Thank you

Endings are not my forte. I prefer to slip away quietly, rather than make a big declaration. Unspoken goodbyes feel a bit like an open door that I can slide back through if I change my mind. I like things that transition slowly over time, without much fuss as the change occurs. But, saying goodbye properly is often essential, which brings me to the point of today’s post. This will be my last as a regular contributor to Viewfinders. Ah, did you see what I did there? I said, regular contributor. That leaves the door a teeny bit open so that I could come back again someday as a guest. As I said, endings are not my forte.

For years it has been a tricky balance for me to carve out time to write for the blog, but I have continued because the imposed deadlines forced me to commit my thoughts to paper. It was a tremendous gift to have to hit publish over and over again, and to have an audience to receive the words. I had to show up, write something meaningful (and sometimes things that scared me to say out loud) and send it out in the world. I got braver with each post, more confident in myself as an artist, and in my voice. Unfortunately, the balance is shifting for me. My fine art photography is demanding more and more of my time (I am so grateful that is the case), plus travel, and of course, there are the important needs of my family.

But this community! I must take a moment to tell you about the women that comprise Viewfinders because they are extraordinary. A great deal of work goes on behind the scenes. We communicate privately on Slack, and it’s always been much more than just scheduling posts and troubleshooting glitches with the site (although plenty of that happens too). There is a beautiful shared humanity there. We celebrate when there is happy news (babies, weddings, children graduating, fun travel, a new job, or a new house). We rally around each other when there is difficulty. We share photography resources — new equipment, useful apps, books, and the like. And we laugh. I mean really, really laugh. We share so much humor and delight behind the scenes, and it’s challenging for me to give that up. It’s so much more than three posts a week for us. It’s a community.

And then there are all of you, the lovely folks that take time out of your day to read our posts and engage with us. We savor all of your comments and are honored you share your precious time with us. At the end of the day, Viewfinders is here to serve you. I hope I have done so during my time on the blog.

I will still be on Instagram (@debachak), posting my latest work. My fine art photography career is moving forward in lovely ways, and I hope to have you along for that ride.

I end this with my hand on my heart in gratitude. And, if it’s all the same to you, I’ll leave the door slightly open just for comfort.

Much love and gratitude,
Deb