We think we have life planned already. We think that we know everything and most of the times postpone or discard our oldest dreams and passions as being "just a hobby", "just a dream". Well, it's "just life" that has the power to teach us a very important lesson: never let go of the things that make your soul feel happy and at peace. Life is passing anyway. Follow your dreams. Find a way to make them happen. Adapt. This is my story and what can you learn from it all.
THREE YEARS AGO
(Originally written on 3rd of April 2013)
"Let me tell you a story. A story about strength, creativity, challenges and most of all passion. It all happened one blizzardy Sunday, on the 22nd of December of 1985. The day I got into this world in the first place.
Since I can remember I simply loved making up stories and characters. Normal stuff for a kid my age you would say. But this instinct never left me. I began by listening to my grandmother's childhood recollections, her stories about times that I had never experienced, and people I would never meet, and yet I found them fascinating. When my gran wasn't around, I had my mom filling up her role and reading me stories every night, as we laid in bed. I listened to her tales of Mahabharata, The Nibelunges, Tristan and Isolda, romanian fairytales, Grimm fairytales and many others. I remember she used to sing to me 'till I fell asleep, and went away into a world of fantasy and imagination as my dreams were magically created following so many stories.
My school years followed the same pattern, just that I now followed my own stories that I developed in my mind after reading most of my grandmother's library. It was my escape from homework and other boring stuff you might hate being a kid. I found myself free whenever I played all the stories in my head and each time we had to do a composition or an essay for school. Playing around with my cousin imagining we were the best of all the superheroes that ever existed took its toll, and after years and years it still brings up nostalgic memories.
All this urge to make up stories and give them back to the world found its match when I decided to study movie directing after finishing highschool. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, I never got to do that, and I'm now a licensed sociologist, with a major in Communication and Public Opinion.
Since I graduated from University, the story bug never left me, and for a few years now it found it's expression in the form of photography and graphic design. These are the things I most enjoy doing, and although my daytime job doesn't allow me to do this full time, I am absolutely sure that I found my place in this world and that this is my path in life. Thus, on the 5th of November 2010, Shapes Photography was born.
A place in which all my ideas and stories could come to life, day by day, bit by bit... through image. Nonetheless, I never abandoned my writing skills, and since the beginning of 2012, Shapes was added the "storytelling" part. The whole project is now named Shapes Studio - Photography, Graphic Design and Storytelling. As 2013 came up, I began making lots of plans to put Shapes "to business", and hoping that this dear project to my soul will catch its wings and become what I want it to become: a place where imagination and stories come alive, a place where art shines bright and where people's life stories get to influence others.
I'm not making a schedule of my posts or of what and when I'm going to post here, but I do promise that this year it's gonna be all about Shapes and it's will to create. My will to create beautiful images that tell interesting stories, my will to give the world a part of the beauty it has raised me up in... My will to make my late grandmother proud of me, and thus make her live again through my work and actions.
This April 10th commemorates one year since she has left this world. She was a powerful woman, that inspired my creativity from an early age. She had challenges and I'll have mine. I'll follow her example and follow my passion. I will never settle until I reach my goal. I'll make her proud."
AFTERMATH & FOLLOWUP
Time went by and I somehow left my dreams aside for the "real world", for "the real job", for "the job who will pay the bills". I was basically a machine, to put it lightly. I lived my life without being present and fully understanding and feeling what I was experiencing. I felt like a hamster on a spinning wheel. All this while watching my dreams and plans almost at my reach, but couldn't yet touch them.
And then, one year later, in 2014, multiple sclerosis touched me. In in fact kicked me into reality. Mentally and emotionally, I now had to face the uncertainty of an (excuse the redundancy) unpredictable illness, that threatened to take my body away from me. That was the slap on the face that my life and God gave me. I was to entrapped into living by the rules that most of the people around me lived, yet none of them seemed truly happy, truly living a purposeful life.
And then I slowly began to get back to myself, to the person I have always been and to the dreams that I always had. That's what I feel I need to do in this life: tell the stories of people and somehow help them find the best version of themselves, inside and out. Visual ones, written ones, all together. God will lead me there, I have no doubt about it. It's just about the choices I make.
Thank you for taking time to read this post.
The following months we'll go deeper into what it takes to become stronger: body, mind and spirit. To become the architect of your wished lifestyle. To become #strongerthanMS.
Until then, I thank you for being here. Liked this post? Share it with friends. Want to receive more articles like this right into your inbox? Add your email to the SMart Choosers list HERE. You’ll receive every new article and a monthly Newsletter of wonderful resources and insight, to help you make the smart choices that best fit your lifestyle.
Sincerely yours,
Denisa
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