I dream in color. Bright, vivid, unforgettable colors. Color is a part of my soul and my inner mind. I dream and live in color. There are many times during the day that I am awe struck at color. Whether it be the espresso color of my oldest daughters eyes, the tangerine glow of the setting sun, and every color in between. When I was a little girl my favorite color was orange. Most little girls would say pink or purple…nope, mine was orange. I went through a stage where everything I ate had to be orange. Orange cheese, carrots, oranges, orange jello….I was very specific (it still makes me laugh). But I can still remember why…orange actually made me feel happy as a little girl, it literally just made me happy. And then as I was writing this post I came across this quote…

“Orange is the happiest color” Frank Sinatra

Well said Frank….my thoughts exactly….and it made me realize just how influential color is. How individually it effects all of our lives. It is the main ingredient in so many moments of every single day. It was just a few weeks ago, I came across a video on facebook. It was a video for a 5k race. Last year I started running again and ran my first half marathon and a few other fun races along the way. So whenever I see a new race I’m excited to see what it’s about. I watched the video and I was SOLD…I had to be a part of the colorful madness. Check it out…who couldn’t use a bit more color in their life? For more information and to see if the race will be in your area (If you’re in Utah come run with me April 28th!) check out their website…and the race organizers…super cool people…yep

www.colormerad.com

I hope your day is beautiful, and full of any and all colors you choose to surround yourself with.

Photo by: Tiffany Burke

Photo source: iPhone

Edited using: Instagram and Photoshop

by: Vanessa Rae

One of my favorite things to buy is a brand new box of crayons. There is something about the perfectly lined row of colors that makes me want to color. As a child, I would sit for hours coloring. Making sure that every line was precisely outlined, then slowly coloring, making sure there where no crossing color lines. I took it very serious as you can tell. I often will watch my children color or draw and think…Why did they choose that color? What is their little brains thinking? And smile as I watch the intensity and the little tongue stick out as they concentrate so hard. I think as mothers there is nothing better then little works of art from our children. I have collages all over my home of cute little drawings they have created just special for me. Always so sweet when you hear, “Look Mom what I did for you.” And watch their eyes light up as you praise them. Right there…in that moment…you are helping their own little artist to emerge.

I think every day without fail, my kids color or draw. There is always paper, crayons, markers, scissors, and anything else they can think of to make something with. The best is when I discover that all the toilet paper, or paper towels, plastic spoons, and zip lock baggies magically all disappear…Its always the same response, “But Mom, we really needed them to make this.” Jack is quite the artist. He tries to be as cool as his big sis and keep up with her amazing creations. So glad my children love to create what is inside them.

I love how silly this boy is. He always makes me laugh. On this morning, I happened to look out my bedroom door to find him singing his little songs, coloring away. I grabbed my camera and started shooting. I am so glad I stopped and took this moment. I will treasure these always. My sweet Mr. J…

How do you see color?

How does color make you feel?

When you look around at this beautiful world full of rich color, does it take your breath away?

Could you imagine a world of Black and White? No color to provoke an emotion.

I am so thankful to look outside and see brilliant blue skies, vibrant green trees, golden wheat fields, fiery orange sunsets, and calming blue water. All different shades of color, effected by how light and darkness change them. What a beautiful world we live in…

photos by: Vanessa Rae

source: Nikon D700 85mm 1.8

edited using photoshop

We may have been on a small break, but we have lots in store in the coming months. Sometimes in life it’s ok, to stop, regather your inspirations, and then continue walking on your journey. Tiffany and I both, single moms…sometimes that is just the way it is. Our saying that we text each other all the time is “it is what it is”…and you have to be good with that most days.

We encourage you to keep writing, keep taking those beautiful pictures, and keep seeing life as inspiration through the beauty around you. It is a small piece of self love you can give yourself.

With that being said…here is the word for this week.

1. the quality of an object with respect to the light reflected by it

My children are my quality of life. They enrich it daily. And reflect their light to guide and teach me. What a beautiful thing…

We love to see your weekly memoirs. Please leave you links for “innocence” in the comment section of this post.

As always, thank you for sharing in this journey with.in…Tiffany and Vanessa

peace.love.xoxo

“I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you.”

-What a Wonderful World

photo by: Vanessa

source: iPhone

edited using instagram

I often wonder what it would be like. To wake up in the morning and not carry a single weight on your shoulders. To have complete innocence.

A clear conscious, a sweet pure mind.

I watch my children play and I am in awe at the wonder that fills their hearts.

The amazement of the tiniest joys of the day.

To simply jump on a bed,

to spin in circles with your arms stretched out wide,

to giggle at the pure love of life.

To lay their head in the nook of my neck and find as much comfort as they need right there. It’s a shame, when even the littlest piece of that innocence goes. I understand that’s life. We all need to learn, but does it have to happen so fast? I can’t stop this time, trust me I’ve tried, tired to freeze those moments that fill your heart so full of gratitude, to stop those moments where you just know this is what life is about.

I am in love with their little innocent souls, their pure hearts and curious minds.

 You fill every inch of my being, you make everything worth it.  May your innocent little hearts continue to grow and inspire mine. May we walk this world together, may I protect your innocence as long as I can. You are my everything, my sweet daughters.

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

This weeks word is a beautiful word to me. One that I hope you will feel inspired by as well. So without further hesitation…

1. The state or quality of being innocent; freedom from that which is harmful or infurious; harmlessness.

“It’s a state of bliss, you think you’re dreaming
It’s the happiness inside that you’re feeling
It’s so beautiful it makes you wanna cry”

How do you get to the heart of your passion? Why do you hold a camera in your hands and what do you see when you bring it to your eye? Why do you see it? Why do you choose to capture it? To be a perfect technician? Or to tell stories, to create art, to inspire. It’s not just about the how anymore…it’s also about the why.

What separates you?

The workshop with.in is a group of photographers coming together not only on a technical journey but a personal one as well. Our goal is to challenge you, and to encourage your inner artist. To awaken the passion and individuality that can be smoldered by competition, expectation and trends. You will walk away from our workshop feeling inspired and ready to take your newly taught techniques and your creative soul to the next level. Our workshop is a place for photography knowledge, a place for friendship, commonality and inspiration. This is our artistic passion. It is how we want our voice to be heard. We’re excited to have you on our journey and for you to find what it is that truly defines you, the artist.

the workshop with.in

Small group size, 2 experienced professional photographers/teachers, more knowledge and more attention.

Saturday May 5- Sunday May 6th, 2012

Salt Lake City, Utah

Registration will open March 14th, 2012 – 10:00 am MST

An incentive will be given for the first 4 photographers to register

For full workshop details, please email us at withinthestory@gmail.com

What will you learn at the workshop within?

“Wake up to the sound of your fleeting heart
Wake up to the sound of your fleeting heart
When you go, what you leave is a work of art
On my chest, on my heart”

Also we’d love to see your links posted in today’s comment section on last weeks word knowledge.

For now, this weeks word. We are leaving it undefined…after all, isn’t it truly undefinable?

“The first experiences with the camera involve looking at the world beyond the lens, trusting the instrument will capture something seen. The term shoot and take are not accidental, they represent an attitude of conquest and appropriation. Only when the photographer grows into perception and creative impulse, does the term make define a condition of empathy between the external and internal events.” Ansel Adams

Photo by: Tiffany Burke

Nikon D700, 85mm 1.4

Edited using: Photoshop

Tomorrow on With.in-Workshop Announcement

because the world can change in an instant, and there’s no time for looking back.

Sometimes the changes are forced on us, sometimes they happen by accident,

and we make the most of them. We have to constantly come up with new ways to fix ourselves.

So we change, we adapt, we create new versions of ourselves.

We just need to be sure that this one is an improvement over the last”

By: Tiffany Burke

Who…am…I? Ask it out loud. Try to define your response. Look deeper than the surface questions. Who are you really? What breaths air into your being? Can you define it? Can you describe how you became that person? We all start out helpless, needing constant care from others. Learning from repetition, learning from mistakes, learning from pain, learning from our basic human needs. We all learn. Everyday we discover, we grow. Knowledge comes from experience. Some from things out of our control, some from things we study hard to master. Some days we feel we have a firm grasp on who we are, what we know to be true, and what makes us feel alive and steady. Other days we are knocked off of feet, our world is stripped of all familiarity. We become new again, not always by a choice. Left to redefine. Not sure if we can stand. Searching for answers and truth.  Searching for anything that seems familiar.

Until we realize, that maybe familiar isn’t what helps us grow. Maybe familiar is too comfortable. Maybe familiar, even thought it’s a simple solution, isn’t the answer we need. I’ve always been the type of person to know when I’ve outgrown my box. I’ve always known when I’ve needed a change, needing to learn more about life. But for me I tend to learn the hard way. It seems I look at things backward, deconstruct them and rebuild. I’m a creative, analytical person, always questioning. When I stop questioning, I wonder if I’ve become too comfortable. I crave knowledge. I break things down and learn how to put them back together so I can build something different, something beautiful. I am finally exploring the question….Who am I? I find myself getting lost in my mind, discovering what defines me. I’m seeing parts of me becoming solid and concrete, I see a work in progress and I am seeing something beautiful.

However, one of my biggest lessons recently has been learning how to also be still. Allowing myself to let those things I cannot control and analyze just fall into place. I now know it’s good to take a break too. I’m learning that it’s ok to just be. Letting life create its own happy accidents….serendipity. To stop the wheels from turning so I can just let life’s experiences teach me on their own. Realizing I can’t always figure everything out and somethings just simply happen. No thought necessary…just life…simple life.

It’s a delicate balance but I’m learning how to walk that line of searching and being still.

And in learning to walk that line, I’m finally knowing where it is I stand.

I’m feeling comfortable in my own skin and in my own mind. Seeing the beauty in my life. This one life I have to live. Embracing the need for knowledge and growth and accepting the silent and quiet moments. The moments where if you look closely and listen in that silence you may just see your life becoming, all on it’s very own. 

Photos: By Tiffany

Source: iPhone

Edited using: Instagram and photoshop

“Knowledge becomes power only when we put it into use.”

Knowledge. Something I haven’t really grasped until now. That to really learn you have to get lost in yourself. You have to really be able to step outside of your box. Really look inward. Look at the hard things, the beautiful things, the negative, the positive and welcome it all.

I used to think knowledge came strictly from knowing about everything around me… just being smart. Only becoming good at merely things, instead of gaining a knowledge of myself.

It’s a bigger lesson in life to understand you. You as a person. Your wants, desires, dreams, and goals. And an even better journey when you open yourself up to the fact that you can reach all of them.

Being stripped down, all the perfection taken away, has allowed me to finally gain knowledge. It has given me the chance to step back and see things clearly. Was it easy, no. Was it worth it…yes. There is a power in really putting use into what you know. The biggest thing that I have learned from is failure. I am not perfect, and I do make mistakes. But, everyday I try to learn and grow from them. I used to be a person that was always right. And I would make sure that if I was wrong…I found a way to be right. Now, I listen more. I take the criticism. I allow myself to understand more. What a huge change that has made in my life. Getting myself out of the way, to really gain a true understanding of me.

Me. My knowledge, now. I accept all my strengths and all my weaknesses. I choose to learn new things, because they interest me. Not because it’s what makes me noticed by others. I seek inwardly to gain a knowledge of my spirit. To listen to my soul. To ponder and question my life. I now have a purpose and a goal. I love that about my life.

I love to learn. It fuels my mind. To take everything to a new height. Really take it all in. Live and breathe. It’s funny how your focus will change once you grasp yourself. Once you allow you to guide you, instead of the world.

I look at my sweet children and only wish that for them. That they stay true to themselves. That they take what makes them special and use their knowledge for good. I often think how nice it would be to think as a small child. They to me, see life as it should be. They see everything.  Pure and Simple. They soak in everything around them, and question everything about life. They wake up curious…how amazing is that ?

Miss 9, has taught me to be always be you, whoever you are. She takes her wisdom and focuses it to improve herself. She has no problem showing her true self. She is impressed with real emotion, real thought, and real love. A beautiful child, with knowledge beyond her years. Something I hope she keeps a hold of and continues to let guide her.

Take an interest in yourself. Decide what it is that you want to learn. What makes you live. And what your purpose is. Finding your own knowledge and pushing to apply it…gives you true life power.

What knowledge will you give yourself today?…

peace.love.xoxo…~V

photos by: Vanessa

source: D700 85mm 1.8

 Next on with.in…an authors view, Tiffany says

1. acquaintance or familiarity gained by sight, experience, or report

2.the fact or condition of having information or of being learned

“Lost in my mind
Lost in my mind
Oh I get lost in my mind
Lost, I get lost”

.

Tuesday, 02.28.2012: Vanessa says, an authors view of her “knowledge” with.in.

Wednesday, 02.29.2012 : Tiffany says, an authors view of her “knowledge” with.in.

Thursday, 03.01.2012: In the know, A photography view on the “knowledge” with.in

Friday, 03.02012: Casual Friday, random fun.

Monday, 03.05.2012: Our word your memoir, link your URL submission for “knowledge” and announcement on new weekly word.

Thanks from with.in, Tiffany and Vanessa