a girlfriend of mine made a comment the other day on my “mirror shots” that i have been posting lately. i like mirror shots because they are the easiest way to do a self portrait. other than that, i had not given it much more thought…but my friend observed that it maybe it was a theme surfacing. the idea of themes in our lives has always intrigued me- and oh how they love to pop up in our artwork! they are like little clues to our soul stories. unexpected fortune cookies between the cracks of everyday randomness.

mirrors, themes…this is not new information. we all know we are mirrors for each other. yet i think there are times in our lives when themes take over~show up fullstop and on fire, until we are forced to put down what we are doing and take note.

the irony here is i hate mirrors…have always struggled with my reflection like so many of us do….seeing the immediate “flaws” instead of the whole being. the truth is our friends don’t gravitate to the perceived flaws when they see us. quite the opposite. they go straight to the love, straight to the core-right where it matters most.

it is like in that song exactly (have you bought that song yet? are you listening to it 20 times a day like me?) …“when you look at me just right, you see YOU…” to me, this seems to be the true meaning of namaste. to really look at someone so deeply~without judgement or projection, just pure love…so pure and so clear that you actually see yourself in their eyes. you are then able, in turn, to fall in love with yourself, all while loving someone else in that same small moment.

another area where reflection has been a theme for me is through photography and videography. especially through video…you really get to witness the way others look at you. often when i am in the midst of editing (usually a little girls class) a certain look or expression will stop me in my tracks.

in face to face contact, with all the distractions of the outside world, it is easy to miss these moments among cell phones, rushed meetings, children who need attention, etc, etc, etc. but during those times of deep creation and focus, i see these moments on my computer screen and it often takes my breath away, inspires me to be more present when these exchanges are actually happening.

so many of you beautiful readers out there are photographers/videographers as well-it can be a competitive field sometimes, right? all too easy to compare our work with all the other gifted artists out there…

whenever you have a moment like this, i ask you to stop and pick one of your favorite shots. it does not matter if you don’t consider yourself a professional. i don’t care if it pays the bills or not. just pick a photo where someone you love is looking right into your lens. really look at this photograph. see what emotions and feelings come up. notice how your heart feels when you look at it.

and then know this is also the true essence of YOU. it is a shared energy, in that moment, and you have it documented for life as a magical reminder.

can we trust the radiant reflections we see in each other? i believe this can inspire us greatly to learn to see the authentic beauty in ourselves. to honor it. to see, really see, ourselves.

so what about you? what is your favorite photo? why is it your favorite?

show me if you would.
i want to see you.