Alyice on January 4th, 2007

Rediscovering A Passion

When I was 11 years old, my mother allowed me to watch a television show that probably wasn’t the best show for a small child to view, but I’m so glad she did! It was that show the fueled my desire to become more than I ever dreamed possible.

The imagery, the composition, the life that simply came alive with each snap of the camera made me believe anything was possible—if we just took the time to slow down, observe, and wait for the right moment.

I dreamt of becoming a great photographer who traveled the world taking breathtaking snapshots that would forever change the way man thought while being forever captured in time.

Wanting to help fuel my dream, my mother provided me with a 110 film camera. I excitedly went about snapping pictures and enthusiastically waited for the results of my hard work; unfortunately we never had the money to develop the film so rolls of undeveloped film sat in my mom’s dresser drawer. By the time I was able to afford to develop those rolls myself, many had been lost and those that were found were not developable.

Sadly, my dream died.

Then in high school, I took a photography class. I loved every minute of it; including the dark room! But once I graduated from high school, I never gave photography another thought. After all, being a professional photographer meant meeting new people and doing things that were extremely out of my comfort zone. So the wallflower in me settled on Business Administration instead.

Again, my dream died.

Life went about as it normally does and I found myself married and living in a rented house with a front office. Every day I’d daydream about turning that front office into a photography studio. I knew just what I’d buy, what I’d make, and how I’d pose my clients. But that’s all I ever did—dream.< ?p>

Then we moved, and my dream died.

I never really gave up photography. I took many pictures of my children, holidays, and special events. And sometimes, I’d take pictures of everyday, ordinary things—hoping to capture them in time, forever. I’d organize my photos, place them in photo albums, make Christmas ornaments out of them, and even began to make scrapbooks. But I never again pursued the idea of becoming a professional photographer.

That is, until we moved to Merrill, Wisconsin.

That’s where my friendship with a colleague—a writer like myself—uncovered a strong realization that my life will never be complete until I pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a professional photographer and storyteller.

So over the next few years, as I continued to build my writing business and publish my magazine, I began taking more and more pictures. We even went on a few day excursions with the sole purpose of finding something interesting to shoot. The more we talked, the more the spark grew and eventually she took the leap I had been so afraid to take. She quit writing and became a full-time photographer. Watching her develop her business only fueled my desire to uncover the issues that prevented me from taking my own leap.

Then we moved.

I thought without a photo buddy spurring me on, my dream would once again die, but it didn’t, I continued to use my camera on a weekly basis, all the while wondering how to combine art, storytelling, and photographs so that I could develop museum worthy pieces that belonged in the home.

Then I got a surprise!

An early Christmas present from my husband—a Nikon D-80 camera! In case you don’t know why that’s exciting, it’s a camera made for beginning professionals.

“It’s time you got out the house more, meet new people, stretch your comfort zone, and do something with that dream of yours,” my husband announced.

Truthfully, I had been living my dream—but only part of my dream.

I’d become a storyteller through writing articles and publishing great works from other writers. I’d become a photographer—even if it was only for family and friends. And, the biggest dream of my life came true sixteen years ago when I married my husband and started a family of my own—and we’ve since been blessed with vibrant children who brighten our days in ways no business, no career, no hobby ever could!

Whether or not I become a professional photographer with a studio of her own, or merely a more experienced hobby photographer, I feel blessed to have such a supportive husband. And can’t wait to start taking more pictures!

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AlyiceEdrich.com
I'm a freelance writer, mixed media artist, SMVA, and the owner of The Dabbling Mum.

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