Shutter Sisters

self

By

  

These women. You women. Yes, all of you reading this right now. I’m talking to you. I’m over here, waving humbly from the corner of my family room plunking away on the family desktop computer, surrounded by piles of paper, a to-do list a mile long, and bad light. I’m tired. Already weary of all the small curve balls that this first week back to school has thrown. I sit here, feeling displaced. Because, my office is too much of a mess to sit in. Because my own computer (that is usually in my messy office) crashed. Because life is imperfect and I am just making due, as all of us do when we need to.

I can share all of this with you because I know you understand. Because I know you can relate.  You’re nodding your head empathetically, supportively, kindly. I know you are. Because you have been here before. Because you care as much about the struggle as you do about the successes. This month, you’ve applauded my new book. This week, you wished me happy birthday. And today, you’re being kind and gentle with me because you know I need it. It’s what you do. It’s what you’ve always done. It’s just who you are. All of you. I have grown to know that about you over the past five years. It’s what makes this place so special. Thank you for that.

This month has been a grand celebration of elevating the everyday. Every single one of your images has meant that you are with me, with us, as we share our lives with one another. That we are all in this together. That’s what it’s all about. Thank you all so much for joining me, for joining us as we explored what it means to elevate the everyday in honor of my book. It has meant so much to see your responses to each prompt.

And now today, as we wrap up the month, I want to see more of you. We want to see more of each other. Today we are asking you to share yourSELF. Because you so lovingly point your cameras to the world around you, capturing all that matters to you with such tender and kind eyes, it’s time to capture yourSELF with the same kind of love. And if for a single minute you feel shy or unphotogenic or not enough, I encourage you to visit the I am Enough Collaborative. The stories there will give you the perspective you need to be good to yourself and share a shot of your beautiful, unique and awesome SELF.

Every comment left here between now and Sunday 9/2 at midnight will be entered to win a copy of my book Elevate the Everyday: A Photographic Guide to Picturing Motherhood. And don’t forget to tag your images #sselevate.

Comments

  2. This post is the perfect wrap-up to this awesome elevating month.
    It`s been not only fun but truly inspiring to see all these beautiful images and posts.
    Thank you!

  6. thank you, Tracey.
    for the goosebumps that reading your words here has given me.
    for your truth and courage and vulnerability. for all the work you do, together with all the other amazing shuttersisters, to create and nourish this beautiful space here.
    for sharing and allowing me to share.
    thank you for this month of elevating the ordinary.
    this is my selfie:
    http://instagram.com/p/O_Yln3Frxq/

  10. Seems so fitting that I was just listening to a podcast yesterday
    that talked about understanding that we are enough exactly how we are today.
    As I approach the birth of my second child with my 2 year old, I'll be leaving my job
    and staying home full time. This has made me question am I enough? Thanks you
    for your inspiring posts!

  13. This has been a busy month for me, so I haven't participated as much as I would have liked. But always enjoy the inspiration beautiful ladies… thank you! 🙂

  14. this month has been such an amazing month…each day filled with elevating the everyday and opening my eyes to how special those everyday things can be! it was so much fun to see through the eyes of others their interpretation of the daily word! thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to play along…you women are inspirational!

  16. thank you so much, Tracey.
    for this post which has given me goosebumps.
    for your truth and courage and vulnerability.
    for all the work you do, together with all the other amazing shuttersisters, to create and nourish this beautiful space.
    for sharing and allowing me to share.
    this is my selfie:
    http://instagram.com/p/O_Yln3Frxq/
    (this is the second time I am trying to post this: the first time was three hours ago, I am trying again because I haven't seen the first attempt published. if both come up, please consider just one for the chance to win the book, obviously!)

  18. Today I am at Crater Lake National Park with family. But when I return home, there will be a mountain of work waiting for me. For now, I am enjoying this moment.

  20. Thank you for the month of challenges, I feel like it gave me so much to think about and ruminate on. I'm looking forward to taking more photos next month, and these faces are taking me forward. So inspirational, I don't think my thanks can convey my gratitude.

    A few pictures for these past few weeks:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/65102482@N04/

  23. i have loved seeing so many women today.. how fun. i would love a copy of the book, too. this month was really fun!

  24. I loved this! The idea that my bad days, the ones with the funk are received with the same smile as the my happy days really clicked inside my head. Thank you for the beautiful adventure this was and has been. Oh and yeah, I'm smiling at you.

  27. A wonderful post, Tracey! I have enjoyed this month of amazing everyday-ness and would love to win a copy of your book. Take care.

  28. I admire each and every person who was featured in this collage for doing a self portrait. I have tried and tried and tried but they are never in focus and the odd one that accidently turns out in focus is horrid. So I quit and doubt I'll try again. I'll keep my camera pointed away from me — that seems to work best :~) I continue to admire everyone who can successfully (or not) take a self portrait.

  30. Beautiful pictures and awesome words. Thanks for the reminder to turn the camera around once in a while.

  32. Love looking at all the lovely faces over on IG! It's hard for me to shoot myself but I jumped in. Thanks for the chance to win!

  33. Thank you Tracey for allowing us to share! It's been a fun month of sharing, even on the days that I thought, "oh, not that…I can't share that with everyone!" But I did and it was good to step out of the box–even if just a little side-step. Here's to hoping for another month!

  36. I would be so happy to win a copy of your book! I have read the Shutter Sisters blog for quite awhile and enjoy it very much. I just found you on IG. So glad!

  39. What a great way to wrap an amazing project! I had so much fun allowing my creative juices rule my brain each day to focus on something for ME! Thank you so much for all the inspiration each and everyday! It is wonderful to feel a part of a such a wonderful community of women.

  41. I've visited before. Popping in and out. Sometimes I've shared words. August drew me in. It was through the OWP prompts on IG. The people in this community were more than I expected. I love it here. I believe it's perfect timing to join in and make some friends.

    Thank you for encouraging us to elevate each day being true to ourselves. God Bless.

  42. Thanks for this post Tracey. It was especially fitting for me this morning, as I snuck over here for a distraction from my own sea of office chaos. And now, as usual when I leave this place, I feel calm, inspired, and understood. Can't wait to pick up a copy of your new book.

  44. Awesome and congratulations on your new book! I look forwarding to buying a copy soon! But I secretly hope this means you will be doing more classes or picture series… I love those!