Joyfully Green: sparkle

Winter: All That Glitters

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr! It's been hitting the single digits here for the past week, and everywhere I look, there's ice.

That means two things:

1. I'm walking around outdoors like I'm about 50 years older than I am, hobbling ever so sloooooowly along, so I don't wipe out. (I've done that, and it's no fun.)

2. I'm taking more pictures than ever. (I can't help it--I'm a sucker for things that sparkle!)

Confession time: I took the shot above while lying down on my stomach in the driveway (it's a photo of the ice on it). Yep, that's right, I'm crazy like that when it comes to getting the shot I want! Wet clothes can be changed whenever I come back indoors, but there are only a few precious minutes to get the right shot before the daylight changes. (Note to my photography students: Recognize the bokeh effect in the shot above?)

All of this glittery, sparkling wonderment outdoors is helping me notice things indoors that are catching the light in lovely ways, too.

Perhaps with some people, they'd just see a piece of toast and a pair of glasses, but really, it all depends on how you look at it, don't you think?

I put a vote on Facebook for my photographer friends: Should we be called "photoptomists" or "optimographers"--we of the breed who are making the best out of winter with our cameras? The vote was nearly unanimous: Photoptomists we are!

Sure, I wouldn't mind if it were a good forty degrees warmer. But right now, I'm seeing the world through very sparkly, frost-covered glasses.

How 'bout you? Are you making the best out of winter, or are you just barely muddling through? I'd love to hear!

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© 2014 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. All photos and text digitally fingerprinted and watermarked. Please do not use any of my photographs without asking me first for permission at [email protected] and then clearly linking back to this site with photo credits. Site licensed by Creative Commons.

Posted on 01/13/2015 at 09:02 PM in delicious, happiness, nature, outdoors, photography, snow, sparkle, trees, winter, YUMMY! | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: how to achieve the bokeh effect with your camera, nature photography, sparkling winter shots, what is the bokeh effect in photography?, winter photography

"Find Your Word" and a Wish for You

I hope your holiday season has been warm and wonderful so far! (Mine has involved too many cookies!) We have a caravan of relatives on the way to stay with us through the new year. Eleven of us under one roof--luckily, we all genuinely like each other! I want to give them the love and attention they deserve during their stay, so this is the last time I'll be writing to you in 2014.

I just participated in Susannah Conway's "Find Your Word." (So much fun!) She led us through five days of creatively pinpointing the one thing we most want to focus our efforts on during the year ahead. On Day 4, it finally sunk in that I needed TWO words. One that focuses inward -- contemplate -- and one that focuses outward -- radiate. And because I'm visually driven, I needed to translate my words into pictures.

For contemplate, I chose a picture of the woods behind our house because I contemplate best when I'm simply looking out at the woods, letting my thoughts wander wherever they may. I keep a sketchbook in hand to jot down whatever comes to me--pictures, words, dreams, and a fair share of nonsense. It's important for me to take time to be mindful each day, instead of rushing from one thing to the next.

For radiate, I chose a picture of ice on branches, ice being melted by the morning sun. I like the idea of light and warmth, and embodying both, sending the positive energy outwards.

So, here's my end-of-the-year wish for you: I hope that you find your word for the year ahead, something to ground you and guide you, a little bit of magic that will lift you up and let your soul sing its sweetest note. Happy, happy, happy 2015!

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JOIN ME in January! My photography e-course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You" begins on January 5, 2015: Click here for details and registration.

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Posted on 12/23/2014 at 09:02 PM in autumn, forest, holidays, Joyful Reads, leaves, outdoors, perspective, pretty, priorities, sparkle | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: how to take better photos of nature, nature photography course, online photography course, photography e-course, Susannah Conway "Find Your Word"

Joyful Reads for the Weekend, Vol. 40: How to Get More Joy out of Winter

One of the tricky things about having a blog is that it takes a bit of time for it to find its "friends"--the faithful readers who share your interests and your general views of the world.

As I'm heading towards the 2.5-year mark of blogging here at Joyfully Green, I'd like to say a warm "thank you!" to those of you who have been with me from the very beginning, as well as "welcome!" and "I'm so glad you're here!" to the new friends who have found my little corner of the internet. I'm really so touched by your kindness and support, and am always happy to hear from you. On that note, I got this lovely message recently at my Joyfully Green Facebook page:

Denise Vieira posted on JoyfullyGreen.com's timeline

Denise Vieira

November 26 at 3:02pm

I've been receiving Joyfully Green since Christmas 2012. I want to personally thank you for the beautiful, quiet photos. I am 76, still cook daily and enjoy baking new recipes. I too have been taking photos since a teenager with my Brownie. Still love the art of photography!

(It's amazing how a few kind words can lift us up, isn't it? What if we all took a little time today to send a note to somebody whose work we appreciate? Thanks, Denise, for the inspiration!)

For this weekend's round-up of Joyful Reads, I wanted to share some of my very early posts about winter and the holidays that most of you probably missed the first time around, when it was just me, my relatives, and the crickets. I hope you enjoy them!

Time Out: How to Get Outdoors with Kids as the Weather Gets Colder

Greening the Holiday Gift-Giving

Overcoming SAD in the Gray Days of Winter

Enjoying the Great Outdoors...Without Leaving the House?

Pictures & Ponderings: Silence and the Snow

Wishing you a wonderful winter weekend (or a special spring weekend, if you're on the other side of the world!).

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Join me in January...
My photography e-course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You" is now OPEN for enrollment! (If giving the course as a gift, please let me know the name and email of the student in the PayPal comment section at checkout.) Click here for details and registration.

Holiday gifts without mall madness...

My favorite photographs (framed and unframed) are for sale here!

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Posted on 12/11/2014 at 09:02 PM in gifts, happiness, Joyful Reads, outdoors, snow, sparkle, winter | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: green holiday gifts, green ideas for the holidays, greening the gift-giving, how to enjoy winter, making the most of winter, meaningful Christmas gifts for kids, warming up to winter

An Exhibition of My Nature Photography Students' Work (plus 6 things that might surprise you!)

Last month, I presented a special exhibition of pictures created by the students in my "Art of Photography" e-course and it turned out to be one of my very favorite posts ever. Not just because I'm crazy-proud of my students (which I am!), and not just because their photographs turned out beautifully (which they did!), but because I remember where each of those students began.

Every one of them had taken my first e-course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You." Some had a little more experience behind the lens than others (in fact, a couple were true beginners), but all of them had a common thread: A keen interest in photography mixed with a wonderful willingness to learn how to improve their skills.

The fringe benefit of the courses (which even I didn't expect) is that we've all become friends. We're still in touch, sharing our work and our journeys. So, I'm happy to share some of my friends' work with you here. And I chose today to share it because...

I want to show you the kind of gorgeous work YOU can create with this course, which is now enrolling for January 2015.

The Early Bird discount (to save $15) expires tonight (December 10, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. EST). You can still enroll up until the day before the course begins, but after tonight, it would be at the regular pricing.

As with the first exhibition, it was extremely hard for me to "curate" the collection, narrowing it down to just six photographs for this post, but I'm betting you'll agree that the following examples are beautiful choices! Here they are...

Study of an Apple by Cathryn Worrell, London:

A Walk in the Woods by Amanda Robichaud, Massachusetts:

Sunlight on Sand by Martine Burdack, Australia:

The Character of a Tree by Debi Huang, California:

In Full Bloom by Sere Rothert, Illinois:

Pastoral with Red Barn by Nancy Thompson, Oregon:

How stunningly pretty were those?! (All amateur photographers, mind you!)

Before I close, I want to tell you six things that might surprise you:

1) You can have a full-time job and still take this course. That's one of the best things about taking an online course instead of a "classroom course." The daily lessons are emailed to you in the morning, and you post your photographs into our private online classroom whenever you can--even at 2:00 a.m.! Or, catch up on the weekend.

2) You can live anywhere in the world with computer access and take this course. The previous two sessions of this course have included students from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. As long as you can understand English, you'll be fine.

3) You don't need a fancy camera to take this course. Many of the students use their smartphones.

4) You don't have to be "in class" at a certain time. (That relates back to the first point.)

5) Your growth as a photographer doesn't stop when the course is over. I'll continue to give you advice and guidance on your work in our online classroom, which will stay open so you can stay connected with me and with your classmates.

6) Once you learn how to take better photographs of nature and the world around you, you'll start to notice more beauty, more depth, more color, and more details than you ever noticed before. (And that, to me, is the very best part!)

Ready to see what beautiful images you can create? Sign up today to join me in January!

Click here for full details and registration.

P.S. If you're giving this course as a holiday gift, please let me know the name and email address of the student in the "comments" box of the Paypal checkout.

P.P.S. Very special thanks to my students for letting me share their work with you here!

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© 2014 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com. All rights reserved. All photos and text digitally fingerprinted and watermarked. Please do not use any of these photographs (which are the creative property of my students as noted, except for the top photograph, which is my creative property) without asking me first for permission at [email protected] and then clearly linking back to this site with photo credits. Site licensed by Creative Commons.

Posted on 12/09/2014 at 09:02 PM in forest, nature, photography, pretty, seashore, sparkle, winter | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: e-course in photography, holiday gift idea, how to take better pictures of nature, nature photography course, online photography course

Joyful Reads for the Weekend, Vol. 39: How to Handle the Holidays with Grace and Simplicity

'Tis the season to be...crazy? I don't think so! And neither do the following authors of these wonderful posts that will help put your holiday season back into perspective:

From Jenn Choi at The Atlantic: How to Teach Kids to be Grateful: Give Them Less. (Because I completely relate to her Lego dilemma!)

From Linda at Rockside Reflections: On Doing Things That Delight. (Because the best recipe for a happy holiday is "Do more of what you love and less of what you hate.")

From Lois at The Eco-Grandma: Simple Christmas: Fun Gifts for Children. (Because Lois is my green superhero and knows how to do the holidays right!)

From Carlynn at JJ Begonia: How to Make Glitter Poinsettias and Some Thoughts on Blog-Life versus Real-Life. (Because I had the same "perfect life" conversation with a friend over lunch, and nobody's life is perfect--especially at the holidays!)

From Raymund at Minimalist on Purpose: 7 Simple Ways to Find Focus Every Day. (Because the holidays are a time when we try to focus on waaaaay too much at once, instead of focusing on the few things that really, truly matter.)

What's YOUR strategy for a stress-free holiday season? Or are you struggling to keep it together? Do tell in the comments section below--I'm all ears!

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Skip holiday mall madness with these joyful gift ideas...

My photography e-course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You" will be running again this January! Save $15 with the Early Bird Discount if you enroll before Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST. (If giving the course as a gift, please let me know the name and email of the student in the PayPal comment section at checkout.) Click here for details and registration.

My favorite photographs (framed and unframed) are for sale here!

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Posted on 12/05/2014 at 05:29 AM in blogging, family, happiness, holidays, Joyful Reads, minimalism, non-consumerism, photography, pretty, simplify, sparkle, trees | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: easy holiday gift ideas, gratitude lesson for kids, green gift ideas for kids, how to be less stressed out during the holiday season, nature photography e-course, online photo course, simple holiday ideas, simplifying Christmas, teaching children about gratitude

Monday Snapshot: The Magic of the First Snowfall

There's something that is pure magic about the first snowfall of the year. It takes us by surprise as the first flakes start fluttering down. And then it takes us by surprise again, when it decides "to stick."

All children seem to love snow, anytime, anywhere. For adults...not so much! They grow weary of it, and fast. Last Thursday night, when it started to snow for the first time this season, both of my children headed out with cheering excitement to the back yard, in their pajamas and winter coats. Each child held up one arm high, like two Statues of Liberty, both holding a cup instead of a torch, to catch the fat flakes falling.

On Friday morning while I was taking Delilah on her walk, I saw a neighbor standing out in her driveway in her pajamas and robe, holding a coffee cup. She waved to me and called, "I just had to come outside--it looks so beautiful!" Our little corner of the world was glittering in the rising sun, and I agreed with her completely.

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Posted on 11/16/2014 at 09:02 PM in nature, outdoors, photography, snow, sparkle, winter | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: children catching snowflakes, first snow of the year, the magic of snow

Monday Snapshot: First Frost

Brrrrrrrrrrrr! November is blowing into town with a furious and chilly wind today! The dried-up leaves are swirling through the air in a frenzy, whirling like dervishes. (Did you ever see a whirling dervish? I included a link with a video, below--interesting!) It's time to put on the winter coat, without feeling like I'm foolishly overdressed for the weather. It's time to cozy up in sunlit corner chairs with thick quilts and thick books. It's time to welcome November again.

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Thanks for reading Joyfully Green!

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Posted on 11/02/2014 at 09:02 PM in ice, leaves, nature, photography, snow, sparkle, winter | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: first frost, November chill, November weather, what is a whirling dervish, whirling dervishes

From "Sacred Time" to Art Journaling: How to Really, Truly Focus

When I was a little girl, my favorite gifts from my parents were always new sketchbooks. I could spend hours alone in my room, drawing and doodling, filling up sketchbook after sketchbook with pictures, ideas, and (let's face it) a healthy dose of nonsensical ramblings! My parents were both artists (one by trade, the other by hobby), so they knew first-hand the importance of starting with a blank canvas.

Just recently, I had one of those Oprah "Aha!" moments: I realized that even after all of these years, I still can really benefit from a blank canvas. Starting off the day with an open sketchbook gives me the focus and direction I need.

I came to this realization while I was eating my breakfast last week, with a view to the woods, re-reading (and heavily underlining) Walden and feeling a sort of corny kinship across the ages with Thoreau. (I totally "get" his desire to live in the woods and work undisturbed!) I had a sketchbook near me on the table, a pencil ready. From time to time, a thought would flutter by and I'd scribble it down, then go back to my reading.

After breakfast, I moved to the couch with my sketchbook. I had a different view of the woods, still tranquil. My velvety-eared dog, Delilah, curled up next to me on the couch for a good dog-nap (snoring included), and I let my hand just wander across the pages with a pencil, making random designs and notes, catching little wisps of thoughts.

Almost an hour went by, and then the phone rang. The ringing jarred me out of intense concentration. I realized that I'd been totally "in the moment" with my own thoughts, completely unplugged from the outside world. I felt creatively rejuvenated.

My mother used to say, when she was frustrated with her painting, "I can't hear myself think!" It puzzled me when I was a little kid, but now I know exactly what she meant. If you can't hear yourself think, you tend to move through the day on auto-pilot, without any clear focus or direction. You have to have the time, the space, and the silence to tune into your own frequency.

These are some ideas that help me to focus so I can hear myself think and tap into my creativity:

Pick a "sacred time." For me, mornings are sacred, which means that I don't schedule any appointments or meetings before 11:00 a.m., if I can help it. I don't make any phonecalls, and I limit any internet time. Block out a time on your daily calendar when you're going to focus your attention fully on your creative work. Mondays and Tuesdays are my biggest creative workdays, so I try not to commit to anything else on either day.

Choose a room with a view, but not one where you're watching a whole circus pass by. If you don't have a calming view, find some tranquil pictures for your office or work space.

Use the power of silence or chimes. I know it sounds terribly "New-Age-y", but wind chimes soothe me. My good friend Alex sent me wind chimes as a housewarming gift many years back, and it's still one of my favorite gifts. It's so calming and meditative to hear the wind playing its own little tune outdoors, and its rambling "melody" is perfect for random idea-generating.

Don't get overwhelmed with trying to think up "The Big Idea." Just doodle. Free-associate. This is called "Mind Mapping" in the corporate world; for creative types, it's called art journaling.

Aim for at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted, super-focused time every day. If you have a full schedule, don't stress yourself out with trying to set aside an hour or two. If the only time you're not going to be interrupted is when everyone else in the house is asleep, then use that as your "sacred time." Or set your alarm a little earlier in the morning. Just carve out some dedicated time and make it a priority.

Respect the importance of doodling. Sometimes, your best ideas will pop up when you least expect them, so keep sharpened pencils, smooth-writing pens, and a sketchbook on-hand. Even if I'm writing, I prefer sketchbooks over lined notebook paper. (More free space!) Sketchbooks are great for writing little snippets of poetry, jotting down quotes, journaling, and creating visual plans. (Since this is a green blog, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention here that I use only sketchbooks made from recycled paper!)

Most of all, just relax and repeat these steps on a regular basis. Listening to yourself think--to your impressions, to your ideas, to your instincts--is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. My parents were really on to something!

P.S. If you liked this post, try 12 Ways to Pull Yourself Out of a Creative Rut.

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How 'bout you? How do you generate your ideas? Do you have a "sacred time" that you set aside for your creative or personal work? I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below. (If you're an email subscriber, click on the blue title of the post to get to the main site.)

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Like the photographs on this blog? Join me and learn how to take pretty pictures of your own, even if you have a full-time job and a camera that's not fancy-shmancy! Just a few spots left for my online photography course starting on November 3: "The Art of Photography: How to Take Your Pictures to the Next Level." Click here for details.

Thanks for reading Joyfully Green!

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Posted on 10/21/2014 at 09:02 PM in focus, peacefulness, perspective, photography, simplify, sparkle, unplug | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: art journaling, breaking through writer's block, creative doodling, creative ideas, creative inspiration, Henry David Thoreau and Walden, importance of doodling, meditative thought, mind mapping, productivity, why we need silence in our busy lives

How a Die-Hard Night Owl Became an Early Bird

It's hard for me to believe it now, but I lived in Manhattan for eleven years (in various tiny apartments with thin walls and loud neighbors), from my early 20's to my early 30's. So I can tell you from experience that New York truly is "The City that Never Sleeps." On Friday nights, it was perfectly normal for my circle of friends (as well as thousands of other circles of friends) to start heading out for the evening activities at 10 p.m. I can remember one Friday night when I was coming home to my apartment at 2 a.m. and my next-door neighbor (a young guy who played in a grunge band) was just heading out for a gig downtown. (Did I mention it was 2 a.m.?) Such is life in New York City...

When I moved to Philadelphia with my soon-to-be-husband, it was a shock to us that the streets of our new city emptied out between 9 and 10 p.m. The only people still out walking around after that hour were hoodlums and homeless people. Everybody else seemed to be tucked in and tuckered out.

I guess it was a preview of my life to come. When you have a new baby, you're sleeping (or more accurately, not sleeping) at crazy hours. Naps are like gold. And even though my children have both outgrown their babyhood, I haven't grown out of naptimes. (The Spaniards really are onto something with those siestas, don't you think?)

Having a blog, I sometimes find myself typing away towards midnight, but the truth of the matter is that I'd rather be fast asleep at midnight at this point in my life, and more often than not, I'm nodding off at 10 p.m., the time I'd just be starting to head out the door during my New York era. I think the technical term for this is "aging."

But there's more to it. Since becoming a very active photographer, I've learned how essential it is to catch at least one of the "Golden Hours" when the sun is low in the sky, at the start and end of the day. I would've missed capturing some of my favorite photographs if I'd been snoozing the morning away. Images like this one:

Or this one:

I have all kinds of new neighbors to greet (and photograph) in the early morning hours. It's not just the early birds who are out for the breakfast buffet--I often see deer, foxes, rabbits--and they're long-gone by lunchtime.

That's the thing about morning: You have to catch it before it's gone.

How 'bout you? Are you a night owl or an early bird? Why? Let's hear it in the comments section below--I'm all ears!

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© 2014 by Joy Sussman/JoyfullyGreen.com LLC. All rights reserved. All photos and text digitally fingerprinted and watermarked. Please do not use any of my photographs without asking me first for permission at [email protected] and then clearly linking back to this site with photo credits. Site licensed by Creative Commons.

Did you enjoy this post? Get more like it by subscribing to Joyfully Green via email or RSS reader: just click here.

Posted on 09/09/2014 at 09:02 PM in blogging, horses, nature, NYC, peacefulness, perspective, photography, priorities, sparkle, wildlife | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: how sleep habits change as you age, New York City is the City That Never Sleeps, night owl or early bird, the Golden Hour for photography

Clean House, Clear Mind

You'd probably never guess what I was doing about 24 hours before I went into labor, both times: cleaning the house. Well, technically, before my second child, I was out in the garden, pulling up weeds, but I consider that task in the same category: getting my house in order. There's something about cleaning up and clearing out that has an almost magical way of re-shuffling my thoughts into proper working order, so I can focus on the things that really need my attention. (You know, like getting set for a new baby...!)

Please don't let me give you the wrong impression: There are plenty of times when our house looks like a roving band of toddlers went marauding through it.

And we affectionately refer to our laundry room as "Laundry Mountain."

I'm just saying that when my life gets really, really, REALLY crazy (this week, for example), sometimes the best thing to do (for me, anyway) is put down the paperwork and pick up a sponge.

Because when my to-do lists are overflowing, I need a clean slate somewhere.

I can't think straight when I'm looking around the room and noticing (even with peripheral vision) dirty dishes not loaded into the dishwasher. Or an orphaned sock in the middle of the living room floor. Or the couch's throw pillows thrown everywhere except on the couch. So, that's when I get up and straighten up. Which realigns my mind. Win-win.

It's almost meditative. Cleaning takes me out of my "mind chatter" and into "clean slate" mode. Scrubbing a sink is easier for me than sitting still and humming "ommmmmm" (and I just end up falling asleep on the yoga mat.)

"But Mom," my kids have whined to me on many occasions, "Whyyyyyyyyyyyy do we neeeeeeeeeeed to clean our rooms?"

"Clean house, clear mind," I tell them. Turns out the kids think better, too, when they're not tripping over their own Legos. They're calmer in a clean room. They have room to groove, instead of acting like little bulls in little china shops, knocking over anything and everything in their paths.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you already know that I'm a big proponent of evaluating our possessions on a regular basis and figuring out what we aren't using anymore. If you have so much stuff to clean that it's exhausting to even think about it, it's probably high-time to weed it out. Pass it on to somebody who will get good use out of it. That could mean a yard sale, Craig's List, eBay, or Goodwill, but sometimes, it's as easy as putting a "FREE!" sign on it at the curb.

So, if your mind is feeling cluttered, take a look around at the current state of your house. Notice any correlation?

Your turn: Do you ever clean the house to clear your mind? Let's hear it in the comments section below--I'm all ears!

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Posted on 08/05/2014 at 09:02 PM in focus, meditation, minimalism, non-consumerism, photography, simplify, sparkle | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: cleaning as meditation, decluttering, getting organized, how to think more clearly, organization, too much stuff, traditional meditation, yard sales