Empowerment is a Daily Victory
Posted on October 27, 2015 by Conor
I haven’t done an article post in a while, so this is going to be a bit of a summary of some of the changes I’ve made in my life recently, or changes that I am actively working towards.
We can only find a full and happy life, when we take the first step of loving ourselves, unconditionally. So this list is a bit of an oxymoron, because you’re kind of perfect just the way you are, right? BUT, if you love yourself so much, that you want to do the best by you, these are 10 things you might want to consider doing.
So in my last post, I mentioned Canon, the camera company and how I would love to be sponsored by them, to basically travel the world and take amazing shots of all the amazing and beautiful things that I come across. Well…. they haven’t sponsored me just yet, but they have asked to use two of my photographs for their blog, and to me that is fucking cool as shit! These are the two photographs:
This one is from a hike I went on in the Hudson Valley, NY. It was the Mainus Gorge hike, it was a 4-5 mile hike.
This was from Sleepy Hollow, NY. My friends and I went to the site where Washington Irving was buried, and where the ‘Headless Horseman’ story takes place.
So it’s not the hugest accomplishment, but still I love it, and I am going to let it empower me to do more photography and follow this passion of mine some more.
It’s amazing, really, I love that someone else seems to appreciate the work I do, especially from an artistic point of view.
And I love that, you, whoever you are, are reading this and taking the time to see some of my art.
Thank you.
Posted on September 30, 2015 by Conor
So the super moon / blood moon was the other day, and seeing as how this event wouldn’t happen again for the next 33 years, I figured I’d try to get some shots of this cool celestial event.
Photography is something I’ve always done, I lose track of time, and just get in the zone so much, that 4 hours had gone by and I didn’t even notice. I sent some of these shots to Canon, and they messaged be back, with some really awesome feedback and possibly a hopeful future of sharing some of my work.
That is a dream of mine, I’d love to get sponsored by Canon, and be able to do photography full time, while documenting my journey on bringing my organization, Connect Collect Create, an organization/network for the conscious community, to life. So hey, Canon, lets talk about this. 😉
So I hope you enjoy these photos, and Prints are available for purchase, just get in touch with me and we can figure something out.
(All photos taken with a Canon 70D, in conjunction with a viewfinder telescope)
*I maintain all copyrights to these photos*
Posted on September 22, 2015 by Conor
So over my vacation I went to a yoga festival, which was pretty awesome. It was at Bethel Woods, where the Woodstock Festival was held back in the 60’s. The grounds are beautiful and I’m kind of shocked that I’ve never visited it before, seeing as how my family’s summer house is literally 10 minutes away.
Lets first cut to a few days ago, picture it: sicily 1920…. wait, I mean Mahopac 2015, needle stuck in my arm, leaving me with a dead arm for the next 2 days with a doctor saying “So l don’t see it, I don’t know what we are going to do, but I really think you need to get a tetanus shot.”
To which I replied “I get what you’re saying, but I’m more of a naturalist, and I don’t think I really want all those chemicals pumping through my body.” As she stared at me, blank faced and probably thinking that if she has to fight with another anti vaxxer she is going to throw up, I felt like maybe I should just give in.
She smiled and very politely said, “You could die, and this is what you get for walking around Woodstock barefoot.”
(Just got a piece of glass stuck in my foot that I couldn’t get out)
So lets get back to this festival and trees and being a hippie. One evening I had to ride out into town to pick up something from the store, and was listening to a local radio station when the radio host announced that they were giving away tickets to this Live Well, Be Well, Yoga festival at Bethel Woods. For some reason I decided to try and call them, which is unusual because, well I’m not 16 anymore and who calls radio stations anymore to win stuff? But I went to call them anyway, but missed the 800 number to call, but still felt that I needed to call the station, so I stopped the car on the side of the road and googled the number. What was I doing!? Well long story short I got the number and called the radio station and won the tickets.
So that was going to be my Saturday, my last day of vacation. And somehow it seemed fitting, it was the closure of my vacation, and closure to a year, seeing as how around that time, last year I was at another yoga festival called EvolveFest, and boy has shit been crazy over this past year.
So overall I was pumped to go check this thing out. I only took a few photos of it because I was trying to participate as much as I could, and I was networking for my organization, Connect Collect Create.
While I was at this festival I participated in a sound healing workshop, where basically there were a bunch of us siting in this grand room at the museum and people played crystal sining bowls, and other played with other instruments, while some of us sang and chanted OM, and all that jazz.
What was really interesting about this though was that as I sat there meditating I got this odd vision of a “tree running through itself” Like kinda like the energy of the tree was flowing through it in this crazy awesome way, and I thought to myself, how in the hell would I ever describe this to someone, it was so odd. I wasn’t sure how to even explain it, well, at the end of the workshop the lady who was running it, thanked everyone and then randomly said to everyone “they are saying, be the tree. Just be the tree.” I think she was a medium and was relaying some message, what was weirder about the whole situation was that while everyone was leaving I went up to an old friend who I met in Newburg, NY, to say hello and the facilitator lady came up to me and was like “You have such a huge presence and energy, and I felt you come in like this beam of energy and I think the tree remark was for you.”
I told her about my meditation and it was an amazing connection between us, she is such a beautiful soul. But I still don’t know what the hell this means!
What’s more kismet is that a few days before this festival I was doing a meditation on the dock at the lake, which is under an oak tree and I was focusing a lot on my heart chakra and just getting deep into the whole vibe. I was focusing on sending out love and good vibes and all that ish, and as I was focusing on my heart chakra, an acorn fell out of the tree and hit me right in the chest at the heart chakra.
Oh wow, an acorn fell out of a tree, that you were sitting under….. *eye roll*
Trust me, I feels you homez. It was just crazy how this all kinda happened.
Who knows, I had just finished reading The Alchemist the day before so maybe I was already in that mind space.
But funnily enough, I have some serious connotations with acorns and stuff like that, and as I said maybe this was a closure to a years worth of shit. Or maybe it was a sign of things to come, or maybe it was just a fucking acorn. Either way, I’m just happy af.
peace and love peeps.
Posted on September 22, 2015 by Conor
A shot I took in Peekskill, NY. 9/20/15
On the streets of Beacon , NY
Dj, my aunts horse. Such a PITA, and almost killed me as a child.
I thought this shot was so cool. It’s like the clouds are a reflection of the trees. Like how you would see the reflection of the trees in the water. Are we a reflection of nature?
I guess its nice to have a professional chef visit you. 🙂 love this guy
I love this shot so much. I love the muted and neutral colors, yet there is so much life, even in an up rooted tree.
Yes, that many stars.
One of my favorite long expo shots.
The name Tonkawa is derived from the Waco tribal word, Tonkaweya, meaning “they all stay together.”
I have a super cool abstract painting that I did, with this as inspiration. This is the view when laying in the hammock. Be the tree? Supportive and forgiving? IDFK.
Yes a legit barn, that keeps horses and hay, and stuff like that. Something I’m used to, but a lot of my friends from the city would see this and be like wtf…
The energizer dog…. she seriously has no chill.
This is a cool shot of DJ. This is called Cribbing, something that he has always done.
Um… the front yard. 🙂
Such a cool story behind that dream catcher, I traded some of my art at Evolvefest, last year, and the guy gave me this. He was like “I’m going to use your piece as the center piece of a mirror exhibit I have in upstate New York.” I asked where it was, and he said, Monticello. Thats’ where I am. It’s home. funny how things work out.
If I call it a self portrait instead of a selfie, does that make it acceptable?
That moment when you realize how beautiful life is.
Now this was SICK! A storm was rolling in, and as the clouds came around, half the lake was bright and filled with light, and the other half was covered in shadow. It was so cool to see.
Maybe this is why I saw the tree “running through itself” (see post on 9/22)
A natural spring, one of many over here. Poland Spring ain’t got shit on this.
Like are you serious??? I took this picture? Gag on it…
My buddy came to visit me, and I told him how proud I was that he hadn’t tipped over in the kayak, and it was his first time. Well as soon as I said that, over he went.
see….
So this is a beaver dam. When my grandmother was a very young, like 5 or 6 she and her twin brother swam into one of these, and she said it smelt God awful. I’ll take her word on it.
Water lilies are just beautiful.
God I missed Kayaking so much! I’m not used to these shorter kayaks but still had a blast. Also I apparently have a serious case of RBF, Resting Bitch Face. I need to smile more.
Posted on September 21, 2015 by Conor
So over Labor Day weekend I went to my family’s summer house in up state New York. This place is heaven to me, it is exactly what I love about the world and what I think paradise is. It’s the most beautiful place I have been to so far in my life. I wanted to share some photos I got while I was there, and toss in some insights that I realized while I was there.
Some photography geeking out here:
I really love how these two photos of the same scene offer such different feelings. For me there first one is kind of just looking into what my paradise is, and the other is much more inviting, and it really brings you into this place. It makes you feel welcomed into this space and the feeling of love and peace that is in the atmosphere constantly.
Posted on August 30, 2015 by Conor
So I feel like I was the KING of ideas, but had no real follow through. I had ideas to go and change the world, and to go and change my life, and to do all these amazing things.
You know what? I am still right where I was 10 years ago. That is some scary shit.
I’m 26 right now, I’ve gone out and done my thing, explored and what not, but now that I’m back ‘home’ thinking it’s time to settle down but I can’t help but feel that home isn’t here. Home is more of a feeling when we are so full of love and joy, that the outside world, read: your house, your city, your clothes, your job etc., don’t really matter.
So in this realization I have come the conclusion that the ideas that I had to go out and change the world and to do all these amazing things, well, they have to start with me. So my focus right now is living such a beautiful life, for myself, from within, that the outer world will have no choice but to reflect those ideas that I had all those years ago.
So I have made some changes recently, that were once ideas, but are now coming to fruition. I’ve become a vegetarian, but not the scary kind;
I have started to lift off my organization called Connect Collect Create and I’ve started to make decisions and choices based solely on my input and the way I feel about things, and ignoring societal and familial pressures.
So basically this blog is gonna be about a few things:
So stick with me here for a bit, and just vibe out with me, homie.
Peace and Love.
Posted on August 29, 2015 by Conor
So this site is under construction, while I am under deconstruction. This is my breakdown. This is my empowerment.
This is a journey and intentional life change that has been but a thought for years, and now it’s finally coming to manifestation.
Please be patient as I get all this shit together. 🙂
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