piecing it all together

I thought I'd have it figured out by now, this "knowing yourself" business. And yet here I am, once again questioning and challenging the construct of self that I've held onto for so long. I've been stripping away the layers of how others define me, how I've been socialized to define myself, and I'm trying to piece it all back together again. I am learning to embrace my unfinishedness and to walk comfortably with the idea that my identify is more fluid and flexible than I give it credit for and that I will never be finished with the work of self-discovery and reflection.

In continuing with the exploration of our word of the month "YOU," please share with us stories of how you've changed the way you see or define yourself, and feel free to share images that represent any aspect of yourself.

YOU.

“Today you are YOU, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than YOU.”
-Dr. Seuss

We welcome in October and with it a new one word to explore for the month, YOU.

YOU are beautiful

YOU are strong

YOU are creative

YOU are brave

YOU are enough

YOU are loved

YOU are needed

YOU are perfectly imperfect

YOU inspire

YOU give

YOU shine

YOU ROCK!

Yes YOU

Share with us the beauty of you.  All the lovely, quirky, silly, fragile, fierce, complicated, amazing pieces of you.

This month is gonna be good! I can feel it already. Can YOU? 

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You can read more about our monthly One Word Project here. Use the one word as a bit of inspiration all month long and add your images to our OWP Pool on Flickr . Don't forget to tag your photos this month with the following 3 things, owp, october, & you.

story of place

I live where the sea shapes the landscape. Place is easily identified by weathered clapboard shingles, stacks of lobster traps, and croppings of tangled wild sea roses. Wild and weathered, the stories of long harsh winters and achingly beautiful autumns. A place where tradition and nature are closely intertwined.

Today show us a story of place with one of your images.

Are you surorunded by wide open spaces, or perhaps concrete urban landscapes?

What speaks "home" to you?

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*Don't forget to leave a comment here for a chance at our daily $100.00 gift giveaway sponsored by Paper Coterie,  and keep on shooting and sharing your 'story' in the Shutter Sisters One Word Project Pool on Flickr for an opportunity to be chosen as the One Word of the day for a second chance at $100.00 from Paper Coterie.  2 chances to win each day!  Names of our Everyday Giveaway winners are posted in our sidenotes section each day.

story people

"They came to sit and dangle their feet off the edge of the world & after awhile they forgot everything but the good & true things they would do someday." ~story people

Do you ever spy on strangers with your camera? (Please tell me i am not alone here.)  I promise I am not at  all creepy, strange maybe, creepy no. I just find people fascinating. I love observing interactions, diversity, perhaps a touch, or an emotion. Fleeting moments that catch my eye. I have always loved to people watch, my camera just takes my people watching up a notch. Now I don't just watch, I click. Some times they are fully aware of my camera, other times I hide behind a telephoto lens. Each time there is something I am drawn to that makes me point my lens in their direction. Some times I get home and load my photos and imagine a story for the subjects in my photo. (overactive imagination, check.) Sometimes a simple quote helps tells the story of a photo.  Some of my favorite quotes to play with are story people quotes. Lines full of whimsy. Little stories in their own right.

Maybe one day I will no longer feel the need to create stories for my strangers. Maybe one day I will walk right up and just ask them to tell me their story. But for now, I click and imagine.

Have you captured any strangers in your lenses lately?  What story did you find there?

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***Don't forget to leave a comment here for a chance at our daily $100.00 gift giveaway fabulously sponsored by Paper Coterie,  and keep on shooting and sharing your stories in the Shutter Sisters One Word Project Pool on Flickr for an opportunity to be chosen as the One Word of the day for a second chance at $100.00 from Paper Coterie.  2 chances to win each day! 

Update:  Names of our Everyday Giveaway winners are now being posted in our sidenotes section each day. So remember to look for your name there and keep checking your inboxes for your winning notification. Keep the comments coming for your chance to win each day.

a true story

I have been sitting here, staring at the computer screen, wondering what to write. It's late, and I'm tired, and my mind has apparently checked out. The truth is, I don't quite have the words to accompany this photo. I took it Friday night, and I wanted to share it with you because I think it tells the story of who and where I am today. I just wish that story could be told in words and sentences and paragraphs.

But all I have for you for now is this image. It's not much, but the story it tells is true...

Share with us today your images that tell the true stories of your lives, with or without the need for words.

P.S. Don't forget that we are giving away one $100 Paper Coterie gift card EVERY SINGLE DAY of September! Share a comment each day before midnight EST for your chance to win that day's random drawing. Be sure to leave links to your story shots.