It's weird, but last year I seemed to have figured out the algorithm for Instagram & my account exploded, I was getting 400 or 500 likes or more & sold some photos. The more I sold the more I paid to advertise my photos to get more sales, yet, I lost so much joy in the simplicity of life. I wanted to so badly to make money as I've struggled my entire life to find worth outside of getting paid. People would offer encouragement that they liked my photos, but as the likes dwindled & the payments stopped coming in it wasn't fun or enjoyable anymore. Truly ignorance is bliss! Not knowing what buttons do what on a camera can be fun, but once I started to feel like I knew what I was doing I wanted to grow more & more. I wanted to get better & more unique photos. I wanted to supplement my families income or more accurately, replace it. I wanted to travel & explore, but most of those things I cannot physically do so the attempts were too strenuous & draining. I forgot what got me on this journey with a camera body & glass. I was given a camera. It was a gift. Through it I found life in enjoying things I used to do differently. I couldn't surf, but I could see it with my eyes (I hadn't even watched surfing in years), I struggled to fish, but I could enjoy the lake with my kids. Walking even simple trails wasn't fun, but now I look for birds, flowers & wildlife. I see beauty in a smile. I see flawless in a body. I see figures in a shadow & lines in the moonlight. I enjoy bad weather again. While I'm often up & sleepless most nights now I chase the sunrise, sunset, golden & blue hour. I drive a back road slowly, not trying to get anywhere, just enjoying being me & capturing what I see . . . #pasorobles #winecountry #visitpasorobles #slocounty #soslocal #sanluisobispo #nature #landscape (at Paso Robles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8xykdUHfFX/?igshid=1iwzje5s00kov