Follow the Yellow Brick Road

“True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid...” 
― L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

“We are told that talent creates its own opportunities. But it sometimes seems that intense desire creates not only its own opportunities but its own talents.” 
― Eric Hoffer

I remember when I was young, I would always think " sure I got no talent" not like others anyways. I chose to define my life in my teens around that. Could be looked at as good or a bad thing I guess. In recent days I have thought about that train of thinking and what I am finally learning at  48 is that its how you define talent. Really to me its what you give to the world. Will you make an imprint on others and how they live, how they think. Have I given back? My experience the last year not only changed me physically but it reached into my soul and asked me to evaluate everything. That corny if " you only had today" type sentiment is actually more real than ever for me.

The fruition of the "One out of Nine" project I am realising is my talent. My give back. My story, their stories captured through Malin Enstrom's artistic eye. My narrow view of what talent meant has been widened by experiences though unasked for, opened the world to possibilities I never would of dreamed of. So like the others I will get to leave an imprint in this world that will last a long long time. A conversation with a lovely Swede, in a garden one warm summers day changed me.

As we inch closer to the show being hung in a gallery, I am giddy with excitement and scared to death as how the world will receive/perceive it. Something that is done with love hopefully will always prevail to the positive.  I gained a new perspective from a woman who told me that the show represents the stories of survivorship by bringing a stark reality of the women's lives to print through photography. Although that had been part of the intent, to have it validated was wonderful.

Our show will hang at the Leyton Gallery in St. John's with an opening evening on November 1st. at 5pm-7pm. I heard a woman say " I am not thankful for having had breast cancer" and I agree. What I am thankful for is the gift of this show, the gift of the women that have entered my life because of this project. We hope to take this show on the road to different parts of our province to share the images with others, sharing the stories and creating new ones.

So for my friends in St. John's Newfoundland please come see the show as it will hang for several days and for my friends away please read our website and share in our journey as it evolves.

http://malinenstrom.wix.com/oneoutofnine
http://www.thetelegram.com/Opinion/Columnists/2013-09-10/article-3381151/Finding-hope-and-beauty/1
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/one-out-of-nine/x/4435106