My Daughter is Fearless and I'm Still in High School. {The County Fair}

My daughter was gifted with the artistic gene.

No denying it.

The girl has such an eye for photography.

Not to mention her love of all things creative.

So this week when the County Fair rolled into town, we decided to enter a few of her pieces.

She needed a black and white print and a color.



So I took her on a photo walk downtown.



This was her color entry.



And this was her black and white.

I know I'm a little biased and all, but I think they are fabulous.



And this little zebra print beauty is her "duct tape purse".

Yes, you heard me right...that entire purse is made out of duct tape.

Is it "duct" tape?

Or "duck" tape?

I have always said "duct" tape but the label says "duck".

I'm so confused.

Anyhoo, she entered this under "Recycled Crafts".

Unfortunately, neither of her photos placed in the competition.

This is where, if we were having this conversation in person, I would roll my eyes and talk smack about the judges and their obvious lack of an "eye" for good photography.

However, this lovely little bag, that she labored over for days, took home a gorgeous red "Second Place" ribbon.

And I took home a girl with an ear to ear grin.

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On a side note:

While we were registering Maggie's exhibits at the fair, she noticed some adults entering their photos as well. She said, "I didn't know grown-ups could enter pictures and stuff too!" I explained to her that yes, there were categories for adults to enter as well. She then managed to spend the entire car ride home insisting that I too enter my photos.

In that moment...while entertaining the thought of entering my photos...I was made well aware of the reason I had been so set on getting Maggie's photos ready for entry, yet had never once considered entering my own.

Fear.

Fear of rejection.

Fear of criticism.

My pictures are an extension of inner most parts of my soul. The way I see life through my lens.

Putting them here on my blog for all to see is not the same as putting them on display to be critiqued. That felt more like saying, "This is what I deem as beautiful...do you agree?"

Just thinking about it left me feeling like the 5th grader that hoped someone would ask her to sit at their table for lunch.

The girl that searched for acceptance and validation.

Yes folks, sometimes in my head it is Jr. High and High School all over again....me sitting on the sidelines paralyzed with fear.

In that moment, I decided that my daughter would not see that fear manifested.

I drove home, printed out a few photos, and drove back to the fairgrounds.

This time to enter my own exhibits.

I took home two white "Third Place" ribbons. One for this photo and one for this one as well.

But it was about so much more than the validation that came with the ribbons.

So long sidelines.

I'm linking this post up here:











"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"