2014, thank you and goodbye

The end of the year always seems as an appropriate time to reflect on one’s choices, successes or failures. It is a time when we all get to stop for a minute and actually think about how we spend our lives and if we are satisfied.

When I was younger I used to keep a diary, like all the little girls, where every end of the year I would write a summary of my year, mainly to revisit my most important moments and somehow keep them with me. I still feel that taking some time to reflect on your life like this is precious and because of that, I believe everyone should do it more often and not just once a year. Perhaps that should be my first goal for 2015: taking more time to self-reflect.

In terms of photography, this year has been full of satisfactions for me. I consider 2014 to be my starting year, because although I took pictures long before that, I had not yet found my personal style, my true passion.

In 2014, I had the chance to experiment and bring my imagination to life. In the beginning of the year I had set and written down some goals and although not all were achieved, I am very happy that most of them were, but more importantly that I actually tried! I realize now that one of the most important things in life is to let yourself try to follow what you are really passionate about, instead of just wishing you could do it. Yes, that is what 2014 has taught me: if you love something, then just get up and go do it. No excuses, no doubts, no fear. They are useless in the end. All that matters is that you do the best you can to be happy.

This year I decided to let myself be a photographer. I decided to use whatever tools I had at my disposal, to get out and look for locations, to let my imagination show me the way. It was probably the most liberating and rewarding experience of my life and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I created 22 pictures and I am proud for each and every one of them. I got to participate in two art festivals where I showed my pictures to the world outside the internet. I got to travel to a lovely island because of my photography. Most of all, I can now say that I am more in touch with my true self than I have ever been. And I am no longer afraid to let everyone see that.

This new year is going to be challenging, I can feel that already. Work is going to be more demanding and writing my master’s thesis is going to take up most of my time at least until the summer. Time spent on photography is shrinking, but not disappearing. I know now that doing this, is something I will never get enough of, so all I have to do actually, is to keep doing it.

I’d like to thank all of you that have shown your support these past months, either here or on facebook, flickr or 500px. Every click, like, or comment, feels like a hand that is reaching out to mine, to tell me that there is someone by my side. Thank you all for being there.

A tremendous amount of gratitude and all the love in the world go the man of my life, that has been my most dedicated fan, the best photographer’s assistant you can find and my favorite person in the whole wide world. Thank you for coming with me on my adventures, for your feedback, for understanding why I clutter our house with all sorts of stuff to use in future photoshoots and accepting that I will continue doing that.

I wish you all to have a great year, spend time with your loved ones, have fun, create and never stop chasing your dreams.