Friday Photo(s)

                    

                                                 

Holiday Mode

I'm feeling rather worthless this week... creatively speaking.

My main focus is "crafting" my Sweet Potato Casserole for the family get-together on Thanksgiving Day. I've only had fleeting visits from the Idea Fairy this week. Yes, I know it's only Tuesday, but let's get real... I'm in some sort of nesting-domestic mindset that I probably won't get out of until I put the Christmas tree up on Friday (yes, I'm one of those people).
So I'm not going to fight it. I will embrace that making the yearly recipe is, in itself, a creative venture. Especially since it is truly my concoction. I patched together bits and pieces of recipes and over the past five years have come up with a dish that has begun to be requested at gatherings of friends and family. I will share it with you below --- If you make it and like it, please let me know! And if anyone asks you, let them know you got the recipe from a creative photographer... because creativity does come in many forms.
I'll be posting images from this year's casserole later this week. Here's the recipe:

Jane's Sweet Potato Casserole
Casserole... 
  4-6 sweet potatoes --- cooked, skinned & mashed
  1/4 C. sugar
  2 eggs, beaten
  6 Tbls. butter, softened
  2 Tbls. milk
  1 tsp. vanilla
  1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  1/2 tsp. salt
  dash of pepper
  1 15-1/4 oz. can crushed pineapple, partially drained
Combine all these ingredients in a buttered 1-1/2 qt. baking dish.
Topping...
  3/4 C. Grape Nuts cereal
  1/2 C. light brown sugar
  4 Tbls. butter, melted
Combine Topping ingredients and spread on potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Friday Photo

The Art of Compromise... or the Compromise of Art

Life's been interesting lately. It always is when one is trying to balance a "regular" life and an artistic one.

First there is the pursuit of income. It makes paying the bills possible. It also facilitates pursuing artistic endeavors. The flip side is the pursuit of creative voice --- figuring out what it is you really want to say in a way that strikes a chord with others. In a perfect world the two pursuits would co-exist and actually feed each other.

But a perfect world would actually be boring. I firmly believe that the conflict of reconciling one's regular life with one's creative life can provide growth for both. Unfortunately, sometimes that same conflict can chip away at any progress intended.

Asking for people's opinion of your work is an integral part of progressing as an artist. Sometimes it ends up feeling like a not-so-necessary evil. If the person whose opinion you are seeking is not really feeling up for the task, you can be on the receiving end of some bizarre feedback. That's a drag. I'm learning that the trick is to not only decifer the advice, but to read the giver of the advice and figure out in what spirit they are offering said advice.

In the meantime, I'm getting ready for the annual Light Factory Auction this weekend. One of my pieces, Star of Bethlehem, is up for auction. We'll see what the feedback on that is...

Friday Photo

Friday Photo

Mid-Term Election Day... 2010

I suffered burn out from all the election madness during my 14 years in TV news.

It was exciting when I first started. I was one half of the two-person team charged with programming the equipment that displayed the results on your TV screen during your favorite programs on Election night. It made me feel like I had an important part in the grand scheme of things.

But then I became disillusioned with both television news and the political process. I just wanted to hide. I'm ashamed to say, I think I skipped the last mid-term voting day.

That changed this year. The attack ads began to air in heavy rotation. I watched Real Time with Bill Maher much more often than I should (not that I always agree with him... but it gets me thinking). The Rally to Restore Sanity (or Fear) seemed much more intelligent than anything that was coming out of any candidate's mouth.

I had fully intended to work all day at my computer without taking time to exercise my right to vote.

Then, I browsed the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website. I took the time to read each of the candidate statements from each candidate that I did not already know... including all the Court of Appeals judges.

Maybe I was overcome by the spirits of Suffragettes... Maybe I was ashamed of slacking off. But this morning I decided I wanted to have my say, and so I did.