hang on little tomato

Can you believe you would have to PAY to LOOK! That just makes me laugh.

I must say that looking and discovering new things is on the top of my favorite things to do list.
Not just through the viewfinder. I mean - in every which way.

I love to go on a road trip with no destination and see what I see.
I love to take a walk with my camera and discover new things in my own neighborhood.
I love to go to new restaurants, boutique shops and parts of town I've never been to.

Another way I love to "look" is what I call research. I love research so much it feels like I'm on a luxury vacation when I'm doing research! Isn't that odd? But I love it. I love researching artists, bloggers, cities, towns, photography techniques, photographers etc.

But one of my all time favorite things to research is.....
the beginning phase of starting up my own business.

When I am inspired by a new project - I dive into it like it's a big fat piece of Chocolate cake.
And new projects revolve around my new business ventures and it's yummy here!

I love taking eCourses on doing what I love
I love reading the Spark Kit forward and back and foward and back again. I bought it back in May and I think it's the one book that I recommend the MOST for people who want to Spark their own Fire!
I love learning about social media, being a great business woman, and making it fun, exciting and helpful for myself and for people who want my "products".  I love watching videos by Marie Forleo .

I love looking at other artist/blogger gals like me. Making connections, hearing their hearts spill onto the page and relating to them. I think of that as research too - the "where are my people" research.

I love how one website leads to a list of other amazing places and people.
Yesterday I went on the Alt Summit website ( still thinking about whether I should go to this or not - since it's in SLC and I live in SLC and there are FANTASTIC speakers ......no brainer? )
And found out there is an incredible printmaker that lives HERE in UTAH. I mean....I keep feeling like my "people" live " there" over there not HERE - but there she was! And yep I signed up for her newsletter. I'd love to take one of her letterpress classes. More yum. ( and her work is sold at.....Anthropologie.....I'm in love )

I love creating something out of nothing. That just turns me on. And research plays a big role in that for me. Even researching what happens when I use new film from the Impossible Project.  Or what happens when I mix a red ink with a little but of orange ink....you get the idea. Research is like playing. It requires my attention, and requires some letting go and just moving forward.

That's what's happening over here late at night after Max goes to sleep. Lots of Research. I'm having a great time. And this weekend we are going to research Silver Lake. I've never been and am so excited to explore unknown territory. Yea - I guess you could say I'm an explorer of the unknown. It excites me. Especially when the unknown leads me to a greater understanding of myself, how to run my business successfully and authentically, learning about others and what feeds their soul, and the world around me.

When you think about who you are - and what you like to do - what comes to mind? Not in the usual sense of "I like to paint" but what else makes you feel like you are on vacation even if others might find it grueling work or boring.

Curious!
xo