By C. Michelle Bryant
Being raised with seven brothers and sisters, a twenty year Air Force wife, mother of two children and now grandmother of two boys under the age of two, I have yet to learn the meaning of “relax, sit still or do something for yourself.” And yet, in my busy-ness I still find the time to do things I enjoy. I manage to make time to stop and smell the roses so to speak, and take brief but appreciated moments to count my blessings every day. I write often about everything; journaling, notes to myself, mind wanderings and so forth. It was one of those moments that I came up with the hair-brained idea of starting a magazine. As if I needed something else on my plate. Haha!
I grew up in a very creative household. My mother and step-father were both in advertising. She was an art director and he was copywriter. My mother is brilliantly creative, she writes, paints, sculpts, draws, directs and produces short films and television commercials, to name a few. I recall times that she took an old dresser from someone’s trash and created a work of art that our neighbors coveted. So, to say “it’s in my genes” is an understatement. Although I didn’t get ALL of my mother’s artistic giftings, I feel I did aquire a creative streak, vision and tenacity as a result of simply being her daughter.
A two year Who’s Who Among American High Schools student, state award winning artist, literary published writer and Ringling School of Art and Design drop out, I spent many years in my early twenties trying to discover MY nitch, my talent, what set mi apart. That journey went well into my forties. It was a military assignment to Alaska that lead mi to my true calling. Photography. Having the education of color and design from art school, the knowledge of composition and perspectives from watching my mother and just simple personal instinct, I was able to apply those life lessons into what I captured behind the lens of my camera. I submitted three images to the Alaska Fur Rhondy State Fair photography competition and took first place and two honorable mentions.
With additional schooling I was able to learn about lenses, depth of field, lighting and so forth. One of my classes was “finding your nitch.” There’s that word again. Did I want to shoot weddings, children, maternity? And once chosen, what would stand mi out from everyone else doing the same? Especially when we live in a time where with iPads, cell phones, and free photo editing apps everyone “is a photographer.” Very perplexing questions.
It was after our retirement from the Air Force and a near twenty-five year marriage that divorce gave mi that answer. Having done so much for so many all of my life, I was left in my late forties with my children grown, feeling alone, unloved, unwanted and definitely unattractive. I was beyond pitiful and the strong person I always thought I was simply lost her tenacity to accomplish much of anything. Chatting, well…more like whining with a friend, I expressed these thoughts of disarray and he spoke the words that changed my attitude, my life and began my step toward finding my nitch, my purpose. His words were, “You are beautiful, talented and smart. You just need to get your sexy back! Be beautiful and let the world catch up.” It was then I realized that I was not alone in this world with those feelings.
As a photographer, no matter our subject, a tree, flower, person, sunset, etc. it is OUR job (through our art) to reveal something that otherwise goes unnoticed or unseen (to the world around us). My nitch is women.
As women, we are born nurturers. We are created to give, to love deeply, to sacrifice, to lift up and encourage even when exhausted and even if it means losing sight of our own beauty within. There are many exceptional women in our lives and in our memories that have impacted and influenced us. Maybe just by a single small word, deed or action. FoF magazine is their tribute. That’s what this magazine is all about. It is about taking time, through print, to shine light, to reveal (through our busy-ness) the unseen beauty in today’s woman, in the world around us. I hope you find some inspiration in its pages and I look forward to gleaning wisdom, impact and insight from those that contribute and submit. We all have a story, a gift and I am confident you will make an impact on my life. I hope something in the pages of FoF magazine will have an impact on yours.
Stay beautiful, stay you,
-mi