I’m sitting out in my garden in a scorcher of a day as we count down the hours until we witness the last sunset of the year, reflecting on what has been this year. At first glance it’s pretty easy to see the negative and off the bat I would say 2018 was a tough year of no sleep feast to soul destroying famine, with many new challenges as we experience global developments us as freelancers have to adapt to in order to survive and here is to illustrate that creative life isn’t all lollipops and candy canes. Something you ought to learn sooner or later. I experienced the most quiet soul destroying winter of my life. Dead as shit to put it more bluntly. Spent my days chasing work often leading to dead ends or useless exposure tips making me doubt my work (literally so many ‘am I shit’ moments). However I used my winter drought to utilise these exposure tips and turn them for my own benefit, as opportunities to further learn and develop my craft. As the day you stop learning is the day your creativity dies. I look back at that struggle period and I see that it was more valuable than any gig or ‘sick gram’. It forced me to think more and really hustle. In saying this, with only being my second year fully concentrating on this life post uni and surfing a pretty sweet wave of my first year I can’t really say much haha.
What did I say about its really easy to see the negative. A year is made of 12 months, not three, and looking through my 2018 archives made me feel all warm and fuzzy and often a ‘wow i took that? Was that this year?” As a creative and a perfectionist I always point out what I did wrong and just conveniently miss what I actually did right! 2018 was a heap of fun, with so many epic challenges and experiences including being harnessed in with my gear at questionable heights. Highlight of course being the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in April this year, which feels like ages ago to be honest, as well as meeting and working with a bunch of new people and exploring many other areas of the world of photography! I also for the first time ever was a finalist at the New Zealand Sports Journalism Awards a few weeks ago! And to just put in perspective, more photo shoots this year than last!
I’m all about keeping it real for you all so here you are! Huge thank you too all of you for the love. I would be nothing without you all! Now I will stop speaking endless amounts of shit and let you have a long scroll through my best of 2018 with a glass of wine. Leesh xo
