I never questioned my reasoning, and all the way until my second year at the university my sole goal was to become a physician. Not until I saw what the actual job was that I realized it was not the career path I truly wanted to follow. Because of this big desire to be involved in the arts of the human physiology, academically speaking at least, I prepared myself rather well and this meant that a transition to a different career would not be particularly difficult. Thus, I have more than enough skill and training to follow any other path of my choosing.

    Now that I know I have more than enough options in life when it comes to career paths, how do I know that my desire to create art will remain heavy? Looking back at my relatively short life, I find that art is what has truly driven me! From my unusual love for the moving pictures, drawing, and story-telling to going through great lengths just to feel a very specific and even simple impression; honestly I only know how to be picturesque!

    But how does this imply that I must do photography? Why not play the piano or sing opera? Admitting to being overly-competitive, when I do not fare well in a certain activity I take it a bit personal, if not overly so! I also thrive on enthusiasm; if I do something, and find that others are not receiving at least a secondary benefit or enjoyment, I quickly loose interest in that activity. I think photography and I are meant to be because the very first photo I ever took was praised upon and eventually utilized by someone dear to me. Ultimately I do want to make quality art, so others enjoy it as much or even more than I do.   

    I truly want my purpose in life to be to show those around me how kind and wonderful our immediate world is. It may sound cliché and overly used, but that is really why I want to photograph what surrounds me. The way I see things, most people are always over-focused on what I call "the big self-centered picture". I guess it can be attributed to "human nature", but a selfish attitude plagues most people I meet! Apathy is abundant, and most don't enjoy the "little things". Maybe by capturing those amazing moments everyone seem to miss, and eventually showing it back, people might realize that there is more to a particular moment in time than they ever thought possible. That is why I photograph this wonderful world.

    Try this whenever you have an opportunity: randomly stop whatever it is you are doing, unless life threatening of course, and take a closer look around. Look at the floor, look at the tree, the sky, etc. Look at how a fly is eaten by a lizard, how the lizard escapes the bird's claws, how the bird avoids getting hit by a car, and how the car stops for a roaming child chasing his basketball. Notice this is infinitely happening all around you at all times! Yes, there is more to a moment than we realize!

    Live life, don't go through the motions!       

I write this month's blog not as an opinion on something really, nor with a solution to my presented quandary; I am posing the following question with the hope that in a couple of days, or a week, or a month I can come to a clear conclusion and write about it:
                                     "What am I trying to express with my photography? What drives me?"  

Who would have thought making a blog was so difficult. It isn't the writing really, is the topic that it is difficult to come up with. So, how do I incorporate photography in my every-day activities AND make a blog about it? Simple I suppose; just write about what makes you smile, about what makes you happy. This year about to end has been, for a lack of a better word, exhausting! I cannot wait for the year to end really. I do understand that "the year ending"means nothing; time is indeed continuous, so a "title" change will not end my life's adversities., but it will certainly make me feel better knowing it is 2013!

So, might as well talk about one of the closest things to my heart: food! I am a chef/food enthusiast, so cooking is second nature to me. I am a people "pleaser", and that has been always my main reason and inspiration for getting my hands dirty in the kitchen. I, for a while now, had missed that motivation, but thanks to my family I once again have it. My mother asked me to make her lasagna, and so I did! It had been close to 10 months away from the kitchen (making a sandwich does not count) but once you get going, you just cannot stop! Lasagna from scratch, challenge accepted!