Work as a Prayer

I heard something recently that took my breath away, and although having read most of the books in C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, I haven't gotten to this part just yet.

I actually heard someone speaking about this at a different time, and thankfully found it again on the Desiring God  blog when I couldn't remember the details.
Even though it wasn't always easy for me to be this transparent and share this vulnerable side of my life,  this journey I am on has been a bit like walking out on the water, and I am not sinking.

In a fabulously hard place where God is "making me lie down in green pastures," requiring me to be still ad know, to trust, to be quiet, to listen for his voice. He has a purpose, an authenticity he wants me to uncover through it all. Not to say this journey isn't amazing too, I am just saying when it comes to finding an authentic voice, and work, I am and have been made to lie down, and the old dragon skin is being ripped off as I speak.

Hopefully by sharing this with you, at least one person's eyes will be open that we need to be on this journey together. A journey to an Authentic Life, living with core convictions, understanding that we should have joy in our work, to be creative because it is just the way our life should be, and to trust that the outcome is in "good hands."

So back to the story that took my breath away. If you see Aslan as a representation of Jesus, fully trustworthy, and fully fierce & unsafe but Good, then you will understand what is needed for true transformative change, and it doesn't sound pretty or easy!

"In mercy and compassion, Aslan arrives, and leads the dragoned Eustace to a garden on top of the mountain, and then to a well at the center of the garden.

Eustace looks at the well and knows if he could just get into the water the pain in his leg would be soothed. But Aslan says he will have to be undressed first. After a moment of confusion Eustace, remembers that he is a dragon and that dragons have skins like snakes which could be shed. With his new claws, Eustace begins tearing at his dragon skin. He peels off one layer only to discover another nasty, scaly, and rough layer underneath. And then another. After three layers, he realizes it’s vain — he will never make himself clean or get rid of his pain or shed the nasty skin.

A Gash of Grace

“You will have to let me undress you,” says Aslan the Lion. So desperate was Eustace, even his fear of Aslan’s claws was not enough to stop him from laying down flat on his back. Laying anxious on the ground, here’s what Eustace felt. The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. . . .Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off — just as I thought I’d done it myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt — and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me — I didn’t like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I’d no skin on — and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I’d turned into a boy again. . . .
After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me . . . in new clothes.

Was able to get my baby "fix" the other day when I met this new little one. So sweet! Working is such a delight, I will never ever take it for granted ever again! As I work, it is really my prayer. I think slowly I have decided to take a few clients in photography for now and do some more odd jobs to fill in the blanks while I am working on my painting show. Love and miss photographing children so much it literally hurts, but this time of creating and playing with a new medium has been extremely refreshing. Hopefully fruitful soon. 

As I paint, I am wanting to set some real goals for the end products I have accumulating here, so I vow to have a very colorful art show in Nashville Tennessee, hopefully this summer and hopefully with Kristi D. McDougal. Setting goals helps me take this painting thing to another level and see it as a way to work, and love what I do!  Also, I will be showing my new paintings at the Slope Suds in Brooklyn in about 5 weeks! 

As far as Photography goes, I am definitely looking to sing up a limited number of new families for newborn sessions and child Urban colorful Spring sessions in the Brooklyn area or Manhattan of course. 

Plans to come back to Raleigh  so do sign up for your spring photo session too. ( very limited number of sessions available) 

Got to hang out with this little sweet baby today and snuggle! She has such a great big sister!

Painting, I am just letting it all out. Sometimes it turns into mush. But that mush usually begins me thinking about what I want again. The best thing about painting, it there in no limit to how many errors that you make, just paint over it. Hardest part in painting though is letting go of a good part because it is not working in the overall life and profound statement the painting is trying to make. 

Next, I want to paint from the inspiration of birds and butterflies and dragon flies wings, mixed with dreams, texture, patterns, and some subject matter and landscapes. 

2014, We have 365 days ahead...

2014 
I welcome you.

For now, a video slideshow, just some highlights from a year's worth of instagram pics (our first year in NYC). The slide show took me two days to make, and I finally narrowed it down to 9 minutes, hope you enjoy!



2013 year endnumber2small from kimberly on Vimeo.



Four big things I learned in 2013

1. Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it._ c.s. Lewis

2. Jesus is Life and my life is hidden in Him alone. He restores the Human calling.

3. Art is not Free and is the most valuable thing that God uses to open the hearts of people.

4. God's voice stills you, leads you, Reassures you, Enlightens, Encourages you, Comforts you, Calms you, Convicts you.

Warmth & WINDOWs

With an out of nowhere Beautiful 74 degree day last week, 

I jumped on the G train with my daughter to photograph a little girl that lives in this charming area near Cobble Hill. When the session was done right around 5:30pm the lure of exploration tugged on my heart and the oblivious miles to walk never seem to hinder that desire to explore until I realize how many miles I have walked all day and collapse in exhaustion at home. 

On this day, the destination, would have been lovely if it were one of these open cafes to sit and enjoy a meal and a glass of wine with friends, but today, I just wanted to find my way to Trader Joe's (about 15 blocks away) so I could get a Root Beer that doesn't have corn syrup in it. 

It was such a nice walk, with the warm breeze and the warmth of the sun, evidence of laughter and life before me finally.  The streets once seemingly only a designated highway to find a "warm" retreat, now crowded with vintage wood eclectic tables and chairs, fresh flowers in cute little vases, clinking wine glasses sparkling in the setting sun filled with beautiful whites and reds, opened windows and doors & wonderful aromas of steak cooked to perfection.  

Since we moved here on the 25th of December & landed hitting the ground running, acclimating to a congested northern city in the dead of the winter, while saying good bye to open spaces, green grass, a big back yard, our circle of friends and mentors our church home, short warm winters and the ability to do our own laundry whenever we wish.  

Not that I haven't experienced goodness, nor have I not met warm people, but up until this point, this city seemed to be a bit gray on the outdoors, only warm and inviting if you peer into a cozy cafe or if you enter a fascinating museum or building or train station. Only experiencing people in the outdoors gritting their teeth and burying their heads in their scarves to stay warm as they walked briskly in the direction of relief, to find a warm destination to get a rest from their face freezing in the wind. Walking as fast as possible down the streets, you would see glimpses of life and love in the windows of cafes, where the heat was on, candles were lit on tables and people gathered with their close friends to eat. Such warm atmospheres on the inside.

On this day, I caught a glimpse of what is to come very soon for the outdoors. 

I loved that at this park in Cobble Hill, as soon as the warm sun hit, a balloon clown showed up and started selling balloon animals and a man ( who really shouldn't have been singing) showed up to share his songs with the world who would be willing to listen. 

The Streets became alive. Doors and windows were all flung opened and or just gone altogether. Giving me a small glimpse at what's to come when the weather stays this warm and the trees have all their leaves and the days are long.

In retrospect, there was one other day that I felt this kind of joy about living here, it was the first few weeks of our arrival and I had barely seen any place just yet. My husband finally convinced me to get out to the park which was nice and then we walked down 9th Av to 7th street on a charming big flaky snowy day, passing all these historical brownstones with gas lit lanterns and ornately designed iron railings.

I had never seen something so nostalgically charming. The feeling was like I was being pulled into a vortex of time travel, revisiting the days of old and being given a moment in history. If the streets had windows into another time, it would look similar 86 the razor scooters and roller blades and women wearing leggings. I realized that we were finding our home in a city where people have thrived for 100's of years, and if they thrived, we could too. It was in that moment that it occurred to me I could  let go of all that I have know, all that I knew about this life and how to live it,  opening my heart up a whole new way of living. A new world of possibilities.

Back to this particularly warm sunny day, I looked around and focused on all the life and vibrance, and I welcomed the overwhelming feeling of this could be an amazing experience living here, this could be home.

All that said, I still question when I  will feel like a real New Yorker?  How long will that take? When will I feel like this is home and I will stop feeling like a southern red neck that has been dropped off in the middle of real civilization? Good question.

Hopefully sooner than later. I know I have only been here three months, So I need to have patience. Even though I have had glimpses of vibrancy of life, sometimes I still find myself missing and longing for life like before. I have been warned by many people who barely know me and by really good friends too that in about three years, I  hear,  I will never want to leave this place, I will look back and not recognize who I was when I lived in suburbia or why I liked or wanted any other way of life ever.  Looking forward to that day!



Cobble Hill: Art and Windows

I will revisit this area often, and hopefully begin to share with all of you the style of Brooklyn, individual products etc.  As I discover the city slowly and mostly on foot,  with every turn of a corner is another opportunity to learn, to take in the creativity that is pouring out of the shops here. I have to refrain from photographing everything I see literally.

One thing that fascinates me beyond words is what motivates customers to buy from specific businesses. I have often heard from the etsy market, that GOOD photography sells. Here, in the open street market, I am convinced that the most popular stores are always the ones with the best and most inventive creative window designs (kind of like Anthropologie) .  Each day that I get out and explore, I will share with you all my favorites in each area of Brooklyn and Manhattan depending on where I am spending the day! 

http://shop.bybrooklyn.com/

I loved this window.. I'll get the name of the place later ( forgot that) 

These rustic antiques mixed with the products drew me in.. couldn't resist going into this place. Although, when a dress costs more than $500 I walk out fairly quickly. http://www.smithbutler.com/sb/?page_id=9  

Something simplistic and colorful as this, mixed with the old vintage sign letters and for some reason brillo pads boxes,  I had to go in an investigate a bit. http://brooklynrefinery.com/

this knitting store brought the inside out by the addition of this colorful quilt on their bench. And of course, the tent chalkboard always is an eye catcher.

This business is a bit closer to my home, but a fun example of the window design. http://www.slopecellars.com/ 

Style Watch: 
Also, when I am walking I am loving being confronted with my lackadaisical approach to fashion. I am obsessed with looking at what people wear and why? What are the shoe choices and of course, what are the window fashions that tell us what the creative fashionable youth would wear.  Stay tuned for STYLE WATCH each week.

Today, I love this spring outfit and unfortunately for my faith, I keep a constant level of Covet of all the cute things I see in the windows!! Repenting daily, If I could buy a few things this year, it would be at this store called Goldy & Mac on 7th Ave in Brooklyn. http://goldyandmac.com/

 

I realize these outfits are made just for the window, very artistic, but not for me thanks

Michael Kors 

A few teens on a field trip: 

Some Man Style for you:

More men's fashion as seen on the streets of NYC to come!

Real Estate:

As you walk down the streets of Brooklyn, every mile or so there is a realtor's office that advertises new apartments or houses for sale. Today I want to share with all of you hungry to move here some great deals... this is the market here. I am really not sure, but I haven't seen very many houses for sale that consist of more than one room for less than 1.5 or a near 2 mil in Cobble Hill or Carroll Gardens.  If you want to rent a 2 br here, be prepared to pay 4,000 a month.