This is one of my favorite shots. Taken at Weekend in the West, last year, it’s the hands of a sculptor forming wax into a future statue. Before the end product, though, there are several steps that have to be taken. During that time, from making the mold, to melting the wax, to casting, etc., the artist really has to put a lot of trust in the process.

It’s the same for me. Today begins the final week of an assignment I’ve been on, up in the White River National Forest. It’s done many things for me, including paying off credit cards and padding my bank account, not to mention a whole lot of fabulous time in the mountains. You’ve seen the photos. There have been eagles, deer, elk, moose, sunsets, snowy scenes, and I am very grateful, but as it draws to an end, I find myself thinking about what’s next.

This would have been the wax-gathering phase, when all the pieces are put in place, so that I can move into the actual work of a thing. What thing? What are the following phases? Last March, I had a plan. Today, I’m back to just an idea. That’s part of trusting the process.

On the first of May, I had planned to leave Colorado and drive to Louisville, Kentucky. I’d spend Derby week there, doing photography and meeting people – gathering stories. Then I’d move on toward the Carolinas, where my daughter and her family live, and where my friend, Dan Beck, has set up his new studio. From there, I’d drift down to Tampa, Florida to visit my son and his family. Next was Dallas/Fort Worth, where Melinda Morrison has scheduled a gathering of artists, on the 18th of May. From there, it was across to California, up the coast along PCH, across Nevada, Utah, and Western Colorado, before pulling back into Denver, sometime in early June. In all, it would be about four thousand miles, most of which I’ve never seen. That plan was shelved, though, when an opportunity arose to live in the mountains for six weeks, and earn a few thousand dollars at the same time. This was part of the process.

So, now I’m out of debt, with some money in the bank. The daughter from South Carolina is bringing her family to visit, in just a couple of weeks. So I think I’ll postpone the Deep South part of the visit until autumn. The leaves are beautiful in the Smokies then, and it’s cooling down in Florida.

That leaves me with a great big gap of unused time, and it’s tempting to think about ways to earn money, or try to make some things happen. Here’s a thing I have learned, though – When I make things happen, they’re almost always the wrong things. If I’m grateful,  and trust the process, things will come together as they’re supposed to, and my life will be a lot less stressful. I’ll get a picture of what’s coming, and be able to prepare, as it gets closer.

Dont misunderstand. I’m not saying that nothing negative ever happens, or that there will be no struggles. That kind of thinking is just dumb. What I am saying is, Most of the time, things go a lot more smoothly if I allow them to flow naturally, and dont try to force my plan.

So, that’s it for me, today. Like, Share and Comment if you want, but most of all…Enjoy the Life you’re living.