Habits Can Lead to Big Changes

In just a few days I will be 45. 

More often than not these days, I find myself wondering if I am who I want to be? In many ways I am, but in others I have not lived up to the standards I have set for myself. 

Yearly, I share my goals on this blog to help guide me through the days, weeks, and months. They help me focus on outcomes that, to be honest, are sometimes pretty fleeting. With that said, I think there are small tasks that I need to make habits. By doing so, who I want to be will be more in tune with who I actually am.

I believe in the power of creating habits, even though I do struggle with self-discipline. I can see that "mountain" in front of me, but can't seem to put one foot in front of the other to reach the peak. I know I am not alone, that's why we love those roads to drive up the mountain. It's quicker and less painful!

Over the last year, I went from someone who had a "fun" savings account to a person who was saving for a rainy day. Now that I have developed the monthly habit of paying my savings account and making an extra payment towards the principal on my house loan, I don't even question doing it. Sometimes I even go a little wild and do it twice a month!

What if I can take that mentality and apply it to the little things -- those little things that can become so habitual I don't even think about it? Just like with a savings account, $100 can over time and discipline become $10,000 or more! 

I think it's possible. And, as small as some of these habits may seem, I know they will help me be the "ME I WANT TO BE" as I enter my 45th year on planet Earth. 

#1. Drink more water. May sound silly, but I struggle. This past August I started being more mindful about water intake. It is a true work in progress. 

#2. Continue to do daily devotionals and prayers with my daughter. This habit has been ongoing and one that I do not want to cease.

#3. Floss at least 3 times a week. Right now I floss like a maniac when a dental appointment is near. I have to fix this. 

#4. This blog -- quit neglecting it! 

#5. My photography -- create new content at least twice a month.

#6. Send a messages electronically or via snail mail to loved ones to let them know they are valued.

#7. Practice more prayer and meditation to quiet my mind before bedtime.

#8. Continue to stash $ in savings and apply extra $ towards the principal on my house loan monthly.

#9. Don't miss church. I have no excuse to these days because I have recently found an online church that I enjoy as well as the fact I have gotten better at trying new churches when one I am attending isn't meeting my/our needs. 

I think by making these things habits, I will see changes within myself and in my life that will be rewarding on many levels and those rewards won't be temporary. 

Until next time,
M of MK Designs 

PS Enjoy this lovely image from Fall 2018 at Robertsville State Park. I enjoyed this moment and am glad I captured it. 

Taking Inventory of 2018: Accountability, Goals (Written and Unwritten), and More!

Sticking with my mantra of accountability, it's time to update the blog! 

So, did my 2018 Goals fly or crash? Let's find out!

(Click HERE if you would like to see them in full.) 

Continue blessing our Compassion International child, Beatrice. 
SUCCESS! 

Have a backbone. 
Do not put up with bullies. 
Be strong and courageous, as it says in Joshua 1:9. 
Do all those things to be a better example to my daughter. 
WORK IN PROGRESS! 
I reviewed this with my friend a few days ago. 
She thinks I did pretty well. 
I believe I can do better. 

Remember that I do not walk through challenges alone. 
This was also based on Joshua 1:9. 
SUCCESS! 

Be kinder to those who are kind to me. 
Be kinder to myself. 
WORK IN PROGRESS!

Read More. Write More. 
BUMMER! 
I read a few great books, but not as many as I wished to. 
Writing really slacked in 2018. 
I stayed on track with my deadlines for River Hills Traveler, SchoolJournalism.org, and JEA Digital Media. 
When it came to writing for ME, aka for MK Designs, I bombed!  

Don't enter art shows and have work in a "gallery" to validate myself as an artist. Do it when I feel compelled to, and only if I have the time. 
SUCCESS! This was a HUGE leap for me in 2018! 

SIDE NOTE: One of the few shows I entered, I actually WON! 
Maybe that's a sign to only enter ones I can really FOCUS on. 

Find some plant-based foods that don't make me gag. 
FAILURE. 
By August I gave up. 
I felt like I was wasting time, energy, and money on stuff that just made me sick to my stomach. 
I will keep trying to find a way to sneak more veggies and fruits into my diet, but vegetarian/vegan, I am not. 
Just look at that steak I grilled! 

With all that said, I now want to focus on the goals I accomplished that I didn't write down. Those are some ones that I am exceptionally proud of. 

In my personal life, there were some serious changes. Those changes drove me to save, save, save. I am not just saving for a rainy day, but for a storm that could be coming at any second. 

On a whim, I bought a book and took a lettering class! 
I enjoyed it and hope to do more things like this in the future!

I photographed some beautiful souls. 
I think I did some of my best portrait work in ages. 

Granted, I don't have a line of people begging me to take their photos, but I have had some people tell me they WISHED they'd booked with me once they saw their typical run-of-the-mill portraits compared to my work. 

 

I am willing to try new places, various lighting techniques, and even a smoke bomb or four!

I branched out and did some work with babies, moms-to-be, and even a wedding in San Diego!

I think because I do not take on a TON of clients, that helps me focus on attention to detail. It also helps me find new ways to approach subjects that have been photographed many times in their lives. 

The work I did for people in 2018 is work that I am very proud of. I feel it helped me grow more in the area of portrait photography. 

We got a turtle. 
Yep. Even though I said I never wanted one.
While getting a pet turtle was far from a goal, it has become my goal to keep that turtle alive! 

My daughter loves Sparky and I do, too. 
You can even find him on Instagram. Click HERE. 

It's also come to my attention that I am at my happiest when I see others succeed. When I can help elevate people to a level they didn't expect to reach, that's amazing. 

I don't want to bask in their glory. I just like standing to the side and cheering them on once they've reached their goals. 

Maybe that is why teaching is such a blessing in my life and has been for over two decades. 

Also, I have to toss in the fact that we found a dumped cat on a hiking trail, fostered it for over 20 days, and saved its life. 

"Vladi" is now living a dream life of being a VERY SPOILED boy with his new family. (Nope, we didn't keep him. We already have three cats and a turtle, folks!) I plan to share more about this experience soon!

While I ponder what to goals to commit to in 2019, I hope that this post finds you content, blessed, and at ease. 

I recently heard a message that I connected with deeply. I have taken the liberty to elaborate upon it as a post on my Instagram and Facebook. I will leave that with you today.

I am hopeful your 2018 was a good one, and look forward to sharing more blog posts with my thoughts and photography with you in 2019! 

M of MK Designs Photography: Fine Art and Portrait.
January 1, 2019. 

I am baaaack... and thinking of the SCIENCE of it all!

So, I have been a slack-a-lackin' in the blog department, but let's revisit one of my goals for 2018: 

Don't pressure myself to enter art shows and jump through other hoops just for the sake of being a Photographer. To clarify, only do an art show if I want to and have the time to. Being in an art show doesn't make or break me as an artist. 

And, I have certainly stuck to that! 

HOWEVER, for the first time in 2018 there is a "call for art" by Framations Art Gallery in St. Charles that has me fired up! It's called "The Science of It." 

Here are my four entries I am working on, as well as the written artist statements. I just need my prints to arrive, get them framed, and drive them to the gallery on time! 

Wish me luck!

“Refrigerator Chemist” 

In the case of this image instead of simply being a photographer I became the “Refrigerator Chemist.” I studied the reactions of common liquids easily found in the average American’s refrigerator. Observing the way these liquids interacted and reacted to each other was fascinating and made for a fun afternoon of photography!

“Mother Ocean”

Oceanography covers many areas, but what fascinates me the most is that the ocean is in a constant state of motion. From the waves to the tides, I am fascinated by how ALIVE the ocean is. Even when she looks at peace, there is so much physical activity taking place that I am in awe of it all. While some look to the stars for answers, I think many answers can be found in the depths of our oceans.

“Breath of Life”

Ecology helps humans understand the relationships living organisms have with each other. As a child, I’ll never forget learning the importance of trees in my science lessons. Arrows on illustrations showed us that as humans breathe out, trees breathe in what we exhale, and vice-versa. We need each other. We give each other what we need to survive. Yet, just two years ago global tree loss rose 51%. Protecting something that is indeed our breath of life is critical.

“The Living River”

It fascinates me that as leaves fall into various water ways in the Ozarks that they are not truly dead, instead they simply take on another form of life. As they decompose, they help feed other organisms. Without the leaves that fall in the autumn, the stream wouldn’t be able to complete its life cycle and fish such as trout wouldn’t survive. As we study Ecology and how living things interact with each other, it’s important to note that life goes on. There is no true end it would seem.

Until next time,
M of MK Designs 
mkdesignsphoto.com

Nine Goals in 2018. Wanna join me?

In my previous blog post, I focused on 2017. Now that we are a few weeks into 2018, it's time to shift gears. 

Sticking to my "if I write it on my blog, I will do it" mindset, I announce my plans for 2018.

#1. Continue to be a blessing to our Compassion International Child, Beatrice. While the distance is great, enriching Beatrice's life is greater. I will continue to keep her in my prayers and lift her up. 

#2. Be a better example to my daughter. Show her by example that no one should bully or coerce her with putdowns, negativity, or "controlling" behaviors. Teach her that those who abuse their "power" can and will be held accountable. ALSO - - - > Yes, it is ok to "tell on someone" when that someone is completely out of line. 

#3. (This ties into #2.) Have a stronger backbone. 

#4. Walk through trials and challenges knowing that I do not walk alone. I have God and his son, Jesus. I also have people who actually WANT to support me. I need to accept that I cannot and should not shoulder all the stress alone. 

#5. Be kinder to those who continue to show me kindness. I take some of my biggest champions for granted. Time to stop that and show them the kindness they show me. 

#6. Don't pressure myself to enter art shows and jump through other hoops just for the sake of being a Photographer. To clarify, only do an art show if I want to and have the time to. Being in an art show doesn't make or break me as an artist. 

#7. Be kind to myself (enough said). 

#8. Find some new "plant-based" foods that don't make me gag. There has to be something out there for me! 

#9. Read More. Write More. 

I'll end it there. I think these goals can help me lead a pretty sweet life in 2018. As you know, I'll be checking in here from time to time to make sure I am keeping my word! 

What are your goals? 
Do you set a few to kick off each year? 
Feel free to comment or message me. 
Join me for the journey! 

Until next time,
M of MK Designs 

Long Time, No Blog...and That's OK!

Well, my mantra for 2017 is this:

I have been doing so many things that my future self will thank me for that I haven't been as focused on this blog. Tonight, I shall update those of you who take the time to read these posts. The past few months have been exciting!

#1. I have been honing my skills as a writer. Sure, this may seem like a contradiction because of my lack of blog posts lately, but I promise you I have been writing. 

Articles I have penned have been published in the River Hills Traveler, SchoolJournalism.org, and most recently by MSTA in School and Community magazine. 

I love writing about a variety of topics ranging from a state park I enjoy to the need for media literacy. It's been such a blessing to be published and read by so many people lately. I am still not sure why people think what I have to say is of value, but they do and I am humbled by it! 

#2. Another moment where I just "did something" that I know my future self will thank me for revolves around Spring Break 2017! 

For the first time since I started teaching, the school I teach in scheduled a full Spring Break. I took advantage of it by suggesting to my mom that we take Karlene on her first flight. 

After looking at our flyer miles, we decided to fly to Arizona and spend a week seeing as much as possible. 

When my friend Terri asked me how it went, one word came to mind: harmonious. We all got along well. There were very few issues we encountered while traveling in Arizona. Things were smooth, peaceful, and fun. 

#3. Last, but not least, I have been physically getting off my a$$ a lot more already in 2017 than I did last year. 

There have been many walks and hikes at places like Shaw Nature Reserve, Robertsville State Park, and LaBarque Creek! They have all been beautiful and some have been challenging. Overall, I am happy to be out walking more in the outdoors.

On that note, Happy 100th Birthday to the Missouri State Parks system! Oh, how I love you so! I spent the day trying out the new Lost Hill Trail at Robertsville State Park in honor of the occassion. 

So, as I wrap this up, I do hope in some ways you are inspired to take a little bit of my 2017 mantra and apply it in your own life. Perhaps you can find those things that you can do NOW that will make your future self very happy!

Until next time,

M of MK Designs

Lately... Ice, Kindness, Encouragement, Instagram, and more!

If you are new the party, welcome. :-)

Lately, it's been a bit difficult to get off my a$$ and walk/photograph more. Mother nature isn't very cooperative. On the days I am at the "day job" - she likes to toss me 60+ degree weather. The days I do not work are comprised of ice that could break my back. 

Yes, 1-13-17 is quite a time. Ice storm, Friday the 13th, and a full moon. I can't say I blame Soulard Art Gallery (and banks, schools, businesses, etc.) for closing. Tonight's opening of the "Driven to Abstraction II" show I am in has been postponed until next Friday. 

So today, I forced myself to get off my a$$ by working towards bettering my "photographic world." 

I got a wild hair in 2017 and decided it was time to try Instagram again for MK Designs. So, today I read tutorials to add an instagram widget to my website mkdesignsphoto and to this blog you are reading. Wasn't easy, but I figured it out. 

Then, I designed a simple ad for my MK Designs facebook page that will also go in a local high school newspaper. I was gifted free advertising by a fellow photographer who had already purchased for the whole year, but is deciding to scale back a bit. I am blessed that through our friendship she thought of me when she made this decision. 

I don't understand the need to be in "competition" with fellow artists and photographers to the point of petty backstabbing or undercutting each other. Friendly competition is a good thing, but taking it too far burns bridges. I am thankful that the bridge between she and I is a strong one. 

On that note, I am excited that not only I made the "Driven to Abstraction II" show in Soulard, but another local photographer did, too. She even gave me a shout out on social media for it! 

I am a firm believer in kindness and encouragement. When I saw some of the work she posted, I felt it was perfect for a show. I didn't hesitate to let her know. THIS is how we should all treat each other, don't you think?

I have to admit that there's other things I could do today (1-13-17) to get off my a$$, but after adding more content to my website, starting this blog post, and many other things... my couch and a book are screaming my name. 

More to come later...