If you have a little A.D.D., release yourself from the need to constantly organize images in concise portfolios. That’s why there are curators in the world. My mother, God bless her, is always so anxious about organizing her photo library, and it takes up too much energy. She’s a very creative person but gets caught up in the back end, so the production grinds to a standstill.

Portfolio reviews or assembling portfolios always feels a little crazy to me. I’m not against organizing ideas, but sometimes, there is beauty in the freedom. It doesn’t need to make perfect sense for me in order for it to work.

I’m preparing a show this winter at the Wolfe Gallery located at Maumee Valley Country Day School, in Toledo, Ohio. There will be some framed images shown, but most of the work will have a definite workshop energy to it. I’m printing a lot of pictures and applying them to foam core. This isn’t lazy on my part, it is about allowing the viewer to make some connection and curate their own show. What can I say, I love a parade!

Bringing a little play into the world harms no one. I can show work I like and surround it with just the joy of creation. The sense that my process isn’t valid because it lacks perfect clarity is not a helpful thought. Looking around at the world I live in, this comes as no surprise. There is a carnival of inspiration.

So, if you feel like you’re not valid because you haven’t been able to make a perfect portfolio for all to easily understand, take heart in the restless process of seeing in real time. You’ll be okay. Heck, you are okay. Proceed.