You are not alone... the camera made me go grrr too...

Because it's never just one thing you have to overcome... I'm posting about my severe hatred of taking pictures and my lack of know how or camera savvy.

When I started out I struggled with the camera.  OK, I'm still working on it.  I have never taken a class.  Apature value and time value still confuse me a bit, but not as much as they used to (thank you JennaDesigns).  I think I've nailed the macro settings and where the photo brackets, or focuses.  I really really HATE editing & adjusting color after the shot.  It's not that difficult to adjust your curves, mess with the saturation and hue.  IF I try to do this... my colors never look true, or the white pages look so bright you can't see them anymore.  So... my photos are a bit dark.  Yes, the table I photo on has a bit to do with that... but I feel as if it's become part of my brand.  It sets my shots out from anyone else's.  So I own the shots that I have taken.  I am good with the "darkness" because I know my colors are as true as you can get with a digital image and monitors may vary a bit. Who else has a gorgeous barn board table with THAT much character?  I get some comments about it every once in a while.  It seems without fail, a day or two later, someone will tell me they love my photos... thank you!  For someone who has NEVER taken a photo class I think I'm doing OK.

Obstacle overcome!  <3  in my mind at least :P

Overcoming obstacles, I feel like a ringmaster at times...

We all have obstacles we overcome to make what we are doing easier, more fulfilling, or profitable.  An obstacle of mine is balancing my family and work.  It definitely not my biggest obstacle (I have a harder time keeping myself on task) but I will say it's my most important.  My family comes first, always.  That's why I'm trying so emphatically to make my new life work.  I love to be at home with my children.  The problem here is that they sometimes don't understand that I'm not "playing" when I'm on the computer, or that when I'm in my studio that I can't drop everything to help them build a fort or watch a movie.  OK, sometimes I do drop everything... but if I let them get me distracted every time I started working... ooo, that's a fun game.

So, how do I overcome this obstacle?  Include them in my adventure!  They are as proud of my shop as I am, sometimes more.  My 13 year old is my advisor (see my 100th post).  She helps me decide what goes with what, and helps with color choices.  My 7 year old is my social manager & cheerleader (see "In awe of my daughter" post).  She tells me what to tweet, and gives me ideas to promote my shop.  They work right along side me most times.  I am very fortunate to have a studio with a ping pong table in the middle.  It has transformed into a huge craft area... most times filled with drawings and projects.  They help their dad with his shop too.  I think they like helping dad more... but who wouldn't want to be playing in the mud...  wait for me guys!!!

We take it one day at a time & keep our eyes on the horizon, with love in our hearts.

What are your obstacles?  What have you overcome?