Why am I doing this?

Since I left the academic world as a student, I've been struggling in finding ways to continue growing.  I love learning and in my adolescent years I wrote in a journal nearly every day.  For some reason that is the way that writing is a part of me.  I generally only write to get some type of emotion out of me so that I can better handle my world.  I also do this with art.  For right now...my visual outlet is photography.  I use to paint all the time....weekly if not daily at times in my life.
I have learned that I need to be in charge of my own growing and I realized that I learn the most about myself when I put my self out there by either writing or creating something visual.   A blog allows you to do both of these things.  The added bonus is that people can critique you, you get to learn a different perspective, and you grow. :)  So...please...critique away.

I don't know what it is...but something here captivates me.

My own backyard alley.  Not so scary after all.  I love how this little human art-form here is contrasted by all of the man built things surrounding her.  I will make this a poster print.  It has so much balance.

I was mesmerized by this little guy.  I believe it must be some type of nocturnal butterfly.  I do not think it's a moth at all.  It doesn't have the right antennas for that.  It stopped by the pool to take a drink at night. 

I like how the round design on the right echos the eyes of the Lepidopteran.  I'm not sure about the flow of this photo though.  I feel like my eyes don't quite travel to the left side far enough.

This is not in here for composition or contrast.  It is simply the subject matter here that completely cracks me up.  I only wish I had focused on the eyes....but the mouth is entertaining.  Ha ha ha!

This one is very strange to me.  But I like it. I like how the dark on left balance out the darkness of her eyes.  Then there is a black line to the right that also draws your eye through the picture.  It's interesting.

I like how the yellow hose pulls you in.

I think this needs lightened up somehow but I'm afraid about losing the detail if I do that.  Seeds.

The car frames her and moves my eye around.   The only thing I don't like is the dog behind her.  I feel like it sets it off balance.

The detail in this one just stops me short.  I can't stop looking at it.  The bottom of this photograph has a nice dark and "low pattern" area where your eyes can take a break.  Then the stem draws you back up into the dynamic flower.  This is one of my favorites this week.

So why am I doing this blog?   Because I want to grow and I want to share it with other people so that, if they are like me, they will learn a way to continue learning for the rest of their life and continue to grow in many many ways. Right now...everything is very visual for me so this is how I choose to document my life.  With all that being said, I hope you enjoy the photos and learn something new or at least got a smile from one of them.  Thanks for sharing!