shine your light

We are all good at shining the light on others. Singing praises, commenting on the beauty of everyone else's art, photos, and lives. Why do we forget that our own light is so very precious and needs to be nurtured and deserves to be praised? As women are we just so busy taking care of others that we forget to stand in our own light? Or do we buy into the belief that such behavior is boastful and prideful, rather than brave and confident? Have we been conditioned to hide our own light? Do those dreadful words, 'who do you think you are?' ring in your ears? I am guilty of this. Someone praises my photography, or something I wrote, and I can feel the heat rising in my face,  I actually get a physical response to it. Forget about tooting my own horn, ugh, no way. But why not? If I cannot believe I am worthy than who will? Allowing myself to stand in my own light is something I am truly working on.  Just when I needed it, a very special gift came my way. A locket, a keeper of treasures and sacred things, worn near my heart. Inside, a whisper to my soul... "Stand in your light". Four little words that speak big to my heart.

We each have our own special gifts to share with the world, rather than being shy or embarrassed by that, why not shout it out instead!  Today shine the light on YOU. Have you done something new or exciting with your photography?  Perhaps a gallery showing, a first photoshoot, opened a shop, entered a contest, been published, taken a class, printed one of your own photos and had it framed just for you? Perhaps there is just a certain photo you are SO.VERY.PROUD.OF.  Go ahead, tell us! Show us! Celebrate it! Whatever it may be, share it with us here today.  Say yes to you and your light.

Like the locket says, stand in your light, you deserve to feel the warmth it holds.

**************************************************************************************

As extra incentive to shine your light with us, the multitalented artist Liz Lamoreux, creator of the beautiful locket above, is gifting one simple soul mantra locket necklace to one lucky commenter here today. Liz's shop, soul mantras and other stories, is filled with beautiful pieces each imprinted with special words that speak straight to the heart and soul. Perhaps there is a message your soul is in need of right now. Just leave a comment here by midnight PST to be entered in today's giveaway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY UPDATE: congrats to Amy, the winner of the simple soul mantra locket giveaway. xo Amy!

Comments

[yzzilyzzid]

during spring break, the dandelions were in 'full puff' and I was dying for a good shot of someone making a wish. my best friend's daughter obliged and I ended up with this fun shot:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47459582@N02/5597246937/

[Heather]

I love Liz's work! I do think it's often hard for us to see what we have done, to be proud of ourselves.. lots of times we are too busy looking at what is not yet done and forget all about what we have accomplished..

[Marvett Smith]

This touches my heart today. I have had this subject on my mind heavily for the last few weeks. Each one of us makes a difference and we only do that by sharing our light. It doesn't have to be grandiose. Every little thing counts and I am trying to find the best way I can share my light in my life right now. Thank you for sharing this. I would absolutely love one of these lockets!

[gonzomama]

i'm in the process of trying to choose two photos to have put on canvas for the first time. i'm loving the anticipation and excitement of giving them as a gift!

[Libertad Leal]

It's so true. What you speak of. I am guilty, guilty, guilty. One thing I am pretty happy about is that Getty Images invited 11 of my images to be part of their collection. That made me VERY happy and proud of myself!

Here are a few of the ones they selected:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/5629713267
http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/4323939271
http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/4324675634

And these two I just LOVE and I am very proud of:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/5841069969
http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertadleal/5679104854

[Caraluna]

Thank you so much for this post. What a gorgeous locket - and message within! Learning to bask in the light, instead of hiding in the shadows, is easier said than done for many of us. Thank you for this encouraging reminder.

[mama-pan | mary frances]

what beautiful thoughts--and a beautiful locket to go with them!

I took a sp the other day just because I was feeling pretty. We're trained not to admit that. And I wasn't going to make it public until you brought this up. Admit to introspection, angst, self-doubt, yes--but narcissism? hardly :-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/98076237@N00/6073241797/

[Jess]

I was shocked and honored to have made 8th place out of over 1200 entries in last week's "I Heart Faces" contest. The theme was "Beautiful Eyes". My entry: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theoldnicholsfarm/5948068890/

All the fabulous winners: http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/08/photo-challenge-winners-beautiful-eyes/

[Lynn]

I think we all need to work on this. Self-praise is not a bad thing, yet we are all afraid of it.

[Debbie Ealer]

Recently got published in literacyhead for homeschooling children

http://literacyhead.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5279

T is for Turtle :D

and with the help of my friend Joy I learned how to make photo tiles for my market booths for fall festivals ill be in :D

http://www.flickr.com/photos/debbsga/6033340077/in/photostream

TOOT TOOT!! hehehe

Thanks for allowing me to sing my own praises Kristin! xo
Deb

[tara on the wander]

i was super excited but a little nervous when a friend asked i would take photos of a friend's brand new baby and their first (furry) baby - my first newborn shoot (other than my own kiddos) - but i got a couple of real gems!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/impossibletask/6048591740/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/impossibletask/6048536940/in/photostream

[Andrea]

Thank you for the inspiration...I've felt a little defeated lately...I will stand in my light!!!!!1

[misty]

lovely.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dontforgetthehorse/6060287935/in/photostream

[Jen]

beautiful post. beautiful necklace. beautiful mantra. just lovely.

I don't know much at all about photography but I just took my first class and I loved it.

[april]

wow. this speaks to me. When people compliment me (my painting, or my photography) my first reaction is to say, oh, i'm not that good and to think that because they aren't "Artists" that they are easily impressed by any artistic ability--good or bad.

Recently, my best friend and I started a portrait photography business (and I still have a hard time telling people that I'm a photographer)
http://www.adifferentlightphoto.com

[nathalie]

liz's work is soulful and i do love the mantra "stand in your light"
i work with light through my film photographies and always so grateful for it
thank you for your words and gift, i am letting them sink in and it feels magical already

[Christian]

Thank you for this post!! I know this feeling all too well. It is something I struggle with daily. Recently I decided to start my own blog about my photography, thinking 'Why would anyone want to read what I write?' or look at or enjoy my photos? But, I'm doing it anyway!!

http://eskimokissphotography.blogspot.com/

Thank you!

[Jakki]

That locket...amazing...

saying yes to me and my light...such a foreign concept to me. like you said...we find it SO easy to toot the horn for others but for us to toot the horn for ourselves..well...that almost blasphemy....

a little bit cant be so bad...can it???

well, what i like, in my photography is that I love the moment i capture in them...they seem like relatively simple moments but those simple moments make for a wonderful life and I love that gift...

[Beth]

So very beautiful. My soul is touched looking at your work.

[Shay]

Thank you for such inspiring words. I just started my blog in July and it has truly been a healing process and confidence booster for me. I also just purchased your book 'Shutter Sisters' and can't wait to dive into it head first. It's so good to see all these talented women out there posting their feelings about confidence in their art. I am slowly getting there on my journey!

eyeonthesparrow-shay.blogspot.com

[georgia]

love the photo... love the locket... love your words!
couldn't agree more!

speaking of light and standing in it, this is my favorite photo i have ever taken...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28567264@N05/5035064276/in/set-72157624966301661/
and i LOVE that you give me permission to celebrate my accomplishment... to toot my own horn about it. i have for the past year {it's coming up on a year ago that it was taken... sept. 27th... and i get to see her again this sept!!!}, and sometimes i feel like maybe i'm too "proud" of it. but you remind me that it's okay!!

coincidentally, this is a photo of my friend {who i met in the blogosphere} named claire... and claire means "light"!

[Ana F.]

I finally signed up for photography classes this Monday. Maybe it's a first step. I can hardly wait!!

[Linda]

I wanted a sunset shot. The day, in March, my grand daughter graduated from pre-school started off rainy but cleared up by late afternoon. I thought the weather conditions might make a nice sunset so I set out to find a high spot to watch the sun set. I came across a little run-down building and decided to include it in the shot. I have been able to do several things with the photo, crop it and add a texture to it, but the one I had printed on canvas and hangs in my family room is the sunset just as spectacular as it was that evening.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mainmim/5719831011/in/photostream

[Lynn M]

I love to quilt and while everyone I show my quilts to praises the workmanship, I can see (and usually point out) some of the "mistakes" that make the quilt less than perfect. I need to learn to stop that! No one will notice those little imperfections as they look at the quilt as a whole. I need to be reminded daily to look at the "whole" of everything. The locket is a wonderful reminder!

[jenifer]

Love this post - thank you for your words and image.

[urban muser]

i don't know why we are so hard on ourselves, but i am guilty of it too. it even took me a while to think what i could possibly write here that i am proud of. i do have a photo that was recently recognized on an iphoneography blog and, although it was a small thing, it was nice to be noticed.
http://lifeinlofi.com/2011/08/07/iphoneography-faved-on-flickr-08-07-11/
beautiful post! thanks for the chance at one of liz's amazing works of art.

[pthurmond1]

I'm so very proud of this photo. That is very hard for me to say. But, I really am proud.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50901045@N02/6043702281/in/photostream/lightbox/

[Allie]

Beautiful post! Something that we all need to hear, every once in awhile. I have realized that sometimes I am my own worst enemy because I don't allow myself to shine, and it's been something that I have been working on recently.

[Jill]

Lately I have been in a rut, my energy has been away from computers and my camera, and towards enjoying this time of year. But before this rut I did complete the first photo volume of my daughter's first year. I plan on doing one for each year, and the first one came out beautifully.

[Julie]

I too am trying to stand in my light. I find Brene Browns books and ideas very helpful.

[journeyswithasimplegirl]

I am starting a new job at a nursery school where love is the focus, and the children are allowed to play, wild and free. I was honored to be hired this summer after many (many) years just working part-time in the evenings and dedicating my energy to being home with my children, but I really am most proud of the fact that the school's director asked me to bring in a collection of my photos, because "she finds them to be wonderful expressions of the the beauty, grace, and wonder of childhood"...be. still. my. heart. I am proud of that.
It's not easy to stand in our own light...but I so want to. xox

[Stacy]

I love to get inspiration from others blogs and I participate in a Project 52 program with some family and friends. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Alison]

Her work is just beautiful, and these words are just what I needed to hear today. Thank you!

[Amy (Papillon Sky Photography)]

Kristin,
What a timely post!! I just finished something really different and it was accepted at the local art league and went on display today! It was exciting to complete this project. I had been working on editing wedding photos all summer and hadn't done anything for myself in a while:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/papillonsky/6074759677/in/photostream/

Also, I got this little saying on my tea bag today and it made me think of your post!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/papillonsky/6074761837/in/photostream

And you forgot something! What have YOU done to stand in your light lately! Do share, Kristin!! xoxo!

[sally]

Sweetness. Sometimes we are so busy that we forget to whisper our soul mantras.

[kristin]

to answer your question amy, i did my very first client photo shoot just last week for a fmaily of 8!!! eeep! talk about jumping in head first. i made many mistakes but will take them with me and learn from them. i was just so proud that i finally tried.
xo kristin

[ghdlissurs]

I would suggest a good place for you, there are fashion items as you need and all your favorite products from top to toe --------www.pliagelongchamp.com---------you must not miss it!!! Our promise:Best quality, Fast delivery, Excellent service!!

[Samantha]

What a beautiful locket!

[Kimberly]

How exciting. I totally know what my quote would be if I were to win. And if I don't I might just have to order it anyway. Certainly less painful than the tat I've been contemplating.

[Kylie]

i seem to give praise a lot, to others - not myself.
but lately, i have been calling myself a photographer. just saying those words is a big step for me.

[Chelsea C]

I felt like I was kind of at a standstill with my photography. Not necessarily that I was stuck, in a negative way, more just had so many ideas and wasn't sure where to go next. But I knew I wanted to learn & grow, try new things & further my skills. So I took a photography workshop a few weekends ago that was wonderful, and I also have been working on learning photoshop once and for all! Really and truly learning it. So I started with Kim Klassen's Skinny Mini class, now I graduated to the big girl class. Here is a shot I edited with a few of my skills...and I feel like I have so much more to learn. I love that feeling!!
http://flic.kr/p/afRdB5

[Kristina]

what a beautiful photo, wonderful locket and so well written post. i am here with every word. i really find very hard to believe in myself, in my photos and in my success. it is so hard to accept good words and to believe that i truly deserve them.

[cheris]

I won "honorable mention" for this photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/liffords/5058141447/in/set-72157624986340711 in a gardening blog. http://cheris.lifford.org/2011/05/17/photo-contest/

[Catherine Just]

I love your lockets! And I love all you do in the world! Would LOVE to wear one of your pieces. It would be such a wonderful birthday gift for MYSELF!

xo
*c

[Kristi]

Standing in my own light and celebrating today's greatly improved ct scan. My light is strong and bright today!

[ghdlissurs]

I would suggest a good place for you, there are fashion items as you need and all your favorite products from top to toe --------www. acheterraybanlunettes.com---------you must not miss it!!! Our promise:Best quality, Fast delivery, Excellent service!!