the courage to be me

Well, here we are at the end of our two weeks of anniversary posts. Being last is sometimes fun because you have the benefit of seeing what everyone else posted. But it can also be difficult because...well...c'mon...after the recent heartfelt blogging from all the Muses present and past what else is left to be said?

With that challenge in mind I thought it would be nice to create an image to help us remember this first anniversary celebration and all of our inspired words.  So, I went back through all of the Muses posts as well as all of your beautiful comments from the past eleven days (yes, I am crazy) and put them together in this word cloud, with the size of each word representing how often it was used.  If you want to pin it, blog it, tweet it or print it out and hang it somewhere for a little inspiration please do so. It was a lot of fun for me to create and I hope you all enjoy it!

OK, and now I actually do have something I want to add...

One of the things I love most about this community of creativity that we have built together is that every one of you challenges me in some way whether you realize it or not. To be better. To take risks. To try something new. And the biggest challenge of all...to be myself.

When I first joined the Muses I wasn't sure my urban-street-iphoneography-style was going to fit in. My initial thought was that I needed a better camera, and that I'd have to start taking different kinds of photos to measure up to the beautiful images I had been seeing from the other Muses. After the initial panic died down I realized that my photos were bringing another layer of diversity to the collaboration...which was in fact the whole idea. Tammy you are so wise, and I cannot thank you enough for opening my eyes and my heart, for bringing me in, and for helping me to see the real me.

I don't think it was a coincidence that I started a year of self-portraits project shortly after becoming a Muse. I thank each and every one of you for giving me the inspiration to share these little pieces of myself, and as Michel said so perfectly yesterday--the courage to hike up my skirt, be bold, and jump into the water! This image above is one of the first to pop out of my recently acquired Polaroid camera--the next challenge I have laid out for myself this year as we all continue to push the boundaries of our creativity comfort zones together.

I am excited to continue on this journey with all of you and to spend another year exploring by your side. Keep the inspiration coming in our flickr pools and I'll see you soon!

~christy {urban muser}

looking up and standing your ground

Preparing this post I found a letter I had written to myself just shy of a year ago. I like letters, so I hope it's ok that I share parts of it with you.

...It's going to be a big year and not just on paper. I can feel it inside. Deeper than the obvious. Let me lend you some advice from a previous version of yourself who wasn't scared and didn't worry about being safe or doing the right thing. Hike up your skirt and be bold. Don't worry about getting a little dirty and taking the long road - easy is for the weak and boring. You are neither of those things. Remember stripping buck naked, setting the timer on your camera and jumping into that pool beneath the waterfall in northern Laos? Do that everyday for the rest of your life. Don't forget how that felt. Do whatever it takes to get the shot and don't be a chicken. Stand your ground a be true to what you believe is right. Tell people how you feel and be gracious in humility. Think with your head too, your heart can be kind of a dumbass sometimes. Keep looking to the future, planning for what might come next while being alive in the moment. And after all this, get off the fricken computer and go hug that man you love!...

When Tammy and the other muses invited me to be a part of the anniversary posts I felt that same rush as the first time they asked me to be a part of the muses in the beginning. I feel honoured to be a part of this alumni. I even got a little teary thinking back.

Of the ladies that I mused with every week, I can't say enough about you. I love you all. Big-boob-squishy-hugs love you all, you pushed me everyday to be a better photographer - I thank you for taking me in and can't wait to follow you into your new endeavours. To the new muses, be bold, hike your skirt up and jump into that water. I can't wait to see what you will come up with here.

I have new digs at blog.ampersandgrey.com and would love for you to find me on Facebook.

p.s I like you

Michel of Ampersand Grey

348:365 canoe by misty croney

jump in

What a year it has been!  I find my self nodding along, teary eyed, as I have read my fellow muses posts.  I am truly grateful for this experience and all the love and support I have felt along the way.  To this day I am so surprised and thrilled that Tammy chose me to be part of this wonderful collaborative.  It was a journey I am so glad I jumped into and has blessed me in so many ways :)

I am sad that this will be my last official post as a muse, my journey is taking my other exciting places as I started my portrait photography business this year and we are expecting our 3rd child next February (eek!).  But I am so excited to announce the beautiful Cara as the newest muse addition.  Many know her as tumbleweed.in.eden on flickr.  She is a beautiful, creative and inspiring photographer!  I am privileged to have become cyber friends with her on flickr and facebook and I am so so so excited to see her influence at Mortal Muses.

Everyone, thank you.  It has been a remarkable year :)

April of April Newman Photography

love by tumbleweed.in.eden

growing up

When I was asked by Tammy just twelve months ago if I wanted to join the muses, I said yes immediately. Even though I wasn't sure if my photography was all that, I thank Tammy and the other muses for having the confidence in me to let me share in their vision and for their encouragement. Over the last year, having been challenged to try new things with my camera, I feel my photography has grown, though not necessarily in the ways I expected it to. In particular, I have really embraced black-and-white photography.

The original b&w theme was set in August last year, and looking back I see that since then I have often chosen b&w for my own picture for each theme, and my passion for it has slowly grown. There is something so timeless about b&w, so lyrical, so beautiful. One of the reasons I chose to start this journey into photography was to capture my children growing up, and I find that black and white pictures do that particularly well. My b&w pictures capture my children's progress over the last year -- and mine, too. And just occasionally, as above, a picture has given me a glimpse of the way they will look when they are older -- and of the kind of photography I would like to do more of.

We continue to feature a daily black and white picture on this blog. Maybe today, you will enter one into our pool. Or take a look through it for inspiration, as I do on a frequent basis. It has been an amazing year, getting to know the other muses and you through our mutual love of photography. I am so looking forward to getting to know more of you, sharing our pictures with one another and seeing how we all grow together in this coming year. And we have new muses to get to know, too, as this blog continues to evolve as well. Today I would like to extend a huge welcome to Lindsey Garrett who is joining us in our regular musings. She is a woman after my own heart; she enjoys cooking, 80s music, and decluttering. You can also find her on instagram and she loves iPhoneography. And I might well have to ask her for some fashion and beauty tips...

kirstin of fleeting moments

parked by Lindsey G (modchik)

a year of inspiration

Inspiration.
That's what I think of when I think about this wonderful wild ride of a year. One year of inspiring Muse posts, one year of inspired companion photos. One year of amazing and inspired photos in the Mortal Muses flickr pool, one year of lovely inspired views of your Everyday Beauty and over six months of inspired photos of your Life in B&W. Collectively that's over 53,000 inspired views of your world. I can't thank you enough for participating and sharing that with all of us.

I mentioned in one of my early posts, how much I enjoyed surfing the MM flickr pool, glass of wine in hand, Dave Matthews Band playing in the background and I still enjoy doing just that. The Mortal Muses flickr pool is my favorite source of inspiration, admiration and downright awe.

inspire 264/365 by jan@twoscoopz

But inspiration alone wasn't the initial reason we came together as the Mortal Muses. We wanted to create a collaborative blog, a place to support and encourage other photographers. Hopefully a welcoming place where you can make connections, new friends. I sincerely hope that you have made those connections, found new friends. That's the part I treasure the most. The sweet friends I've made this year. From the Muses, to many of you who join us week after week, sharing photos in the flickr groups and commenting on the posts, and photos in the flickr groups. My life is so much richer for having met all of you. And hopefully, through the different themes you have been challenged to learn and grow with your photography as we often were. (Heh, the behind the scene discussions we've had about some of those themes. Often they were just as challenging to us.)

158/365 Waiting for the dawn… by Tina M89

I will also admit that when Tammy first contacted me about becoming a Muse, I was excited beyond measure. And then a little terrified. However, not surprisingly, it was simply an answer to a dream of mine. I had written down a list of dreams just a few weeks before, and one of them was to participate in a collaborative photography blog, even though I had no idea what that would look like. I'm grateful that Tammy did. Thank you Tammy, for making a dream of mine a reality and giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Mortal Muses. Thank you fellow Muses for making this such a fun ride. {Oh. My. Goodness. the fun we have had.} And thank you to our followers for your participation, without you, it simply would not have worked. I love that so many of you embraced the idea and have joined us along the way. It has been an amazing year full of so much fun and beauty and I can't wait to see what the second year of Mortal Muses brings.

happiness by life stories photography

As you have probably concluded, some of us founding Muses are stepping out, making room for new Muses, new visions, new inspiration. After much thought and consideration, I have also decided to hand off  my muse spot.

Untitled by soulaperture

I couldn't be happier to welcome Christina of Soul Aperture as one of the newest Muses. Like me, she is a midwest girl, she has a love of vintage, textures, still lifes, a nice glass of wine, and she's also been featured in Artful Blogging magazine. But she is so much more than that. Christina has an amazing eye for details and her blog and photostream are full of beautiful,  slice-of-life everydayness photos.  Her photos inspire me to pick up my camera and look at my world a bit more thoughtfully, seeing the beauty in the simplest things. I'm sure she will continue to inspire as one of the newest Muses. Welcome Christina.

{i wanna drink with you all night until we both fall down...} by tumbleweed.in.eden

I won't say goodbye, as I plan to continue to participate with this wonderful group. I look forward to challenging myself with the new themes, contributing to the flickr groups, and continuing to support and promote the Muses as they move forward into an exciting second year. I also plan to enjoy all of the inspired photos added each day to the Mortal Muses flickr groups and I look forward to staying in touch with all of you as I enjoy the everyday beauty in your photostreams. And, of course you can also find me irregularly posting to my own blog, joyfully continuing my collaboration with fellow Muse Michel on our blog Mo&Mi, continuing my 365 project on flickr (perhaps now I'll get it all organized and posted) sharing my purple finds in the Happy PurpleTuesday group, and you can follow along with my newest obsession documenting my daily life on Instagram.

champagne by 2 peas and a blueberry

Waiter! Champagne for everyone! Cheers to another inspired year!

much love *sniff*
xo
maureen

onward

I remember the events leading up to my invitation into the Muses pretty well...I mean, it was a mere six months ago. My blogging buddy, Kristina, asked for my number and said to expect a call from Tammy Lee Bradley. I'm not sure that Tammy knows this, but I kinda freaked out.

I think I've mentioned before that I hate talking on the phone...it's become somewhat of a phobia. I equate this "fear" to a baby bird scared to fly out of the nest for the first time. I'd finally found my voice within in my photos and on my own blog...but to talk to someone on the phone literally terrified me. But like all baby birdies do, I put on my big girl panties and returned her call...after I let it go to voicemail first. Baby steps.

Reflecting back, I know exactly the reason I was so anxious about my phone call with Tammy. Weeks earlier, I'd made a personal commitment...one that would open (even push) doors and expand my circle of influence. These types of commitment are rarely ignored and often come with some sort of outward response. The Mortal Muses weren't even on my radar. Of course I was a fan, but I'd never considered being a part of such a creative group of women. Either way, Tammy had unknowingly responded to my request.

Another frontier by sandrine L.

I've learned over the past six months that we can't always predict the opportunities that will be presented to us. But, when opportunity knocks, we should open the door and explore the possibilities. I am so thankful that I answered Tammy's call. I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Mortal Muses this past year and even more excited to see where it will take us next year. Whether the skies be blue or gray, the road is wide open.

Onward!
Ashley of Ramblings and Photos

cloudaholic

My name is Lucy and I am a cloudaholic. I carry a cloud book in my car and embarrass my children by pulling over to the side of the road to look up the names of unusual cloud formations. I could spend every summer day lying on my back gazing up at the sky.



Do you remember the famous scene from A Boy Named Charlie Brown?

Lucy: Aren’t the clouds beautiful? They look like big balls of cotton. I could just lie here all day and watch them drift by. If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud formations. What do you think you see, Linus?

Linus: Well, those clouds up there look to me look like the map of the British Honduras on the Caribbean.That cloud up there looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor…

Lucy: Uh huh. That’s very good. What do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown?

Charlie Brown: Well… I was going to say I saw a duckie and a horsie, but I changed my mind.

I’m more of a Charlie Brown kind of cloudspotter – I see duckies, too. And dinosaurs, and bears, and love, and surprise, and wonder.

I’ve enjoyed seeing your cloud photos in the Mortal Muses flickr groups over the last year – what you see in the clouds has inspired and amazed me. The vision and eloquence of all the Muses has expanded my own vision, and helped me to grow as a photographer. On this one-year anniversary, I want to celebrate all of the followers, contributors, and the Muses themselves. You’ve become a cherished part of my life, and I am so grateful to have been a part of this wonderful community of photographers. Here’s to another great year ahead! Much love.

--lucy @ a little light reading

1. hawaii | 2011, 2. dream big, 3. hidden angels, 4. happy days, 5. Reaching for the Skies, 6. lights on strings, 7. The Sky is The Limit, 8. Huntington Beach, mothers day / 6:34 pm, 9. Day 3 - clouds, 10. ~ early summer fields ~, 11. stormy lake, 12. Be Awesome, Be You, Be Free, 13. 196:365 evening rays, 14. lonely as a cloud, 15. Hill and Cloud, 16. Clouds in a Row

forward momentum

What I have been so moved by this past year, along with the obvious imagery we have featured on Mortal Muses, are the stories that sometimes accompany those images.  And even more so, the community of people who have encouraged one another, inspired one another, and also found friendship with each other, even those across the globe who may never meet in person.  I sometimes shake my head in confusion and wonder at how ideas are born, and how the relationships of those involved develop and deepen.  Not only amongst the nine who post here every week, but those of you who fill the flickr pools with your work and then come to comment and so become muses with us.

My involvement in the Mortal Muses came at the end of one of the hardest periods of time in my life.  And call it fate or luck or serendipity, but I've been carried on your shoulders so many times this past year whether you knew it or not.  My daughter featured in my very first post, and today I feature her again.  Just a simple moment caught on our recent trip, after a hike in the Sibillini mountains of Italy.  She had led the way the entire time, reaching the top before any of us, but as we headed down she said "I'm so tired, Mumma.  Will you pick me up?"  The photograph is not technically adept, and I can find fault with it in many ways, but it tells a story that seemed appropriate for my last post as a Muse.  You'll never know how grateful I am for the overwhelming love and support you have given me, and for the other wonderful women who have posted alongside me since last summer.

Carrying us forward will be some new muses to infuse us with new energy and stories and ideas, and of course beautiful images.  I am so proud and happy to pass one of the torches on to Holly Clark, better known to us all as soupatraveler.  She has been one of our biggest supporters from the very beginning, and is such a talented and joyous spirit.  And as I agonized on how to say farewell (for now), her image gave me the inspiration I needed.  I am delighted that Holly will be musing here, and she will be (in October) the third muse that I will get to hug in person!  (following Kirstin last month, and Tammy also in October)  It's my mission to hug as many of you as possible.  I'll be the tall one with the Lumix GF1 knocking on your door, so get ready.

I thank each of you again for your love and support, and I will be here visiting and nosing around your flickr streams.  You can't get rid of me that easily.

cheers,
kim (mosey) of mosey along

30/31 Forward Momentum by soupatraveler

what the future has in store for us.

Life is a funny thing. It turns upside down when you least expect it with many possibilities and adventures.
One of these adventures, for me, was Mortal Muses.

It has been so much fun to be part of such a wonderful inspiring community which never failed to amaze me.  You pushed me to get out more, shoot more, become someone during this year I wouldn't have been without you.  Every participant contributing to the pool, every one commenting, just makes me so happy for what we have created here.  A positive community about sharing pictures, inspiring each other and cheering each other on.

As I joined one year ago, I thought Tammy might be crazy to ask me to contribute.  I agreed and here we are after one year that changed us all because we came together, made something as Mortal Muses work so wonderfully. I am so glad I got to know all the muses. You know there is growing more in a year than just the passion. Friendship, kindness and sometimes love. Yes, I totally admit it. I love every muse. Contributor or not.

Slowly we leave the first year and enter the second with many hopes and expectations in the great things there might come. But just as life works I will be devoting my free time after graduating as a pediatric nurse to a new job. Some might say it is even more meaningful than any job in the world.  As you might know from my blog or flickr, I will be expecting my first child in late December.  This is so exciting and adventurous for me.

Although I need to devote myself fully to this new job coming up, I will not be completely gone from everywhere, I promise. You can still find me here and there and if you feel like talking, send me an email. I will be glad to hear from all of you. In life I think many things are changing and maybe some of us need new adventures, new projects, new loves and new inspiration.

Things are changing and so is every one of us all in the world. It will be different, but good. Time to grow, to be made into the person we need to be.

Now onto greater things...
I will be handing my spot as a muse to a new contributor, making room for more inspiration by wonderful Gilly. I am honored to have her take my musing spot because she is such a lovely, inspiring soul and you will all have so much fun with her. It will be a new beginning for me, for us (the muses) and you as our community. Great things will come, I just know it.

It is hard to say goodbye and I leave with tears and a smile, yet I know life will be good, like the pictures below by Austin.Lee.Barron and by sdanddoublee.

Trust by Austin.Lee.Baron

popsicle diptych by sdanddoublee

Much love to everyone,
Suki   xxx

a place for you

We all have a unique vision of the world, this I truly believe. One of the things I love about Mortal Muses is the variety that springs from our process. You have nine very different photographers... with different equipment, styles, interests and personal histories. Nine different people writing the words, and picking the photos from the pool. There are times we've wondered, "How are we going to muse for nine days on this?" or "What am I possibly going to say?" Yet we've always managed. We've pushed, we've grown, and we've learned from you along the way.

So no matter if your photographic muse is found half a world away, like mine from Italy above, or in your backyard like *kuki*'s below, there is a place for you here. A place for your style, your vision of the world around you. You are welcomed with open arms.

I'm so excited to begin the next year of musing with you!

Kat of The Kat Eye View of the World

counting summer seeds by *kuki* 

one of us

What an incredible adventure the Mortal Muses have been on.  Many of you probably don’t remember me, but I was here in the beginning, but due to life situations, I could not keep up with the amazing growth of the Mortal Muses blog and as much as I hated to leave, I had to let this wonderful group go.

I did continue to watch in awe from the sidelines as the Mortal Muses grew and expanded. The projects, the photos, the discussions, the themes, the Flickr pool…all of it just blew me away.  Although I didn’t participate, I watched. I followed the Muses on the MM blog, on their personal blogs, on Flickr, on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and felt honored that they did the same for me.  Over this year, I felt like although I have never met them in person, I have gotten to know these ladies beyond their photographs.

This is what have learned:  one of us is a constant explorer, one of us has an incredibly busy life and is always starting a new venture, one of us writes with such an open heart that her words move me to tears, one of us has been going through a lot of challenges and changes, but faces them like a champ, one of us is expecting some big changes in the next few months, one of us is wonderful at commenting on all of our blogs and photos, one of us takes photos that take my breath away each and every time, one of us transforms photos of  everyday objects into something spectacular,  and one of us has such a unique and identifiable style. As it turns out, “one of us” is ALL of us. As diverse as we all are, we are also the same.  It may seem strange, but I feel such a connection with these women I have never met in person.

It is both sad and exciting to see the "old" Muses move on and to watch a new set of Muses blossom and create.  I look forward to seeing what happens with everyone and welcome all of you to be “one of us” because in my eyes, you already are.   You are all Muses to me.

--Muse Alumni- Stephanie of S.L. Smith Photography

it's time to set my inner wonder woman free again! by luzia pimpinella ♥

happy anniversary!

water baby by journeyswithasimplegirl

Can you believe it? One year ago today, we started this wonderful community.  To celebrate, I am featuring photos from our very first theme... Stay Cool.  It was emotional to go back through these submissions and reminisce.  It has been such an inspiring year.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone... our beloved friends and followers, the original eight ladies that believed in me and my initial concept enough to take this journey, and the newest three muses that saw something they wanted to be part of.  I love each of you for your unwavering support. You are truly my muses.  Together, we have proven that anything is possible when you put such talent and tenacity in one place.

PW water2 by sc_mccormick

Today, it is with much pride and excitement that I turn over my Queen Muse crown to the beloved Muse Kirstin McKee.  She will carry the Mortal Muses legacy into the future.  Please give her all your love and enjoy the next eleven days as she, the Muses and the Muse Alumni share their thoughts on the delightful year that we have had and the inspiring changes you can expect as they start Mortal Muses Year Two.

I hope you will continue to visit with me at Bliss and Folly, every other Wednesday at Shutter Sisters, and here as a guest muse.  Remember I will always be watching from the sidelines, wearing a much smaller crown as the old Muse Mum, and still cheering you all on like a proud parent.

forever a muse...  xo tammy lee of bliss and folly

Dancing in the Rain by JoGo