My personal journey
A few years ago, after receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer and being successfully treated, I began to take stock and decided to retire from the job I loved, for my health’s sake. My fear on making this move was that I would be bored and unfulfilled, that I might have difficulty in finding meaning in life after work and slip into depression. However, the Universe conspired to give me answers and after a series of chance encounters, coincidences and ‘one thing leading to another’, it was my rekindled passion for photography that became my saving grace. In addition, I had been blogging occasionally and had a few articles published so that was an area I wished to explore in greater depth, and what better way than to combine my two interests and, hey presto, wildwillowways.com was born!
I didn’t think I would feel like a rookie again at my stage of life but I realise that age has no bearing on the rookie stakes when you take on something completely new. For me, starting my own blog has been an exercise in taking steps in a new direction and it has also been very much a step into the unknown.
I had been interested in starting my own blog for some time but didn’t really know where to start. I looked at some blogging examples for inspiration but in some ways that was counter-productive as I didn’t want to be too influenced by other bloggers. In the end I just took the first steps – decided what the blog would be about – and it went from there. There are so many good blogs out there that deciding on a topic that appealed to me, would give me ample room for development and that might also appeal to others, wasn’t easy. There are countless fashion, health and lifestyle blogs, lots of food, personal development and techie blogs, numerous blogs appealing specifically to certain interest groups, and plenty of blogs giving advice and tips on all manner of topics. I don’t feel that I am particularly knowledgeable in any specific area that would be of interest to others so I decided to go for something personal, to chart the journey of my own experience of starting on a new path in life, or more accurately reviving an old passion, that of digital photography. My blog does not aim to teach photography to anyone, nor to give advice, but hopefully by sharing my own experiences I can help someone else find their inspiration. I have also found blogging to be an extremely enjoyable pursuit.
Even though I may not have many readers, I enjoy writing and sharing my own ideas and attempts at creativity, as well as having a springboard for developing my photography skills. Already I have some virtual contacts on the online blogging platforms and I hope that as the blog grows it will help me connect with other people who share my interests. In my latest blogs I have been exploring the more creative side of photography, which is where my real interest lies. Although I need to keep improving the technical side of photography I realise that it is equally important to learn how to see with a photographer’s eye, to become more observant, to be more present in each photograph I take if my images are going to be uniquely mine.
The photography side of my life has taken me to amazing places, most of them within easy reach of my home. It has helped me to become more observant, more appreciative of the world around me and more willing to brave the elements and be out in nature. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world, but, most significantly, photography has become a very important part of my overall wellbeing; it is a pursuit that ticks all the boxes in that regard for me and it has led me on a journey of discovery that shows no signs of stopping.
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