HAPPY OCTOBER NEW MOON!

Where did the last month go? I guess time flies when you are having fun! It's currently 6 a.m. Atlantic time and I am starting this newsletter while I wait to head out for a morning shoot on the Highland Heart Workshop with Offbeat Photography. I had good intentions of writing this while I was hanging out at my first AirBnB in Margaree Valley but the day got away from us.

In 2021, Offbeat Photography had a year-long creativity challenge in their Facebook group called "The Year of Personal Growth." Each of us had to write out a plan for growing in January, work on that plan for the year, and in December, we had to write a few paragraphs our growth. There were many fantastic entries, and I didn't think I had a shot, but somehow they picked me! I won a spot on any Canadian workshop they had. So here I am on beautiful Cape Breton, learning to see like a landscape photographer. Drop me a line if you'd like to read my entry, and I will send it to you.

Did you get your hands dirty this month? Not technically my hands, but I was knee-deep in the sand next to an ocean trying some astrophotography last night. Show me how you got yours dirty!

CURRENT EVENTS IN THE SPELLING ROOM

Softball

We now have a month of Softball Academy socked away and Shae tried out for the Canada Games. She didn't make it to the next round but now she knows what to expect. There was some stiff competition! I strongly believe we can only get better by spending time with people who are . . . stronger . . . more adept than we are. You are who you spend time with right?

Saskatoon

I am officially licenced to operate out of my garage space in Saskatoon, SK. So if you are interested in booking a session with me, drop me a line! tara@theportraitwitch.com

Bachelor of Photography (BoP)

I am currently working on designing my 18th course. Once I get through October, I plan to get started on doing it and will make time in between classes to plan the rest.

Reading

The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell is still on the back burner for now.

Design Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans is also still on the back burner. I think I overloaded myself with educational reading. So I shifted to pleasure reading.

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates was an interesting blend of mild fantasy and historical fiction. I don't think this book was what I thought I was buying when I bought it for my Kobo, but it was very interesting to read from the perspective of a young man growing up as a slave in the United States.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman was a delightful read about a man who remembers supernatural events from his youth. I very much enjoyed this book.

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson was my favourite of the three I read. And it was not fantasy! Who would have thought? But I enjoyed reading about a young woman discovering herself through a bookstore her uncle left her. I shed many tears reading this one.

THE LATEST GRIMOIRE PAGES

I wrote a couple of articles for North Sask Music Zine, you can check them out here:

A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

I took this image at The Lone Shieling on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.

A MESSAGE FROM THE POWERS THAT BE

Have you taken the time to count your victories? So often we focus on our failures, mistakes, and limitations that we don't fully celebrate our successes. And we often downplay those successes and amplify the mistakes. WTF? So pat yourself on the back for all the things that you do well. Celebrate every success. Reward yourself (even in small ways) for the things you have accomplished. Share your wins and they will inspire others to do the same.

This card is from The Wild Unknown by Lisa Kranz. It is a screenshot from the mobile app.

A CREATIVE MISSION

TALK TO A STRANGER

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go out and chat up someone you don't know. I know that sounds intimidating but I promise you will learn something. Bonus points if you go deeper than small chat. We gain so much by talking to people we don't know.

Tell me what you learned on this Creative Mission by replying to this email, or tagging me in your post about it on Facebook or Instagram: @theportraitwitch.

Thank you for joining me on this journey! I can't wait to see where we go from here.

PO Box 301, Meath Park, SK S0J 1T0
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