One of the things I try and do more often is look back. Look back at the time when my portfolio barely existed, when I photographed anything and anyone that would not shy away from the eagerness of a camera and the little gal behind it full of hopes and dreams of creating art. Though starting out and pressing on to build a portfolio had it's challenges, I certainly can't deny how much it pushed and challenged me to see art, quite literally, everywhere - in the cup full of pencil, in the brilliance of bright orange on a kitchen table, in twinkling street lights of the San Francisco pier.

Even in the midst of my insecurity wondering if my photographs were any good, wondering if someone out there was laughing at my hopeful efforts, I still vividly recall a sense of joy, of sheer bliss that washed over those feelings whenever I saw a photo come to life in front of me.

This is one of my favorite old photographs that I proudly display in my work space, taken a few years back. My dad has these weathered hands, with lines that trace back to years of hard work and represent his love of building things, fixing and creating things. Displaying it reminds to be unafraid to build big dreams, that in the midst of the "business" stuff, to not lose joy of why I fell in love with the art of photography in the first place.

Happy Throwback Thursday, folks!