For my friends who received a business card...

I have moved. I may continue to post on this site here and there, but have not decided in what to do with it yet. However, if you would like to see a more professional side of myself, please head on over to ----

 http://elizabethewing.com/

Thank you.

Moving forward - 2012

Yay! I'm writing a blog post! It's been awhile. Just had to take time and not worry about keeping that deadline. I think if I hadn't been trying to do so much in my community and research each nonprofit on top of that it would have been fine. But I was starting to feel some burn out, and decided it was for the best. I might do weekly nonprofit profiles on here though, how would you feel about that?


Anyway, I suppose now I should go into a new year list... well... I hope to write a lot more in 2012. I hope to move away from reading so much online (I'm constantly researching and reading interesting articles), and to actually create more. I hope to make it a practice of not getting online at all on Sundays (except for what I need to do for my job as a social media coordinator...) and be outdoors. I also started an outline for a new feature-length script.

Most of what I plan to do this year I have not considered "Resolutions," because I hope to cultivate lifestyle changes instead of radical goals. If I had to write out a list of goals though...

1. Finish my 2nd feature-length script. I've broken it down into a certain amount of pages per month.

2. Learn/relearn a language. I will be using http://www.memrise.com/, and I am currently signed up to learn Arabic. The problem is I want to learn how to speak it... and I've only been able to find it for writing. So maybe I'll switch to Spanish. Both would be helpful for me to know.

3. Completely organize my picture and video files. ESPECIALLY my family and client pictures. This has to happen anyway since I am getting hired more and more for shoots.

4. Taking care of my body through diet and exercise. I just watched "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" on hulu. Wow it is eye-opening and inspiring.

I will probably continue to use this blog for nonprofits and random posts here and there. But moving forward I will be mainly using my new website, elizabethewing.com. Not sure what it is going to evolve into, but I'm very excited and it has a LOT of potential! I am also starting a daily documentation project that won't be as time-consuming as my 365 self portrait project. I hope to take a picture everyday, to document aspects of my life and to celebrate that this is a 366 year! ;P

Here is from the first day, I'll sign off with this!

If you want to follow my new blogging spot, go to http://elizabethewing.com/, though I'm not sure if the RSS feed is properly working yet! I'll have it much more polished by the end of the week. *Crosses fingers and hopes...*

Losing my Mind

Where have I been since I last posted?

I really can't tell you. My life has been busy, but not necessarily the good kind. It's been a more of a mix I suppose. I'd say most of it has just been a blur. Not the best feeling to have when you are a young twenty-something. On the plus side, I am gaining more confidence at work. And while I am still in the adjustment phase, it is becoming easier on my poor college-scheduled brain.

Once I get home though, it's a different story. I am forgetting to fill out paperwork (I missed TWO bills over Thanksgiving, crap crap crap), I've misplaced little things as I'm running out the door... it goes on. If I am feeling like this as a single person with no kids, then how do families do it? The women in my office say it's really hard. It's always a challenge for them to make sure that they are taking care of their marriage, kids, house and somehow find the time to take care of themselves. So I know that it's tough no matter what age you are and whether you are supermom or not. But I think they all are currently doing a much better job than me. >...<

I'm still behind on personal projects, though I have made some significant headway recently. I'll get there. I really need to write some letters, one to someone that I failed pretty miserably. I still feel guilt over how I handled that one. To be fair, it was a situation that I just didn't know how to deal with. Now that I am in a working environment, I am able to use that past experience and communicate much more effectively. I still should write him a letter...

So this is where I am at. I am Generation Y according to the "research."I fit the profile pretty well. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go finish up some Cyber Monday shopping and then promptly fall into bed.

Much love to y'all,
Me



*Update, it was only one bill I missed, and that will be taken care of tomorrow. I'll probably call and see if I can get any late fees waived. Either way, it's not very big. But the other would be if I really had missed it. Whew. :)

Ten Reasons to go to Bed before Ten

This is my current list. I hope to review and revise some more, and then attempt to be all artsy and design something in InDesign. I'm a crap designer, but it will be a fun challenge. And hopefully through doing it I will ingrain these reasons into my head.

1. Discipline begets Discipline

2. To be well-rested for the next day

3. To make it possible to start the day off with Jesus

4. Because temptation is great in the dark of the night

5. It is more fun to take pictures when the sun is rising than when the sun has gone

6. Weight is more manageable and skin practically glows

7. Family time is easier to schedule

8. To Encourage Simplicity

9. More ability to focus

10. Time to Detox from the internet.

What do you think, good enough reasons? Is there anything you would add or switch out?

Volunteering... Activism?

I'm starting to feel like I am an activist. Do I have the right to call myself that if I have never gotten arrested for my activism? I try to keep aware of all the plights of the world... I share a lot on twitter and facebook, I suppose that counts for something.

No, to be honest I think I am somewhere in-between. Let's face it, I am part of the ME-generation. I am living with my parents who were gracious enough to let me live here with free (Though I still contribute to the household!) room and board... I own more crap than I know what to do with... my time is limited, but it is my own. I was born and raised in the 1st world, and it is hard for me to give up my comforts. Yet, I work with my own hands to serve people, what money I can give I do, and more and more my time is given to my church, my family, and my community.

Tonight I went to the local humane society and offered my services as a photographer. The amount of space in that building is to small for all of the cats they have. They have all but completely waived the adoption fee in order to promote saving as many cats as they can. Unfortunately they might have to start euthanizing soon. They do have a staff member who is taking pictures of the adoptive animals but if she needs or wants help than I want to be that person.

On October 29th I ran a race for freedom. You can see the recap video here. It was amazing, and something I want to continue to do for charity. I will hopefully put something about it together for myself and post it here.

About a month ago, I began volunteering for my church's youth group. At least half of the kids who come on Wednesday nights come from broken families. The second week I showed up, a girl pulled me aside after and together the youth paster and I had a talk with her. High schoolers are calling this beautiful girl a B****.  Seriously. She does not know why, but they have continuously called her foul words and ostracized her. This is not my world. For the past four years, love and support was freely given. It has been years since I have been negatively teased and bullied. Being with these kids has put me out of my comfort zone.  It is good, because not only do they help me to see how far I have come, but so I can show them that things change. What seems so horrible and unforgiving will become the past, feelings will be cast aside. What a difference a few years makes.

On September 8th, I gained a child through World Vision. I hope to one day meet her and listen to her story. But for now, I pray that she is well and taken care of.

Then there's SAT-7, started on July 27th. Oh maaaannnnn. I feel like I could talk about SAT-7 forever now. Yes, I know that I work there. But I have learned so much about the Middle East and North Africa. I get so passionate about the people now. I honestly and truly love them, even with so many faults and crazy stories about extremists. I am so glad to be a part of something that inspires people to live a better life. To search for the plug to that hole in their soul. God truly is moving over there through SAT-7. Go Jesus! :)

I still have so many goals and dreams when it comes to helping people. Look up statistics of poverty, drug violence and human trafficking. It makes me sick. It has moved me to get off my butt and work to do at least a little bit of something. Will you let your awareness move you?

Tell me about your story and passion. How you are using it for good? I end with this.  Give. Tell. Go!

Reading IS important!

It feels like every blog I go to now is talking about reading. Books are being listed on facebook, on twitter, in my magazines and more. Seriously, everywhere my eyes goes someone is talking about reading books. Books have shaped my life, they are part of the glue that binds me and my parents from the all times they read to me before I could do it myself--Books-- well, they were my friends when I barely had any.

I clearly remember being given THREE detentions in school because I was continuously caught reading books at my desk. When I got in trouble at home, I was grounded from reading (and also TV, that made for a boring day). I snuck in more reading than kids do texting these days. Well, ok, that's probably not true. Have you seen the little fiends?!?

Back to reading. Our public libraries need help. While I am SUPER excited they are going to be able to lend out digital copies of books soon, I would still HATE to see all those books fall into disarray or worse, disappear all together. Literacy is one of the driving forces that allows communities to pull themselves out of poverty. Literacy opens minds and informs those who seek it. Much is to be said about the importance of literacy, but here, watch the funny video, and read some books!

Seth Godin 

Rachel Held Evans

Jasmine Star

And I hope to create my own list soon. I am still sick with a cold, so I am going to bed early. I will add a link when it's done!

Farming PSA

Wow, I got chills. Seriously, this PSA views like a short film and stays with you long after it's done. So many of our families simply buy from the grocery store without one thought of where our food comes from. But everything we (should) eat is from a farm. Yet farmers are going bankrupt right and left. There is no support system for the smaller farms anymore. I wish I could say that this is a quick fix. It's not. Farming is a skill that takes a lot of hard work and a whole lotta cash. Many farmers go deep into debt simply to buy equipment needed and maintain it. Less and less people are willing to work that hard and fewer still have the pockets deep enough.

Even though I am just barely touching the surface, there are amazing foundations and organizations that are combating this problem. And remember to support your local farmers as much as possible each season. It's win win, because as your local economy get better, so does your health! :)

Speaking of local farms, my friend Jackie and I went to our local pumpkin patch. We had so much fun!