Hype is nice.

Please, please please click on this link.

apart at the seams.


This photograph basically sums up my situation right now.

I just want school to be over already.

It's the last week.
(and I'm a week behind on my 365 days, as of twenty-nine minutes ago).
I have all these images in my head, a face bandaged up and hurting, a back with skin peeling like wallpaper, hands being tender, monochrome, soft colours, and so on and so forth,
but I have no time in which to make them!
I'm just ready for school to be done and over, so I can concentrate on the things I want to do, like these photographs, rather than the things I have to do.


Oh, p.s.!
I'm having a print sale to raise money for a new camera (5D MK II, anyone? yes please).
email me at kirastyles@gmail.com to place an order,

4"x6" - $6
8"x12" - $12
12"x18" - $22

I was sad,

and now I'm less so.
Despite the facts that I'm three projects behind in my drawing class, that I have a paper due Thursday worth 45% of my final grade, that I haven't taken any still life photographs for my class on Wednesday, that my cat refuses to cooperate with me for another project due Thursday, and that I'm three days behind on my 365 Days project, I'm less sad than I used to be.
Stressed out? Yes. Of course. Added to the fact that I'm a newly single girl again, and newly unemployed (again), all this work seems to be piling up faster than I can climb a ladder to get to the top of it.

But it's okay. 'Cause, gee, when you look at it, being single and out of work means I have more time to procrastinate by writing blog posts! and, I guess, eventually work on the stuff that needs to get done.
What makes it even better is that I know that I'm loved, though.

It's been a really rough couple of weeks for me, from breaking up to losing my job, to family stresses to finding out secrets from the past. Since my friends are also artists, they pay keen attention to details, and they wanted to cheer me up.
So, last Thursday afternoon, they staged a sadness intervention for me, which included a little gift, and a giant group hug. Then we all went and ate Andrew's candy. (Thanks, Andrew!)
I have had a smile on my face since. I love you all dearly.

Life goes on.

Adventures today - painting your face with silver acrylic like a superhero's mask and using bright red lipstick apparently gets you noticed in public places! Who'da thought.
That's actually one of the things that I'm enjoying about this project: it gets other people involved, from my family who puts up with me, to my friends at school who actually volunteer for this craziness - and it gets crazy.
365 days is also bringing out the worst in me, though. I get frustrated, and lazy, but at the same time I want perfection in what I'm doing. Ergo, I'm never fully satisfied with the shot I have.
It's a mixed bag.


So there's that.

On a totally unrelated note, this weekend will be busy!
I have to stop by my former workplace and pick up my last cheque, I'm headed to an improv show (with my camera of course), and on Saturday I've got the crafty minions sale to stop by (Cara from midkid is in it!), coffee with a friend to catch up, plus a film photoshoot planned!
I will be very, very tired by the end of the day.
Have a good night, folks!

I don't NEED to do this.

That was the point that my friend Cara (midkid.blogspot.com) made yesterday when she was making fun of all the stuff I carry to and from school every day. 

See, because I'm doing this project, I have to lug my laptop, camera, lenses, tripod, and lunchbag to school every day, if I want an image with daylight!

Needless to say, it creates a lot of baggage.

I could avoid that problem, just by leaving everything at home. I could leave my camera, tripod, and just bring along my laptop and lunch to school. It would be a lot easier on me, on my back, and on poor Cara, who has to put up with me on the bus every evening. It would even be easier in class without all my stuff covering the desks and chairs and floor space around me.

I don't need to take a picture of myself every single day. But I want to.

I don't want to make the focus on my appearance, making something sexy, I just want to make something interesting. I want to convey a message, an emotion, a feeling of quietness or something a little quirky. I want to create something that makes people stop and stare.

Am I going to succeed?

I have no clue.

But I want to continue the 365 days, because I want to see if I can.

That's all.

Pressure's on.

This week has not been a good one when it comes to photography (for me, anyways). In class last Wednesday, our assignment was given: Make Art.
This creates a difficulty.
When I'm after a specific image, I shoot and shoot and shoot until I get what I need.
When our assignments were specific, I was able to imagine the specific thing I wanted!
But now that it's Art with a capital A, my mind is shooting blanks. Needless to say, none of them are hitting the target.
It's getting to the point where I'm really discouraged. And the people around me are steadfast in making me conserve my "artistic integrity." - you're the artist, not me, you come up with the ideas.
Well, there are ideas, and then there are ideas. Let's hope that something (or four somethings) strikes me tomorrow!



p.s. to see the rest of the photographs head over to www.flickr.com/kira-jillane