In my personal life, I am tethered to the corporate world. It pays me well, the benefits are amazing, and it fulfills my needs for my immediate family. Being tethered to the corporate world can be rewarding, but it can also be a drain on my mentally and physically.

I am lucky that one of my benefits is the PTO my employer provides annually. It allows man y of us to take several weeks off at Christmas. This year, I took three weeks off at Christmas. Before you react, that meant I worked several federal holidays, because my employer doesn't give the holidays off in addition to PTO. Instead, they allow you to determine what holidays you want to take off and give you plenty of PTO to make that decision. When December 13, 2024, came around, I was more than mentally ready for a break.

This year, I decided that in addition to the typical hubbub of last-minute holiday preparations, I would give myself the gift of creativity. It's something I have been failing to do throughout most of 2024, and to be honest, it's a disservice to me and who I am. Being creative is what rejuvenates me. It gives me the mental energy to handle a demanding job, and equally demanding challenges of everyday life.

So what did I do with my gift?

I did a lot of photography, for one thing. I had a couple of requested portrait photo shoots, one of which was my first ever pet portrait of a lovely cat, and outdoors at a public park to boot. I'd photographed my own pets before, and I've had one really fantastic seminar on pet portraiture, but by no means do I consider myself to be a pet photographer. That is a very unique niche all in its own, and I have mad respect for those who specialize in it. That being said, I must admit, I was a bit proud of the results.

The other portrait session was my own grandchildren. That, too, is a niche I have not delved into, as it also requires a special kind of personality to work with young children. I laughingly admit that this session was fraught with every challenge you can imagine, but at the end of it, we still got some really memorable and beautiful photos that my daughter is happy with.

I also took myself out to do some nature photography. I started out by going to Boyce Thompson Arboretum, and spent several hours hiking and exploring, and getting some really nice shots. These shots would become the foundation for another creative exploration I'll talk about later.

I took some friends out to Coon Bluff along the Salt River to see the wild horses. Sadly, I had not been to the Salt River at all in 2024 until this trip, and I was stunned to see the changes. There had been a wildfire (unfortunately, we have many each year in the Phoenix deserts), and as a result, much of the foliage and trees lining the shore and along the main walking trail were cleared. It looked completely decimated to me, and I struggled to enjoy what is normally one of my personal respites from life. However, we did find a couple of mares who'd strayed from their band and were quietly feeding along the shore and out into the rocks of the Salt River. The friends that I'd taken were happy with the trip, and that's what matters.

My next photo excursion was a diversion from my normal annual tradition. I typically go to the Salt River on the last day of the year. Based on the trip described above, I didn't want to return to Coon Bluff. I decided to see if the Mud Cliffs were available, as the horses like to go to there, but when I researched the area, it turns out that area has been closed since February 2024, and is closed for two years for clearing and construction. My frustration mounting, I decided instead to start 2025 with a photo shoot, and my husband and I went to the Riparian Preserve instead, and I'm glad we did.

The Riparian Preserve had a bit of its own disaster in 2024, and it was on this trip that I found out the cause from a fellow avid bird photographer. Earlier in 2024, a water main broke in the city of Gilbert and it turns out this was a crucial water main that helps feed reclaimed water to the Riparian Preserve. Many of the ponds had been dry throughout the year, and the result is that not as many migrating birds have returned this winter, such as my beloved pelicans. We did manage to see two pelicans at golden hour, which brought me a bit of joy. However, the real gem of the trip was a brilliant little hummingbird that my husband spotted deep in a tree, and we also saw a black crowned night heron perched high up in a tree, warming itself. I hope that the city of Gilbert can find the resources and parts to replace this water main, as it is clearly evident the massive impact the loss is having on the preserve. But, I was happy with the results, and felt it was the best way to start 2025.

Last but not least, a good friend of mine gave me a private tutorial on cyanotype printing, which was a bucket list item for me. He was kind enough to give me a jar of prepared cyanotype chemical and some scientific tempered glass. I bought some watercolor paper and an old 1984 Physician's Desk Reference (PDR) to test the results on that old paper. I've been using a couple of my photos from the Boyce Thompson Arboretum trip, and let's just say I'm still finessing my exposure technique and picking the best kind of photos to create negatives from. Overall, I'm super happy to be exploring this medium and want to dive into my botanicals archive to see what else I can use. I have a few more days of my vacation left, and this will be one of the things I focus on.

And speaking of having a few more vacation days left, I have one more item to start, which is an embroidery project in anticipation of the Exotic show at Alwun House this year (and approaching quickly!). It involves negative space on black linen cloth, and I'm really excited to get that going. I also have ideas on decorating the frame to keep it thematic.

I know that's a lot, but I think the lesson learned for me is creativity is a gift I need to be giving myself more than once a year. I start work on Monday, and while I will miss having lots of free time, I feel ready to return and hit the job running. Giving myself that time throughout the year will do more for my mental health than anything else.

My advice to everyone out there is no matter what your interest is, if you find you haven't been active in that interest, give yourself that gift. And even if you think you don't have a hobby, but maybe something in the back of your mind says "I'd like to try that", then do try it. What do you have to lose? Absolutely nothing. You have more to lose than not doing it at all.

Happy New Year, folks, and I hope this year brings you joy and prosperity.