I've been called impulsive before. and quite frankly, it's true. i get impulses all the time and more often than not follow thru on them. backed up by a fairly decisive nature and strong will to boot... once i decide something, not too much other thought conflicts with the decision. and nothing short of absolute conflict will change my path. today, i absolutely and impulsively decided that i wanted to change my entire website. start fresh... new. everything from scratch. back to square one. i want to re-comb thru my entire library of images and re-discover the overlooked ones, and revamp my entire "CI" (corporate identity). or maybe just identity in general. it's an enormous project. daunting in fact. especially that i am given to getting bored quickly with large, consuming projects. but i'm going to do it. it may take a couple of months. but that's ok. i'm currently reading "bird by bird" by anne lamott. i came across the most fantastic story of her's about a novel she worked on, and reworked. and it kept getting rejected by her editor. again, and again and again. for three years she worked it, had it rejected and then reworked it. it was finally published and became her best selling novel to date. as an artist, sometimes i feel like i've been trying to find my voice my whole life. and as a photographer, i've been defining and redefining my vision for years. and it's still a work in progress. but out of all the reworking, i think a great thing will be born. a more defined and succinct identity if you will. speaking of rediscovering... this is one of my most favorite photographs i have ever taken. in high school i was heavily influenced my henri cartier bresson. he has a very famous photograph of children watching a puppet show, their faces alive with glee. i guess you could call this photo my homage to him. it was taken at a school in south africa 8 years ago. with a canon rebel film camera. before i had ever taken a photography class. i have never taken a photo since that i love more. xo, brooke

There are infinite views to describe what photography means and what photography brings to us. There are countless essays, books, and thesis on the subject. In the way I feel it, photography is “a creative process” to experience and discover life and the world around us. It is “a journey” that allows us to create unique connections with people and reveal who we are, often times becoming part of our own discovery. Paul Strand once said... "And if you can find out something about the laws of your own growth and vision as well as those of photography you may be able to relate the two, create an object that has a life of its own, which transcends craftsmanship. That is a long road, and because it must be your own road nobody can teach it to you or find it for you. There are no shortcuts, no rules." I'm in the process of getting ready to take a trip to Africa in a couple of weeks. And I've been thinking a lot about the reasons I'm going. Personally and professionally. Here's a couple of thoughts. I've got this need or this hunger to go to the extreme edge of the human experience to show people what's going on. I want to be an echo to the human condition and provide an honest and uncensored testimony to the people that I photograph. I want to play a social role by contributing or shedding light on issues that would otherwise be darkened. I believe that photography can provide a channel for people's natural sense of generosity, justice, influence, and the ability to identify with others. I am in the industry of service and that service is awareness. I'm aiming my photographs to create a portal of light on faces and places that we would otherwise be unaware of by distance or mere lack of information and proximity to situations that are too far off to be of interest to ourselves otherwise. It's already been a long road. And I'm not even half way there yet. But the journey is the destination. And the experience is priceless. xo, Brooke

Please go out there and do. Live. Don’t be the same as yesterday. Don’t live vicariously online. Don’t use language that has no meaning or talk ideas you don’t really live. Don’t hide. Don’t copy others or live their ideas or life. Don’t fear doing your thing. Don’t fear doing. Instead of reading a decorating magazine, paint that room. Instead of thinking of baking, do up a cake. Run, walk, bike. Put that self help book down and pick up yourself. Let go of the snark, your worries, your anger and fear and give into possibility, action, joy and life. Do. Do some more. Stop thinking about you. Stop blogging about just you and your kid and your pet. There’s a world out there to connect to, really connect to. Being of use is more important than being popular. Think about the lady down the street, the person at the drive through, the man fallen in the street, about politics, the environment, healthcare, another country and then do something about it. Never stop at thinking. Dream big, work harder. Have lots of fun, lift a finger, do something for someone else. Cheer your friends on. Cheer yourself up. Celebrate as much as possible. Enjoy everything. Right now. It’s OK to want more and do more but be present with where you are or who you are with. Don’t rush the situation - even if it’s bad. Move on when you can. Don’t settle. Try everything you can and get over everything holding you back. Go outside. Go outside yourself. Make a difference, make some change. Don’t complain about someone unless you’re talking to that someone. Don’t complain about a situation you’re not willing to make better. They don’t have it better and you don’t have it worse. Don’t make excuses. You’ll never see possibility if you do. And you’re smart and worth more than settling for a life of complaining and limitation. Hope. Hope more. Give someone else hope. Get healthy and contribute to a healthy environment. Think about everything you do, you buy, you say. Only be lazy on Sunday and even then, be conscious. Rest is useful, giving up is not. Play. Remember what it’s like to be seven. Remember to listen to a seven year old because you just have more words and life experience, not necessarily more wisdom. Have more questions than answers and don’t put everything into words. Sometimes just feel things and be. Be quiet more often, listen harder, talk exactly as you mean to. Strive for your best and not what you think someone elses’ best is. Follow through. Don’t let others’ down. Don’t let yourself down. You are better than your circumstances. Ask for what you’re worth. Make magic happen don’t wish for it. Don’t envy others’ lives, envy yours. Live it fully. Teach by example how to live well, how to be treated, how to be kind, how to be alive. Do. I can’t stress that one enough. Take action on your life. Make the change. No more sulking, waiting, thinking, reading, talking about. It’s time. You’re ready.

Today I had the most overwhelming desire to go to the ocean....