Thursday
Mar112010
Web of Connection
March 11, 2010 * * * * * Posted by: guest blogger 
Photography as it is, on its own is certainly enough. The medium has changed my life or perhaps it’s better said that photography has helped to create my life. My camera is an extension of who I am. Another limb. Another pair of eyes. Another heart. Another soul. And although images alone are worth a thousand words, I have found that pairing up images with words, with action, and with intention can be that much more powerful. Such is the same with women. Alone, we are strong but together we are unstoppable.
When Vision and Verb was launched I was thrilled with the idea (I am a huge fan of gathering women together in the name of shared passions and inspiration) and have been musing on the very name of the collaboration since its inception; a clever and telling pairing of words. And the women behind the blog bound together by common ground, shared experience, brimming with the desire to connect, encourage, and thrive. Together. It’s inspired. And inspiring.
I have found that the world wide web is a web indeed; of thread after thread after thread of connection that we are using to our greatest advantage; to reach out to one another, share stories and images and to bare our authentic and creative souls as we find power and strength in our togetherness. It’s an outpouring of authenticity connected by the click of a shutter, a keyboard and/or a mouse and it’s nothing short of a miracle. I cannot imagine life without the web or without the women it has brought into my life.
Lately, I have been tracing some of my own connecting threads. Shutter Sisters, Picture Spring and the new I Am Enough Collaborative (to name a few) are all part of my own tapestry and are now are becoming part of other women’s webs as well. And as I offer my heart, other women are offering theirs and I am glad to weave those into my web as well. It’s as if we are all sitting around one big table at a universal quilting bee; stitching, telling stories, sharing squares and rectangles from the fabric of our own lives to create something large enough to keep us all warm at the end of the day.
It seriously doesn’t get better than that.
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Special guest post today by the extraordinary Tracey Clark of Shutter Sisters and Mother May I and many, many others - she's a busy woman!! Thank you for gracing us with your presence here today, Tracey!
Reader Comments (18)
Soul + Beauty = Tracey Clark.
An image of us all sitting around that one table at a universal quilting bee comes so clearly to mind as I read thru this. Thank-you for this beautiful reminder of our connections and connectiveness. We truly are one and together here on this great world wide web!
The image of the quilting bee totally sealed this for me, Tracey. I love how you have weaved...or rather sewn...this together. Thank you for being our guest today. You are ever so welcome in our midst, as we branch out into the Whole Wide World.
Lovely post, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for contributing Tracey! I have always admired you and your work. What a beautiful quilt you help to weave!
No matter what the circumstances I believe women will satisfy the need to find community and band together to nourish our souls.
Thank you for visiting us!
xo
It's wonderful when a commonality can bring so many together, individually at first, then collectively as it has here and at Shutter Sisters - all through the power of the web. Thank you for joining us today and bringing with you these wonderful words and image.
A heartwarming message Tracey and a really beautiful image paired with your message.
Connecting is what it's all about. Heart to heart. I appreciate all the great women who take part in this project. Farmergal
I'm giggling to myself imaging the guys out there happily going along with life completely unaware (or mildly sensing) of the powerful force of women sitting around a giant quilt, able to move mountains with so much as a shrug of their collective muscle.
Other days I wonder when we will discover the true power we actually have.
photography and women as you say such a force ...i like the metaphor of a quilting bee !
so nice to see you here today.
This post just gave "sewing circle" its good name back!
I love that photo, it speaks volumes :-)
another thoughtful though provoking post! makes me think inside myself!
Powerful, wise words that read like poetry.
hi tracy, thank you for your wonderful words, and reminder of why we do this... i've been a 'latecomer' to the world of the web, blogging etc. it's quite nerve-wracking at first, putting yourself 'out there'. i have to admit, i was very unsure...but having been part of V&V for a while now, read other blogs and other wonderful words across the ether, i love this web of connection... and from my perspective, sitting atop my beautiful - but remote - mountain, i suddenly feel connected to people, more importantly, like-minded people from all over. it's been a wonderful addition to my life :)
Wonderful thoughts and photo.
Thank you Tracey for this beautiful guest post. The positive relationships that are being formed from from some of the very blogs you mentioned, as well as many others, have helped enrich my life. Our virtual friendship quilt is warm and comfortable.