I have a photo category in my phone titled ‘Artsy,’ where the above moon shot is stored. There are sections in my computer for flash fiction, titled 100-, 500-, and 1000-word stories. All cubbies are concerned with reflections of light, of human interactions, of composition, balance, & my interpretation of them. Over time, my voice in writing has matured, as has my sense of composition in photography. Patterns emerge & splash back on me in a self-teaching sort of way. I love the little things in nature, side-ways glances unpronounced, grasses blowing in the wind, birds struggling to light on a branch, the expression of joy when a person bites into a fresh, warm brownie. I communicate them according to my understanding. A great Lumbee elder once told me that I was timid. He said ‘You’re like the fringe on a dance shawl. When are you gonna be the shawl itself?” He was encouraging me to become fully engaged in life. Today, I am the shawl & the fringe, fully engaged & happy to be here, inundated by the beauty of the natural world. That includes you. Thanks for stopping by. Now get to work creating & hold onto happy.