Plan B

Sometimes things do not go as plan whether it be work, personal goals, or something as simple as an organized date night. And in the relative scheme of things that is okay as long as you can relax and just go with the flow. Sounds easy enough right, well sort of. For me personally, I have always been an individual who makes options more than plans. I like to look at situations and feel comfortable to be well uncomfortable. It's sort of a self defense mechanism in some ways. This way if my plans have a hiccup or issue I always have a "Plan B".

As of late I feel as if the last few months have been nothing but "Plan B". To be honest it has been amazing and frightening, to step out of many of my comfort zones and live each day fully embraced in all its glory good or bad. For example, living this summer in Colorado whitewater kayaking and photographing the GoPro Mountain Games was a dream come true and then the work started piling up. As much fun as I was having taking time off to be out West this summer exploring and photographing, my workflow, clients and personal matters were calling me home to the Adirondacks. So with a heavy heart and a tad bit of hesitation I decided to reroute my plans and follow my gut. Turns out spending July and August home in New York were some of the most lucrative and enjoyable moments I have had there in a long time. So with these turns of events in mind I have kept a very loose yet, professional schedule these days. Always keeping in the back of my mind that at any minute, hour or day what I think should be the right direction may indeed get flipped on its head.

As I sit here right now in a coffee shop in Colorado reviewing a week of shooting the Grand Prix of Snowboarding at Copper Mountain, I am riding an adrenaline high on life yet, also sad that my time here is limited and I must return home once again to New York for the duration of winter to work and create. Everyday is a constant reminder that what truly matters is not where I am, or how much I have, but in the end it is the time I have with friends, family and clients. And how I cherish that time to push myself to be the best person I can be personally and professionally.

Long ago when I was a kid and realized my true calling was to create art and photography, originally I was scared to death. Nobody wants to intentionally live a life of struggle, poverty and confusion, yet these were all things that many people sadly associate with artists and try to justify it's okay. Well, sadly I used think that these things were also true until I realized I make my own agenda; my own life and just because I am a living artist doesn't mean I need to fit a stereotype.

So going back to the theme of Plan B, recently I have tapped into what I see and feel is a healthier and happier mindset for my career as an artist. I am allowing time in my schedule not just for workflow but also personal relationships too, because without these roots I would not be the strong individual I am siting here today. I would probably be freaking out every time something went array when in fact all you need to do is step back reassess and begin again.