i'm trying so hard to push myself to pull out my camera, go through old photos, heck even use photobooth to create something. you know... something is better than nothing at all. 
over the last year i've pulled out every excuse in the world why i can't bring my camera to this event, or why i can't go out and get a shot like that or create something beautiful like that photographer. it's a crippling state of mind to be constantly comparing yourself to the next person; i'm praying and working through kicking that mentality out the door.

here is a "something is better than nothing at all" photobooth/imovie creation:

stranger love by ghostland observatory

still working through family pictures i shot of my aunt & uncle and their girls. more soon.

the civil wars.

for me the hardest part about photographing shows is finding room to move around to get a variety of shots. since i don't have a large zoom lens if i want to get a close shot i have to get close to the stage and most people do not give up their spots kindly or at all. which i don't blame them for, i'm the same way.
i do love it though! i love music really more than i know how to say and to capture people playing music, doing what they love is a really cool feeling. i would love to be able to capture emotion in a photograph that brings tears to another person's eyes, just like so many of the musicians i love do for me with their music. i don't enjoy making people cry, but i think it would really be something beautiful to capture enough emotion within a photograph to stir someone to that point.

i'm really pleased with how all of these turned out, even though they were all shot from exactly the same angle. the house of blues in downtown dallas is a great venue and i can't wait to go back. the staves were the opening band and they blew me away. the civil wars did not disappoint and i slapped down fifteen dollars to get their album on vinyl because 'barton hollow' will be an album i'll still be listening to on a porch when i'm old.

The Staves

Joy Williams & John Paul White are The Civil Wars

if you get a moment look up both bands on itunes, they really are wonderful.

Xx christine

p.s. i may have unknowingly snuck my camera into this show. i don't know if this is wrong, but i did say a little thank you prayer for having gone unnoticed all night. [:

mason, texas

i've driven through mason, texas more times that i count over the last four years and it really is my favorite little town along the 200+ mile drive to abilene. I would probably rip my face off if i lived there; it's that stereotypical small texas town, but oh so pretty. i drove right by this old abandoned house and i decided to be spontaneous and make a quick turn around. the house is for sale and in desperate need of some lovin'. i couldn't help but wonder what kind of family spent their time here and how far back in history it goes. i was grateful for a lack of 'no trespassing' signs (to my knowledge) and a broke fence. i was able to get super close and take a look inside. 

 it was a good weekend. i came off of it deeply encouraged by my friends and my sister, and even a few people i met for the first time saturday night at the civil wars show. God has given me a perspective and i don't want to waste it.

the civil wars were really really lovely on saturday night and they put on a beautiful show. their album 'barton hollow' is one of my favorites of 2011 and definitely worth a listen through. 


the leaves have changed a time or two
since the last time the train came through
i've got my ticket and i'm going to go
home


Xx christine

i pretty-ed my planner the other day. my boss asked me to make copies of 6 pages he needed from a map of montana. i made too many so i kept some for myself and did this:

if you ever need a map of montana i might have part of it. 

i'm in abilene this weekend visiting my sister and my best friend. i used the four hour drive to pray, and think and feel calm. i spend so much time going and moving that the silence was perfect. though most of the time i have to remind myself to be calm, i'm not very good at it. so two hours into my drive today, when my back started to ache, i reminded myself to breathe.

so i'm going to start praying for a calm or quiet spirit. 

this is not very art or photography related, but i did stop at this old old abandoned house that is for sale in Mason and i took pictures of it. I'll be posting them in the next couple of days. i may have trespassed.
this is a camera phone preview:

Xx christine

something is better than nothing at all.

for quite a few months now, i'm not really sure when or why its happened, but i have been completely uninspired and unmotivated to create anything. i guess some would probably try to discredit all of this as just the over dramatic lazy mumblings of a 22 year old girl and thats ok; we're all over dramatic in our own way. i am a creative person with a need for a creative outlet and without one i feel a bit lost.

i made a new years resolution this year. something i've never done seriously in the past. four of my friends and i took our empty champagne bottle at midnight and tossed in a sheet a paper with our individual resolutions for 2012.

i had two... first, to exercise and second to start and complete an artistic project.

so this blog is a small step in that direction. i have no idea what the artistic project will be, how big or small or what medium, i just know i would like to grow creatively in 2012.

so here will be photos, music, words, videos, books and all things that inspire me to create something of my own.

Xx christine