I had to sit and think about taking pictures in a busy NYC street. Had it really come to this? Couldn’t I just composite myself into traffic? I sat on the corner and wrestled with the need to be an artist and the need to be safe.
Logic still spoke louder than my need to create. I was embarrassed… ashamed… unworthy of the title, “artist.” I mean, in front of me sat a perfectly good street with cars on it, lots of cars, fast cars, and yet, here I was, hesitant. There were boundaries to be pushed, dang it. The cars didn’t care if I was in the street, so why should I care that THEY were? Small children stood in those streets for pictures…very pregnant women wearing HEELS stood in those streets, babies… BABIES HAVE BEEN IN THE STREETS and yet, I still couldn’t shake the logical thoughts inside my head.
I knew there was only one way to silence the common sense that still clouded my mind and kept me from thinking clearly…
And then…the wine kicked in. Things that had been confusing started to make sense. The world flipped inside out. Things I thought were bad ideas suddenly seemed more than fine. Things like…
*waiting a month to download your CF cards
*asking a stranger on the street to hold your purse and camera while you run inside to use the restroom
*teaching how to run a successful business without having one
*turkey bacon
*having a toddler cut your hair
*making meatloaf with dog food
*owning a pet alligator
*using Sharpie as eyeliner
And as I marveled at how silly I’d been for thinking otherwise, I began to inch my way into the street.
And then, at the zenith of my joy…when all the world was right and anything seemed possible; a Honda made a left hand turn. A fast left hand turn. The kind of move you don’t expect, except you REALLY should, ’cause you’re in the middle of a flippin’ busy street and anything can and will happen.
And even as I heard him rev his engine and lay on his horn to honk at the moron standing in the road, I dared to hope that the light from his headlights would cast a lovely yellow glow, backlighting my hair and making the danger that accompanies standing in the middle of a busy street all worthwhile. That it would result in an image filled with “oohs” and “ahhs” and fourteen million likes from people in countries I’ve never even heard of.
Because for a few seconds, on a busy road in NYC, inches away from being hit by a car…
magic filled the air. xoxo
(disclaimer: Kids, do not try this at home. Or in the street. Or anywhere. Seriously. Don’t. Please and thank you. xoxo)
Love the honesty here. In those kinds of situations I tend to embrace the hesitation and eventually ride it like a wild stallion…but the wine dose help as well. Well, back to printing!