Take Time To Feed Your Passion

We have all heard the saying "Take time to smell the flowers" feeding your passion can be seen this very same way as well. First before you can feed your passion, you have to identify and find your passion. Sometimes the road may appear narrow, beaten or in some cases nonexistent. Do not mistake this narrow path as a dead end; it's sometimes only the beginning.

Everyone has something they are passionate about. I've met people who are passionate about Love, people who are passionate about Dance, people who are passionate about Animals, people who are passionate about Art, and people who are passionate about Photography just to name a few. A common misconception is "there is no room for my passion". Because someone has seen the passion of others they feel their own personal passion has no place, well this is just not correct and that is one of the first thoughts you must give up before you can move forward. We may touch on what we do with the product of our passion at a later date but know this: having passion and feeding passion is personal and is something you own, it does not warrant critique, criticism or jealousy from others, it belongs to you.

This year I am making a point to feed my passion and I have suggested the same to many people. You do not have to be part of a special club or have the most expensive tools to feed your passion. You don't have to be perfect to reach out for your passion. You do have to have the determination to do something about unlocking your passion and the willingness to do something with it, to feed it. It is one thing to say you love music and are passionate about music, now identify what about music you are passionate about; is it that you love to sing, or maybe even love to write songs, or you might just enjoy listening to music.

For some this is old news, take forward motion toward your passion. Just saying you have it doesn't keep it alive. If you want to dance, identify what you like about dance, get up and do it. Sometimes this means enrolling in a dance class, attending a workshop, finding a teacher or mentor, going to the ballet.

I have a few simple suggestions that I will share regarding forward motion, at the end of each day, answer these questions:

1. What did I do that addressed my passion? This could be anything from the grandest gesture to the tiniest details...a kind word, taking time to gather information, a phone call, starting a to-do list, taking a photograph.

Now once you've come up with at least five things, move to number 2.

2. What did I give to others today that benefitted them? (Yes giving back feeds your passion to move forward).

Now come up with five things here and go to number 3.

3. What difficulties did I cause others today?

Wow you might say, the beauty of this question is that it requires you to step back from your own viewpoint and see the world from another's perspective. Do not just look for mistakes you may have made, instead, think about the impact you had on others today. In a perfect world you would not have caused difficulties for others but we all know we do not live in a perfect world so as crazy as this last question may appear, answer it honestly to yourself and allow for forward motion.

Do this daily and you will find the road to your personal passion becoming much clearer and fed. All artists need continual growth to feed those things they aspire to be better at. You cannot buy the passion; you must physically take forward motion toward your passion. Sometimes things will appear to slow you down but do not give up, so you are not moving as fast as you had hoped to but you are in fact moving forward and feeding your passion.

I hope this post answers perhaps one question of what to do next as we feed our passion in 2011 together.

I'll be attending Imaging USA in San Antonio Texas, feeding some of my passion.

Keep Seeing The Light♥

Katherine Payne Photography joins Thirst Relief

Katherine Payne Photography has joined the Thirst Relief Efforts. This post is dedicated to the upcoming Mentor Auction which goes live on Monday, 1/10/2011. Please read the information and consider supporting. THIRST RELIEF MISSION

Our mission is to overcome death and disease resulting from the consumption of contaminated water by providing safe, clean drinking water to those in need around the world.

Vision

Our vision is simple yet profound - to save lives and change the world.

Thirst Relief International is a water development organization working to improve access to safe water in nine countries worldwide. Founded in 2005, Thirst Relief works with its implementing partners to launch and sustain water projects in impoverished rural areas and urban slum communities. By providing infrastructure development, training, and financial and technical resources to our partners, we are helping thousands of people each year improve their health through safe drinking water. Without Thirst relief's support, and the generosity of our donors, many of these water projects would never come into being.

The Worldwide Water Crisis

In this day and age, the statistics are seemingly unbelievable. 1.1 billion People lack access to clean drinking water, and nearly 2.5 million people die each year due to waterborne-related disease (90% of which are children under the age of 5). As a result, the World Hunger Organization (WHO) has declared a worldwide water crisis among the world's poorest people. Further, the UN has declared 2005-2015 Water for Life: International Decade for Action.

Each week, due to easily preventable causes, diarrheal disease claims the lives of 30,000 people, most of them young children. This is a silent humanitarian crisis that thwarts progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs). The consequences of our collective failure to tackle this problem are the dimmed prospects for the billions of people locked in a cycle of poverty and disease.

HIV/AIDS and Clean Drinking Water

The lack of clean drinking water is at the root of the African HIV/AIDS pandemic. Children and adults living with HIV/AIDS require clean drinking water to survive. Waterborne illness, considered normally mild in healthy adults, becomes an incurable death sentence for those affected by HIV/AIDS. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, millions of people lack access to the basic necessity of clean drinking water. In this same region, some 25 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. The result - over 2 million children and adults die of HIV/AIDS annually in sub-Saharan Africa alone.

Integral to this horrible cycle, sickness and disease resulting from the consumption of contaminated drinking water destroy the strength and development of African families and communities. This leads to extreme poverty, lack of education, tremendous inequities, and greater illnesses, creating conditions ripe for the continued spread of HIV/AIDS. Caught in this downward spiral, it becomes difficult, and most cases impossible, for individuals to progress out of their terrible plight.

The Power of Prevention

One of our Thirst Relief partners, who is an emergency/trauma center doctor turned medical missionary, attended a tropical medicine seminar. He was astonished to learn the following - over one hundred medical practitioners agreed that three ongoing medical clinics a day, in any given tropical region in the world, wouldn't have as much impact on addressing a community's health as simply addressing their need for clean drinking water.

By providing a source of clean, safe drinking water to those in need, we are preventing waterborne diseases and circumventing the need to treat it. For those without access to doctors and antibiotics, this prevention is literally live saving.

Katherine Payne and Katherine Payne Photography is proud to be part of this effort. Stay tuned for more details as we approach the unveiling of the 2011 Thirst Relief Mentor Auction on Monday, 1/10/2011.

Closing 2010 to Welcome 2011

Closing 2010 and Welcome 2011

What is New Year's?

You've all heard of New Year's Resolutions and for some they become goals for the coming year, plans for January or at least a thought for a fleeting moment. ☺

As I enter 2011, with all the changes a new year has to greet me, I must really remember those things that inspire me. I must take the time to embrace life, share a moment, and feed my passions.

Everyone has an answer... answers to your banking and financial future, answers to your marketing and business plans, answers to your cooking and kitchen needs, answers to your body size or performance. Just spend one night and watch or listen to late night TV.... I've watched late night commercials for P90X or other "enhancements" and yes I find myself saying "WHAT THE ???" But wait, there is an answer that is not in their product even during the "limited time to act" promotion, these businesses, people and products are doing one thing in common, they are moving on their ideas, products and programs. Now I am not suggesting anyone dive into late night promotions, HSN, or other magnets to your money. Now on one flip side of this point sits the reality that people are buying this stuff otherwise they wouldn't be continuing the commercials (TV Spots are Expensive), Billy Mays was not a poor man, trust me, he may be dead, but everyone knows this pitchman and people bought what he was pitching. What I am suggesting is this.....

Whatever your passion, Whatever your dream....spend some time reaching out in 2011

Enjoy the gifts of life, make a commitment to a better you.

We all have areas we can improve; if we didn't, we would cease to exist and our jobs would be done, never stop learning.

Put away your arrogance, you only impress yourself and at the end of the day where do you want to be.....

As for me, my 2011 journey is only one chapter and I am excited to share it with you.

~~~Happy New Year~~~

Please remember three things this holiday as you sing your Auld Lang Syne*, be safe, don't drink and drive, and be nice....... Yes, I said nice...... If you have to think about this one, take a moment or two but remember that person you are nice to might just be that person who feeds your passion and enables your dreams.

*Remembering a little history....Auld Lang Syne is the Scottish Poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 referring to "times gone past", "the good old days" and with most New Year's Celebrations as the clock turns 12 the song begins to welcome the new year. Most know the song, however; many don't know the lyrics.

12 Days of Christmas

12 Days of Christmas ~

So you've all heard the song, every day as we approach Christmas Day the measurements of people, places and things grows and grows. Every year I hear the same questions being asked all around me, "what do you want?", "what do you need?".....etc....etc....... Every year I find myself not having a solid answer to respond, I guess that makes me bad, or perhaps I should only look for that lump of coal in the Christmas sock (but just think what happens to coal......it can be the diamond in the works, yes it takes many more years than I have to watch but it does). I hear repeatedly, ohhh, I cannot do portraits now, I need to lose 50 lbs and get a face lift, have my hair grow out, blah blah blah (here again, some more of my own responses to those crazy questions). Talk about a reflection of me........

This year meets me with a flood of emotion. I have sadness, I have happiness, I have excitement and I have dreams. My sadness as this is the first year without my Mother, it's a very difficult time, I don't feel like celebrating, decorating, entertaining because I'm sad, cannot everyone see that.......my happiness as we celebrate the expected birth of Christopher (my grandson), the absolute joy Issy and Evie bring to my life every day, the love of my family and wonderful friends and the celebration of Lyle receiving his masters degree from Regis........ my excitement from soup to nuts, as I like to say, horse bites to butterfly kisses, simple pleasures of dark chocolate and good coffee to that every day feather and a nice glass of wine, to being part of wonderful groups of artists coming together for common interests, like Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep to Help-Portrait to Thank a Soldier.........to my dreams, which drive me to that special place that give me hope, hope that I can share the scenes of the world with my friends, family and clients, dreams of travel to special places near and far, dreams of sharing, dreams of caring, dreams that one day may come, but they still are dreams. So, I'm not really Scrooge, I have my tree decorated, I am planning the celebrations of graduation and Christmas with all the joy and excitement, celebrating Christ. it is not about me...that's the raw truth, that's the message that feeds the fires of all the dreams and plans.....it is giving back, capturing memories, sharing moments, celebrating successes, embracing grief and sadness.

So back to the 12 Days of Christmas....I'm going to close with this, don't wait, don't delay, grab hold of your TODAY, as today becomes your story and tomorrow becomes your dreams. you don't need 12 days to celebrate, you need only your desire and hopes and dreams. If you want it, just ask! I did and I am so glad.

Merry Christmas Everyone, may your holiday season be all that you dream and wish for.

Keep Seeing The Light,

Katherine

Happy Thanksgiving and the Denver Help-Portrait 2010 Project

Happy Thanksgiving, I hope this finds everyone ready for the excitement of the holiday season. Starting off the season with Thanksgiving, and the ever popular Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
This year, our Denver Help-Portrait event has exploded. We are giving back to what looks like hundreds of people on this one day event. Providing professional Hair and Make Up Artists; Santa for the Kiddos. A Free finished Portrait of the family and so much more, to give them a good day and some hope. Because of this explosion, I will be offering a Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale. 2 for 1 Gift Certificates if purchased Friday, 11/26 through Monday 11/29. Purchase one $350 Session Gift Certificate and you will get a second $350.00 Session Gift Certificates Free. I am also going to donate $25.00 from each Gift Certificate Sold during this sale to the Help-Portrait Denver Event. So not only are you giving away a wonderful gift of preserving memories, you are helping the Denver Help Portrait group give back to what appears to be over 600 people at this time and we are still counting with 11 days to go.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for so much; a healthy family, some awesome clients, amazing friends and a blessed life. Sometimes our lives become overwhelmed with chaos but as the smoke clears and the reflections are in place, it wasn't so bad, as a matter of fact we find ourselves getting back on the horse and going again.... My best experiences with this started with the Outward Bound Trip which I loathed over until the year passed and I reflected back on what actually was a pretty exciting trip both physically and emotionally. Last years' Help-Portrait Event which took us to Local and National News with CNN and Headline News, helping one organization to this year's event where we are committed to several organizations with nearly 10 times the guests participating.

Take time to recognize your blessings and give thanks for all that has come your way. I believe in giving back and even when the world is busy, somehow you can find a way to make someone smile even in the darkest days and hours.

Keep Seeing The Light,
Katherine

November 5.....several irons in the fire

November 5...... this day frankly is bitter sweet. We are less than 30 days from the Help-Portrait Denver Event and we are yet to finalize a location. We are getting close but hopefully will get this done soon so we can get the next several steps in place.

Help Portrait is "A Shift in Thinking......Help-Portrait is a global movement of photographers using their time, gear and expertise to give back to those in need.

Last year, Denver Help-Portrait served the homeless at the St. Francis Center in Denver. This shelter serves 700 homeless a day. Our day included an awesome team of over 66 volunteers. We offered hair cuts, make up and portraits. Our personal gift to the shelter was new socks for the community. This year we are looking to help a larger group, included with the homeless are, "Dress for Success", "Ronald McDonald House", "Safehouse Colorado", Colorado Coalition for the homeless" and many more. We welcome any and all volunteers. You don't have to be a photographer to be part of our special day of giving back. Last year we were on headline news, CNN, Channel 4 and Channel 9. We all came together as a team and gave back to those in need, and in the end, we had a good day. Please feel free to contact me personally if you are interested in joining our Denver team... Our next group meeting is Monday, 11/15/2010 at the REI Starbucks, feel free to come by and check us out and join in if you like.

Fall and October

Fall and October

Fall always comes as a time of reflection for me. I see the changing seasons, the colors of the trees change, the cooler temperatures and preparing for winter.

Having lost my Mom only four months ago, I find myself taking longer looks at the sunrises and sunsets. I treasure each and every feather I find each and every day since she passed away. I also find myself sharing more silent moments. I love sharing my photo field trips with amazing friends. I will be planning the next field trip very soon, so if you want to be part of a field trip, road trip and camping trip to go experience some silent moments with all the beauty that is before us, drop me a note.

This fall, Katherine Payne Photography has offered a very awesome gift to the first 5 families who contact me. So plan to experience the change and spot out the location for your new wall portrait.

The Fall and Winter schedule does get very busy and full, so do not delay getting your images for your holiday cards and gifts.

I am also excited to announce the news that I have another grandchild on the way. What an amazing legacy, watching the children grow and being apart of their lives, my cup runneth over.

Keep seeing the light, take time to enjoy the changes of the seasons, give yourself time to have those silent moments.