Summer Reflections: My First New Blog Post

21 June, 2024

It's Been a Minute

Greetings! I can't believe I'm finally writing my first post on my new blog. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you may be aware that I recently moved my website and blog from Wordpress to Wix. It was a bit of a learning curve, but I'm glad I did it.

I won't go into details, but I was having a lot of trouble with my Wordpress site; it actually became so slow on the admin side that trying to do anything at all was pretty futile. I tried some fixes that didn't work, and ultimately decided I didn't want to spend so much time messing with it. I moved to Wix, which is more of an all-in-one platform; i.e. I don't have to spend time figuring out if plugins are conlicting (or what all of them actually even do!) or if my SSL certificate is expiring or... whatever.

The Only Problem

The only major problem I encountered was with importing my blog posts. The text imported, but not the images, formatting, paragraph spacing, comments, etc. So, with only text to go on, I began reconstructing them, one by one. I started with 62 posts, and now have 34 to go. Not too bad. But onward I go, fixing and sometimes adapting my old blog posts, and even leaving a couple out. Moving forward.

Summer Reflections: First New Blog Post

I thought it might be fun to share some more reflections with you, both in the philosophical sense as well as the pictorial/visual sense. I have learned some things through this process, and am still obsessed with the abstract qualities of reflections on water. Seems like a perfect match, doesn't it?

"These landscapes of water and reflection are an obsession." – Claude Monet

I share this obsession with Monet, which makes me feel pretty good about it. Visually, it is a feast - always moving, always mesmerizing, always beautiful. I have stood in these same spots and taken photographs over and over again, yet they are never the same.

"To some, it’s just water. To me, it’s where I regain my sanity."

 – Unknown

The Science of Water Meditation

Being near natural bodies of water, whether it be a creek, river, lake, or ocean, has always calmed and restored me. This seems to be a pretty common human experience, for whatever reason. For me, I think it's both the sounds and the sights that soothe me. Watching water, I believe, is a form of meditation, and it turns out scientific research backs this up.

“Staring at the ocean actually changes our brain waves’ frequency and puts us into a mild meditative state”, according to a study published in the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s journal.

"The true beauty of a mirror is not its shape or frame, but what it reflects. Likewise, the true beauty of water lies in the reflection it holds." – Unknown

"Water is dynamic, so it holds our attention in a peculiar way. It tends to have a dream-like quality that allows us to quiet our minds. For example, when you’re focused on the movement of water, you’re able to live in the moment and tune out all the other noise. Being near water can also facilitate a meditative state of gentle awareness by engaging the brain but not overwhelming it, providing an opportunity for introspection." (Headlight Health: The Science Behind How Just Being Near water Can Help Mental Health)

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." ~ Marie Curie

What I've Learned - Again

So, what have I learned from this experience? The main lesson is about not giving in to your fears - more specifically, the fear of failure. Of course, this is not a new lesson, but one I seem to need periodic reminders of. I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to move my website, that it was too technical for me, that I would make some huge mistake and mess everything up.

Well, only half of that happened, i.e. the problem with the blog. Haha! As I should well know by now, we actually learn more from our mistakes than from the things that go smoothly. Why do I continue to let a lack of self-confidence hold me back?

It's like I need to be hit over the head once in while and reminded to believe in myself. I built my website myself, on a completely new platform that uses a completely different software. Though it was rough at first, it was good brain exercise. And ultimately, I like my new website much better than the old one.

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

~ Eleanor Rooseveldt

I felt it wouldn't be right if my first new blog post didn't include artwork, and I happen to have just the perfect one.

Silent Reflection, monotype collage with mixed media, 12 x 11 inches

"The lake water was reinventing the forest and the white moon above it, and wolves lapped up the cold reflection of the sky." – Karen Russell