Happy New Year Friends and Fans!  This year is sure to be full of adventure and growth for me, I wish all of you the same!

Some of my new years resolutions include things as simple as flossing every day (I’m really bad about that) and writing every day and more complicated stuff like being more on top of life in general.

I have added some new videos to the video section of the site from my involvement with Open Stage in Dallas, Texas which was produced by the lovely people at www.circusfreaks.org

In November last year I started teaching a book binding and book arts workshop at the Roanoke Public Library (http://www.roanoketexas.com/166/Library)  and we have kicked off the new year with a Creative Nonfiction writing workshop as well. Both of these classes are happening monthly and are open and free to the public, I would love to see you there.  We have plans in the works to get a zine off the ground through those two groups and I will keep you updated on that as it progresses.

I am also still working with Alexis Lerhman to get my Photo book produced through indigo-go.

Since moving back to Texas and getting connected with Open Stage and the Circus Freaks I have become really interested in circus arts and theatrical performance as an expressive medium and I cannot wait to show you all what comes of that. I have dipped my toe in the water of skills such as juggling, contact juggling, and slack lining.  This coming year I hope to get more involved with acrobatic practice, at the very least for fun exercise but it would be really cool for that to turn into a performance skill one day.

I have been reading the book Impro by Keith Johnstone at the recommendation of Russ Sharek of the Circus Freaks and I gotta say it is a really solid read for anyone who is interested in improvisation or life in general.

Finally I want to address some important realizations that I have come to in the last few months.  In photography school we talked a lot about how photographers create one view of the world or of a situation by determining what is inside the frame and what the exclude.  I am really starting to understand that this really applies everywhere in life and not just to the images we make. The people one decided to include in their life, and make a part of their story can effect so much about where you go and what happens. Also much like creating a photograph the perspective we take on what happens is really more important than what happens; I have been choosing to end my day by focusing on the most enjoyable or positive thing that happened that day and this practice has really made all the difference for my outlook.  I don’t think I understood that you can choose happiness regardless of what is around you in most circumstances until recently.

We all have more (and less) control over our lives than we ever imagined, but that’s okay, and no matter what happens it’s going to keep being okay.

Look for more updates here soon, I’m excited to keep in better touch with all of you.

-Kenna