Today I want to answer a question.
Why should you take time out of your already busy life to pursue personal documentation? In other words: does it matter all that much?
As I shared in my first letter this month (you can sign up for them here!), God used the arts of photography and journaling as tools to build a foundation of gratitude in my heart. I desperately needed this shift in my mindset during a time of depression in my life. I didn't really know what I was doing, I simply enjoyed remembering and relishing in beautiful things. It became necessity for me because when taking a casual glance over my life at the time, I didn't see anything worthy of remembrance. I had to seek it out.
That's where photography and writing came in.
For me, they're intertwined in such a way that it's often difficult to separate the two.
Now, most people will tell you that the reason you need to invest photography is because, "One day you'll be older with your children grown and want to remember how beautiful your life was."
And while I see the truth in that, I would like to offer an alternative viewpoint: I firmly believe that actively documenting your life in an intentional way can make you understand how beautiful your life is right now.
After all, isn't Right Now all we have? While we all hope to reach the age of silver hair and love-creased hands, we aren't guaranteed that. We simply cannot predict what even the next hour may hold. And I get it, maybe your Right Now isn't ideal. Maybe your Right Now feels like it's defined by the amount of house you have to keep clean, the amount of sleep you haven't gotten since your babies arrived, or that ridiculously tight budget you're living with. Maybe--and it's ok to admit this--you don't like your Right Now. In fact, you want to escape it. But, you can't run away from this. You can't give up.
Why?
Because, like I said, Right Now is all we have.
You can't rewind or move forward or slow anything down. All you can do is walk through your life with eyes wide opened to the beauty unfurling around you. You may not be able to change it, but you can record it. You can say thank you for it.
And now you're thinking, but what if I don't want to remember this? It's ugly, it's messy, it's hard. I'd rather forget all this, thank you very much. But deciding to believe that your hardship is beautiful, that there is good to be found here; it changes, well, everything.
“It is in the dark that God is passing by. The bridge and our lives shake not because God has abandoned, but the exact opposite: God is passing by. God is in the tremors. Dark is the holiest ground, the glory passing by. In the blackest, God is closest, at work, forging His perfect and right will.
― Ann Voskamp
The act of declaring, "I will thank You, for this." regardless of what you feel, can spark a flame that lights your way out of the dark. In this way, documentation can be become your act of worship.
And that's why it's important. That's why it's not just about the perfect pose or golden hour or an ISO setting. It's about training your heart to bend in gratitude towards your Right Now--whatever it may look like.
Our heart behind Light & Letter is to teach you how the avenues of photography and writing can absolutely change your perspective on life. Whether we're entering the space of your home to document your story unfolding or loving on your from an email or a blog post, we're here to help you fall wildly in love with the sacred in your life.
>>I hope you understand my sharing this huge 'why' behind our business before I shared anything else. This is the foundation our entire dream is built on. But don't worry, all of our sharings won't be so in-depth. ;) In fact, my next post will be a fun little phone photography tutorial that I can't wait to get started on.
>>Oh! And I can finally share my next playlist! This one was curated to empower, uplift and get your heart pumping. I wanted the listener to feel motivated and alive. Let me know what you think. Find it HERE.
