Yesterday was a bad day.  To be quite honest, I felt just like the little duck in my picture "Ten Pelicans Minus One".  Small.  Insignificant.  Like I don't matter and why am I here.

And I did something I don't normally do.  I vented my frustrations on Facebook.  I felt sick about it right after, because I could feel my sales plummet.  After all, no one wants to buy from a negative person.  But here's a newsflash...just because people "appear" positive online doesn't mean they always are.  Everyone had bad days, and I had one.  And I have this bad habit of being brutally honest with the world.  So it may hurt my sales, but at least I'm true to myself.  I really do try, however, to keep my yucky thoughts to myself and just work through them alone.  After all, I don't want to spread negativity around the world.  I want my work to have a positive impact and touch those who may need it.  I want my work to bring the viewer to a place of peace and serenity, or to remind them of a fond memory.   The places I visit in nature and the birds and animals I spend most of my waking hours with are what keeps my sanity and makes me feel at peace and joyful.  That's the feeling I want to translate to the viewers.  But we all have bad days where the bad feelings just take over.

So I posted on Facebook.  And after I did, I went outside with the camera and didn't take one darn photo, but just breathed in the crisp fall air and listened to the birds sing.  To my surprise, when I came back and saw my Facebook comments (which I didn't really expect to get any!), I had received many inspiring and encouraging messages of support from some of my friends.  I re-read those messages this morning, and then I paired this underlying thought with my photograph:  No matter how small you may feel, you make a big difference in this world.  In a nutshell, that's what those who were kind and generous enough to comment said. 

Those people lifted me up, and gave to me a message I needed to hear at a time when I was having a really bad day.  They inspired and encouraged me.  And it's only fair I turn around and pass that inspiration onto the rest of the world.  After all, that's my goal...I want to bring beauty and peace and serenity and encouragement and inspiration to the world through what I do.  Thanks to the unfortunate experience of my bad day, I was reminded of my goal, and was able to get back on track.  :)