Author: Sarah

Hey, hun! How are you?
…
Oh, I’m pretty good. Keeping busy, you know. Hey, I was wondering if you have plans tomorrow?
…
Well, I thought we could get Portuguese Dinner. 2:30pm in East Providence. I heard they have the Bifana on special this week!
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You don’t like pork? Well that’s fine, there’s plenty of seafood dishes too. And how can you say no to that bread and farm cheese? And the drinks are great too. I always get their sangria. Plus, this is one of the few restaraunts where I even order a dessert! Usually I get flan, but all the choices are amazing.
….
You’re in? Great! I can’t wait to see you! You’re going to love the Beirão. That and a bica is how I always end the afternoon. I can’t wait! See you tomorrow!
….
Oh, right. It’s 579 Warren Avenue. Exit 2A on 195. Hopefully at that time of day, the bridge traffic won’t be too bad. Until then. Bye!

RJ6Q+J9 East Providence, Rhode Island

How many jobs can list “treasure hunting” as a requirement?
Thrift shopping, to me, is just that. Searching through the treasures of other people’s stuff to find something truly unique. Something that might have made it to the landfill otherwise.
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
For me, now, it’s frames. Things I can make cyanotypes on. Maybe even old photos. There are certain things I look out for that I can use for my photography business.
A treasure hunt, on the job.

 

CGR4+GQ South Kingstown, Rhode Island

Rhode Island has quite a lot of festivals. They are celebrations of culture, music, food, hobbies, places. They bring people together, sometimes modest groups and sometimes enormous crowds that saturate a whole town.

When I was younger, I was lucky enough that my family would go to some festivals. My favorite was always the Charlestown Seafood Festival, now in it’s 40th year. It’s the only place I know of where you can eat alligator!

But one festival I have never been to is the Newport Jazz Fest. A full weekend of top of the line musicians at scenic Fort Adams. Massive crowds of people from all over come to sit on the green, or hang out on their sailboats in the bay. Since the 1950’s, they’ve had acts like Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, and the list goes on. It’s really a phenomenon. The history is fascinating.

These days, I don’t go to too many festivals. With the world at large discovering Rhode Island’s charms (not to sound like an old lady, but it was really a different place here when I was a kid), I don’t dig the crowds, parking issues, fees, or roasting in the sun all day. I suppose I’ll just stick to my newfound jazz cafe–a much more laid back kind of vibe.

FJWF+9H Jamestown, Rhode Island

Preparedness. When you know something is coming, you can get ready for it.

I knew there was a storm on the way. I headed down to the shoreline to wait it out. Fog gave way to dark, dark clouds. The clouds moved in quickly, making their way overhead and blanketing the whole sky. It got so dark that I couldn’t take photos without a tripod because my shutter speed was so low. I knew that at any minute, the downpour would come.
Sure enough, I felt that first cold wet raindrop on my shirt. I scrambled up the rocks and back to my car. The downpour was here.

Sometimes, though, the storm comes without warning. When we can’t prepare, we have to adapt. To roll with it. To embrace it.
To seek shelter and enjoy watching it pass us by. Because even a storm has a silver lining.

86GW+JC Westerly, Rhode Island

It’s hard to watch. It’s hard to live through. It’s hard to talk about.

But let’s talk about it.

Let’s talk about the detentions, disappearances, and deportations.
Let’s talk about disobeying court orders and no punishment for crimes committed.
Let’s talk about violating the Constitution.
Let’s talk about the hatred, villainizing, racism, and sexism.
Let’s talk about public programs being gutted, from the arts, to medical care for minorities and women, to healthcare and food stamps taken away from millions of people, to criminalizing poverty and homelessness, to government workers losing their jobs.
Let’s talk about armed forces being deployed against our own citizens for utilizing their right to peaceful protest.
Let’s talk about silencing the voices of the oppressed.
Let’s talk about the revoking of citizenship and families being torn apart.
Let’s talk about how it has been made into a negative thing to feel compassion and love.
Let’s talk about fear.

Yes, and let’s talk about the millions of people who are brave enough to stand up for the country they love, who want to restore democracy and free speech, who want everyone to have basic human rights, who are willing to risk imprisonment and violence against themselves to fight for what they feel is right. Maybe it’s attending a protest, making a post on social media, writing a blog, creating a piece of artwork, or distributing a flyer. Maybe it’s a hard conversation with the people they love who are blinded by misguided morals.
Surely, we can’t all be silenced?

963M+M6 Westerly, Rhode Island

There’s so much happening all the time. Yet the roses are right there, right now.

98GQ+X8 Charlestown, Rhode Island

Q: What are we looking at here?
A: The secret part of a frame.
Q: What does that have to do with anything?
A: Well, it’s a symbol.
Q: What is success?
A: I think success is not so much a measure of monetary gain or fame, but rather that you’re doing something
you love, constantly learning, and that you’re generally happy with the work you do.
Q: How does this symbol relate to measuring success?
A: Lately I’ve been getting the feeling that I’m “making it.” My growth has been very slow, but that’s what
keeps it sustainable. One gallery at a time, one subscriber at a time, one photograph at a time.
This frame symbolizes both my successes with getting my work out into the world, and also
the struggles. Between the physical difficulties of preparing work for a show, to the interpersonal
challenges of tough gallerists, to the sacrifice of time I make to market myself and stay in people’s minds.
It’s hard work, but I love it. Each new show I’m part of teaches me something. Above all: I’m happy.

I guess that means I’m a big success, even if I only have 371 followers on Instagram. Thank you for being a part of the journey.

It’s true: I wish I could hide under the bed like this cat.
They’re cute, they’re fluffy, they’re fun. People say if you love what you do, it’s not really work.
But when it’s a job that keeps you away from home for weeks on end…
When all your spare time is spent driving to other people’s houses to feed, play, scoop litter…
When you’d rather be doing anything else, even though the company is nice…
Then it’s work.
And what do you do when you don’t need the work? Do you quit? Do you cautiously hold on to it, in case there comes a day when you’re feeling less stable? Do you try to scale back your efforts, only to find that that is much harder than it sounds to say no to the people to depend on you?

What do you do?

FMXW+26 Newport, Rhode Island

Let’s talk. I think we can all agree, no matter who you follow or where your loyalties lie, that there’s some crazy stuff going on.
It can be hard to process. Overwhelming. It can feel powerless, helpless.
But there’s something we can all do to make things a little better.
It’s simple.
Kindness & Community.
If we can be there for the people in our circle, be a source of positivity and joy, that can make a huge impact. In theory, by helping those close to us, there can be a ripple effect that spreads to a larger community. If we can make our little corners of the world a better place, we’re making the world a better place.
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”
John Lennon was onto something. Maybe I’m just a little bit of a hippie, but I truly see the value in being a kind soul. Won’t you join me?

 

FMGP+JF Newport, Rhode Island

An Irish stout in an Irish pub with some Irish music played by an Irish lad named Twohey.
Though I have no plans to travel to Ireland anytime soon, my mind is filled with all of the adventures I will have on my upcoming trip to Cape Cod. Close to home, yes, but still different to what I’m used to. New places, people, and experiences. Sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, sunrises and sunsets on the beach, and throw some lighthouses in there too. Plus a full day in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which will culminate in a poetry contest celebration at a local brewery there.

I’ve been struggling with a battle between myself and burnout lately. Taking on too much, as I often do, but becoming aware of it before it turns into a problem. These travel plans are perfectly timed. A week with no phone or computer, no work. Just exploring and creating.
Solitude. Quiet.
And that Irish pub was the perfect place to let my daydreams run wild…

FMQP+92 Newport, Rhode Island