Ocean – Sassy Dreams Awake

creativity, NANOWRIMO, Ocean, Pandemic Social Distancing, Uncategorized

On the Sidewalk (Day 222)

Posted on October 24, 2020 by sassysheisme

If you peruse my Instagram account, you’ll see many photos of items on the sidewalk, from the sidewalk level or on the ground or beach from that level. I was asked why I had decided to switch to that point of view.

Every photographer has a style or particular themes/subjects to their photos. Even if you aren’t a professional photographer, most of us take photos to freeze moments in time – memories, stories that are revived and remembered from that visual cue.

Besides storytelling, my style or theme has always been to take normal, ordinary objects, people or scenes and make them extraordinary by showing or revealing something new from an unusual angle or view. Art is everywhere, you just have to fine tune your eyes to see it.

My creative juices are stimulated by travel, seeing my tribes and visiting parts of the world I’ve never been before. I’ve been social distancing for 222 days now with no end in sight. To say that being in the same place for this long really stagnates the creative well is an understatement. Walking the same sidewalks and trails over and over does not lend itself to inspiration – unless you cultivate it yourself.

A few weeks ago, there was something on the sidewalk and I turned my phone over and put it where the lens was next to the sidewalk to see what that perspective would bring me and the On the Sidewalk series was born.

I’ve been trying to cultivate creativity wherever I can – photography, cooking, blogging. Being creative keeps me more balanced than when I don’t do anything at all. While photography is a love of mine and I do it well, writing is my first love.

That brings me to NANOWRIMO 2020. A typical November finds me traveling for nearly half of it, and I spend a great deal of time in photography mode. This year, I will have ample time off, but nowhere to go due to COVID and Covidiots. I’m challenging myself to do NANOWRIMO and write 50,000 words in 30 days and see if that sparks anything, or at the very least, keeps me sane.

Whenever one well (photography or writing) gets a little dry, tapping the other well seems to bring both back up to a healthier level, which brings me up to a healthier level. I have a few days left to prepare and next Sunday I’m diving in!

commentary, Ocean, travel, travels, Uncategorized, value

BEACHES

Posted on May 16, 2016 by sassysheisme

FullSizeRender 3

Work has taken me to Florida again. This time, I planned a trip to the beach as it will likely rain the rest of the week. I wanted to get some sand between my toes before I dive into work tomorrow.

After dinner, I sat on the beach for a glorious hour, listening to waves crash and watching a dad bury his two girls in the sand. I received a text that my parking meter was running low, so I reluctantly headed back to the MINIVAN the rental place gave me.

An old man (and by old, I mean way older than my father), was sitting in a row of chairs in the plaza by himself. He made eye contact so I went over and introduced myself. Carl is no longer able to get down to the ocean. Bad knees, bad hips, bad everything, so he comes down and sits as close to the ocean as he can.

He asked how it was down on the beach and if I put my toes in the water and the sand and what it felt like, so I told him. This particular beach had damp, coarse sand that actually flaked off easier than powdered sand. He thought that was a great description.

We talked some more, then he said, “go while you can. You never know when you won’t be able to feel the sand between your toes anymore.”

He was still smiling, but my heart broke a little bit. Clearly, he loved the ocean. Those chairs were as close as he was going to get to it at this point in his life as far as he was concerned.

I’m not old by any means, but I know I am at the end of the summer of my life. I can’t imagine a time when I won’t be able to do simple things that give me pleasure, but I know it’s inevitable.

“Enjoy everything while you can,” he reiterated. “Was it a good trip to the beach?”

Yes, Carl, it was. Thank you for the reminder that I need to squeeze everything I can out of every moment I can.

Ocean, photography, pics, travel, Uncategorized

BEACHED, PROPERLY

Posted on September 19, 2013 by sassysheisme

I’m sitting on a somewhat comfortable couch in a hotel in Corpus Christi, Texas, with football on the tv (muted) and iTunes radio playing some totally incredible jazz. I feel totally relaxed and accomplished, since what I came to Corpus Christi to do for work went really well and I completed my task.

One of the perks of traveling for work is that we have offices in some beautiful places and sometimes I actually have enough time to go enjoy some of the local sights or cuisine. Last night, I went for a walk on a lovely beach on South Padre Island.

I love the ocean. I especially love the beach. When those two things are paired and the water is less brown than other places on the Gulf Coast, I get a tad camera crazy. The lighting was perfect (we were out there around six) and the tide was coming in. There weren’t many shells and the waters were very stirred up (TS Ingrid) but the whitecaps were beautiful.

I did, however, find a couple shells to shoot. I left them there so someone else could enjoy them. I went to a souvenir shop and bought some polished ones there instead.

I can’t describe how good it was to take the camera out and do something fun and creative. I have a new appreciation for my camera since my first DSLR was stolen a couple of months ago. I’ve vowed not to let this one go to waste. I will leave you with a few more photos from last evening’s walk.

Ocean

CALIFORNIA VACATION

Posted on March 12, 2011 by sassysheisme

I have been back about a week from my California vacation. I experienced the extremes of weather and some beautiful scenery. Here is a taste:

Pine Valley, CA

Downtown Los Angeles, CA

Hermosa Beach, CA

Painting in Yak & Yeti, Hermosa Beach, CA

Hermosa Beach, CA

Near Rancho Palo Verde, CA

Hermosa Beach, CA

Ocean

GALVESTON

Posted on August 7, 2010October 30, 2012 by sassysheisme

I didn’t grow up anywhere near the ocean. When I first moved to Houston, I was thrilled to go to Galveston and walk on the beach. All I would hear from people was how “ugly” or “dirty” the beach was. I beg to differ.