Special Edition: The Bonus Blitz

Greetings, Blitzers. What a lovely day! Took a stroll in the park this evening, just to enjoy the spring weather here in Southern California -- and get in a little exercise. I've been spending way too much time parked in front of the computer. I know. Soooo not healthy. That's something I was reminded of very recently. And that leads me to our PhotoBlitz Special Edition: The Bonus Blitz! Sound amazing? Oh, it is.


One of the rewards of Blitzing, or any creative activity, is the personal fulfillment it brings. It's a way to tune in, relax, and go with the flow. I imagine it's what surfing is like. (Minus the sharks, seaweed, and sand in your shorts.) But sometimes that passionate, tuned-in focus can become self-absorbed. That's not good, because creative gifts want to be shared. That's where the Bonus Blitz comes in. The Bonus Blitz is where you take your unique talent and find a way to share it. Best case scenario: you use it to help someone else. You do good, you feel good, and it's all good. That's the Bonus.


This past Saturday, Tim and I had the privilege of attending the opening ceremony of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Hemet, California. The Relay for Life is a time to Celebrate those who have fought against cancer, Remember those who lost the battle, and Fight Back against the disease through education, personal commitment, and fund-raising. It is a 24-hour event where relay teams keep one member on the track at all times, to remind people that cancer never sleeps. It is an incredibly moving event where communities gather together in a huge show of support and love.


Tim & I were invited to the event by our friend, Martha, a committee member and herself a survivor. We were both eager to help document the morning, as both Tim and I have had our lives touched by cancer. Tim's father successfully battled it, as did my mother. But I know the sorrow of loss as well: in early 1994, just months after being married, my husband was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. It was inoperable and he was given only months to live. After a long and agonizing fight, he died, just three weeks after our first anniversary, My father-in-law died almost two years later, also from cancer. So the opportunity to publicize this effort, which may help save someone else from this fate, is beyond an honor; it is an obligation.


Visit The American Cancer Society to educate yourself about how you can keep yourself healthy and fight against cancer.


Click here for more pics from this incredible event. Thank you, Hemet Relay for Life Participants. YOU are the truly awesome!

Blitzed Out

We are exhausted. Tuckered out. Bone-tired weary. In other words, we are Blitzed Out.

Not gonna lie to you, people. It's been a Hard Day's Night. Well, actually many nights. The PhotoBlitz blog project has been running for three weeks now. (Awww, collective group hug, it's an anniversary!) Tim & I have been out Blitzing as often as we can, trying to get a good range of shots for the blog. We've ignored chores (that are now looming over us), gone without good sleep, and have basically been living, breathing, and eating the project. All our spare time has gone into the tasks required to create it. You know what? It's a lot more involved than we thought it would be. See, Blitzing and Blogging are two entirely different creatures. Blitzing is cake. Take pics and have fun. But Blogging is fun and work. Lots of work. All kinds of details we didn't even think about until we fell down the rabbit hole. It's been nuts! But all this has been a learning experience and here's a lesson we've learned...

Creative people can sometimes derail their own creative efforts by getting ultra-focused on One Thing. They get that whole tunnel-vision thing going. Ya, sometimes a project needs your total attention, but you still can't allow it to consume you. 'Cause it can and if you let it, it will actually mess up what you're trying to achieve. If you let yourself get stale, so will your work.

Before the Maestro and I started the blog, we PhotoBlitzed a lot. But we also enjoyed movies, had time to read, take a walk,... Nothing crazy like hopping the next plane to Paris, just engaging in activities that gave us a break from Blitzing. But since we've been Blogging, all our energy has gone into the project. Don't get me wrong. It's fun and stimulating, but to remain creative, people need to take time to do something else. Even if it's just catching a movie or sitting down with a book. This is what feeds mind, body, & soul. This is what keeps your creative mojo alive.

So, just for now, grab your camera...and put it away. Put away all PhotoBlitz thoughts. Just for now. Ok, get going. Hit the bookstore. Rent a DVD. Listen to some music. Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow the adventure will continue...BIGGER, BADDER, AND BOLDER THAN EVER. 'Cause that's how we roll, baby! Woooo-hoooo!


(Ya, I snapped that with the cellie. Oh, c'mon, it was just a Blitzette. Now, it's chill time. You, too, Maestro!)

It's "Slow Down Sunday"

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing,
of just going along, listening to all the things
you can't hear, and not bothering."
~ Pooh's Little Instruction Book ~

"There's never enough time to do
all the nothing you want."
~ Calvin and Hobbes ~


"There is more to life than increasing its speed."
~ Mohandas K. Gandhi ~