Looking back at these last 6 months, I can say that without a doubt, they have been some of the hardest, most challenging, and most rewarding months of my life.
The struggle to satisfy the needs placed upon me between my home life, my clients, the gallery, the guest rooms, and the photo studio has been at times more overwhelming than I care to confess, and obviously more than I could carry on my own.
And even though I knew coming into this gallery venture that the odds were against me, I still embraced the risk whole-heartedly with the admittedly naive optimism that I could simply improvise my way though it, knowing full well that my margin for error was slim to none.
In retrospect, it's easy to see the mistakes I've made and where some small changes could have possibly made some big differences. But despite the sacrifices I've made in terms of time, money, and opportunity, I would unquestionably do it all over again.
Friendships have been forged that I hope will continue to grow, and thanks in large part to my growing exposure to "wet plate", and re-connection to the inside of a photo studio, I have rediscovered a love for photography that I had previously long forgotten.
Unless a miracle happens in the next 9 days, it won't be easy walking away from what I have started. At one point I told myself that if the venture were to fail, I would feel satisfied enough by the attempt that I could then walk away as if to cross it off a list, or something equally symbolic.
For better or worse, however, I don't think it works like that. In fact, I believe now more than ever before that the desire to create and to challenge one's ability with ambition can never truly be killed, no matter the setback.
This year may have marked the beginning and end of the same chapter, but I'll be damned if there isn't a hell of a lot of book to go.
