coffeegirl10

When I was in college taking Creative Writing 101 as an elective, my prof Randy Bustamante lent me a book entitled “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. Now I found a few blogs on The Artist’s Way in blogger.com. Hmm. Maybe I should start one myself.

When I was in my senior year in college I took photography as a free elective. It required us to take pictures with a manual camera and learn how to use the darkroom and develop our pictures ourselves. The culminating event was an exhibit where the judges would award the best in 10 categories: architecture, nature, action, ensemble, among some of them. Out of that 10, I got 4.

The funny thing is, I never really learned how to use the black box. The lab technician always did my films for me. I also usually took pictures using the wrong degree of lighting so I’d do the developing in a completely different way from what was taught. And even if I hardly did things by the book, the pictures turned out pretty ok :)

I wish I could do photography again, this learning everything and appreciating every moment of it. Maybe there are some classes in UP that I can take. Who knows?

I’ve had only two jobs—one as a teacher and another one in children’s book publishing. My sister works in the same company that my dad does. It’s your corporate job, the one that extends to long hours and give you a lot of stress. Making money. Climbing the corporate ladder.

Somehow I’m sure that I’m not cut out for that kind of job. Sometimes I think I don’t have the killer instinct or that I love routine too much or that I’m just plain lazy. Maybe it’s none of these reasons or maybe it’s everything, I don’t know.

One thing I do know is that I enjoy teaching. Sure, I don’t have any money (and I’m feeling it more now that my younger sister gets to buy things I can never hope to buy like a brand new ipod) but the fulfillment I get from it can never equal anything that money can buy. I know I can’t teach forever but I do hope I’ll always find things to do that have meaning and that will touch my life as much as others.