take it too seriously. I try not to think about it too much. I’m just always ready for the next adventure.”
– Megan McIsaac, Photographer | The Great Discontent, Issue 3
The older I get the more I can see that life is a state of flux.
As many of us do at the end of year, I start to get more introspective. Lately I’ve been thinking about what I’ve accomplished in 2015 and what I want more of in 2016. This year more than ever I’m starting to realize even more that being “where I want to be” in life is not about being something or somewhere specific.
Ten years ago today I was packing up my life in Los Angeles to move back to Seattle (for the third time). I was scheduled to fly out of LAX on New Year’s Eve, and for the very first time, at the young age of 36, I was going to be on my own. I was about to begin the (long) process of splitting up with my then husband of 10 years and finding and moving into my first apartment that was going to be all mine. I was scared to death and completely devastated. I was convinced that I would never love anyone except for my cat.
Flash forward 10 years later. Surprise! My life is nothing…absolutely NOTHING…like I thought it would be 10 years ago. And WOW, am I glad.
Sometimes I think about what the next 10 years will bring and I quickly remember that I have no idea.
Life is about the moments. While I have some broad goals for my life, there isn’t a specific end result that I’m striving for. What I want my life to be like isn’t a stagnant place or stage. It’s alive and moving and part of something much more than a set of goals. It’s a way of living. It’s every decision I make about how to spend my time and energy in a single day. Every choice and action and decision comprises the whole.
Life is the grace of living.
2015 was filled with some fantastic moments. I got to spend some quality time with six wonderful creative women in one of our country’s best cities and see amazing art. I floated in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon with my family, visited one of my best friends and her brand new baby in Hamburg, and rode a bike (!!!) in Berlin, one of the coolest cities I’ve ever visited.
All this adventure doesn’t come without a price and frankly the price was higher than we could afford financially. 2015 also brought a job layoff for my husband, and my client load and art sales aren’t making up the difference yet. Sometimes you have to make hard choices that may or may not be considered “smart,” but I don’t regret one minute of the experiences that we had, even if we are still paying for them.
2015 brought some of my professional goals to fruition. I established my freelance interiors and lifestyle photography relationship with LUXE Interiors + Design Magazine this year and did two fun shoots for them. I’m looking forward to partnering with LUXE on more projects in 2016 and building new relationships in this creative space.
I also won my first Minted Design Challenge in 2015 and was able to launch my Minted shop. I’ve added new art prints and created stationery this year, and plan to add more to these categories and introduce home goods in 2016. I’ve made some art that I’ve been really proud of and am continuing to build my skills. I’m hoping for lots of art, design, and illustration projects in 2016. Email me if you have something in mind or want to introduce my work to someone else who might enjoy it!
In 2016 I want to approach my entire life with even more intention, focus, and love.
When I’m with my family, I want to be WITH my family. When I’m working I want to be fully immersed in whatever I’m doing at that very moment. I want to continue to be grateful for the life that I have. I want to inspire and be inspired by the generosity of the human spirit. I want to do what I can to make a positive impact on the people I love and those I come in contact with every single day, as well as the messages I put into this world through my words, images, and art.
Thank you for joining me in this space and for supporting my work. The kind words, comments, and friendship that I’ve been given through this blog means more to me than I could ever express. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope it’s wonderful, and I hope that you have a fantastic 2016.
Love,
Melanie
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