Aren't we always finding ourselves in seasons of transitions and new directions? I just completed my first year working in a Canadian hospital here in Toronto, and it was gloriously rewarding and challenging work. The learning curve was steep, the culture refreshing, and it forever enhanced my view and experience of nursing and western medicine. I'm so grateful for my license and the opportunity. But along with the professional growth came a renewed longing to create healthy rhythms for my relationships, body, and lifestyle.
I've known since I started shift work, and night shifts (7p -7a) in particular, that it wasn't super sustainable and historically, I find myself a bit on the crazy spectrum after staying up too many nights in a row. And so when I heard the words from my naturopath, "Just how attached are you to your job?" it simply confirmed that a change needed to be made. So it was an easy decision to go to part time work at the hospital, and begin to pursue a holistic lifestyle of not only health (ier) body rhythms but a fresh wholehearted pursuit of creative endeavours. Our photography business was busy and rewarding this past year, and when I wasn't working at the hospital, I was shooting weddings with my best friend, and doing my part in the back end of the business as well. And this past year I really found my place in the whole thing, learned to love it and be more invested than ever.
I also finished up a year of working on a Young Living business, an endeavour that I affectionately nurtured and called Allie's Apothecarie. It was an eye opening and shaping experience. In some ways, it brought out the best in me, and in others, the worst. And in the end, it helped me find a way forward. And while my pursuit was by no means failing, I made the decision to hang up my hat on network marketing.
This past year was one of self discovery, a sweet gift from a caring Father, but one not without pain.
So for now, here's an invitation to go on a journey with me. One of new creative pursuits, made of deeper investments in the world of photography and film, and a branching out into more writing, video making, and the making of a home and a life right here in the city God has us in for now. A quote that I've kind of latched onto and one that I hope to carry into this next year is one that I came across in a talk by Lanier Ivester, and she makes the challenge in her talk to "Choose what you've been given". Invest in the life you've been given right now, today. Her whole talk is compelling, and has me thinking a lot about what home is and what's it's not, but that's another post for another day. You can check out her talk here. I hope you find it as life-giving as I have.
I'm not sure exactly where this path will lead, but I'm excited to see what happens. What are your plans for 2022? Are they ones of branching out, or staying the course? Perhaps both.
Happy New Year, friends, from a happy December and these photos from me and Luke's film cameras. And as for 2022, I'm hoping for the very best.
A few comments on the photos sprinkled throughout in case you're curious- first, our Christmas tree with the final touches of a baked orange garland shot on Portra 400 medium format film on the Contax 645. The next six were captured on the tree farm where we went to get our live tree up in northern Ontario, on the same film stock and camera. And the last four were shot on a 28 mm lens on Kodak TRI-X 400 using a Nikon point and shoot. Thanks for taking the time to catch up here! I'd love to hear what film stocks you're experimenting with too! Shoot me a message :)