I am a sentimentalist

sen·ti·men·tal·ist

noun

one given to sentiment or sentimentality

expressive of or appealing to sentiment, especially the tender emotions and feelings, as love, pity, or nostalgia (e.g.,  We kept the old photograph for purely sentimental reasons).

 

I've been following several photographers on Facebook lately, most of them women. In doing so, I came across a website called Clickin Moms. It bills itself as "a community of artists, hobbyists, and professional photographers."

  

For a person who has a passion for photography and wants to gain information, everything from technical know-how to what kind of camera bags are the most stylish for women, it's a great find. There's even a section called "CM University," where the really serious learner can pay for online courses in photography.

 

What initially drew me to the website, though, was a video produced by the founders of the website. The video is part of a larger campaign called i am a photographer, which states: "In recognition of the many roles that they hold, we asked women photographers to shoot a self portrait holding a word other than “photographer” that represents some aspect of who they are."

  

Clickin Moms invited the entire CM community to participate in this project and plans to donate $1 for every image submitted by March 31, 2012 to RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization.

  

Good cause aside, I absolutely loved the video. I  have watched it maybe five times already and find it inspiring every time! Maybe it's because it's something to which I can relate (gee, could their marketing get any better than that?).

  

It got me to thinking: what would I call myself other than a mom, wife, daughter, sister, graphic designer, writer, teacher, or photographer? I honestly was a bit stumped to try to come up with something that hadn't already been used in the video. I thought about how I like to write and design. Maybe 'creator'? Hmm . . .

  

Then it hit me: I'm a sentimentalist. Always have been. And there's no better way to prove it than by the copy I wrote for the About page of my new business website for Bella Vita Creative--it says it all.

 

I'll give you a hint here. The heading reads:

 

"Why do I do what I do?
It has a lot to do with
passion, craft and a
wobbly chin."

  

The wobbly chin part is explained on my About page over at Bella Vita Creative, but it's an integral part of who I am. Many times I have wished it weren't so. I've worked hard through the years to cover up that part of myself. It's embarrassing to be standing at the Hallmark store, card in hand, tears rolling down my cheeks. In the movie theater, I'm the one choking back sobs while watching War Horse, Seabiscuit, and Marley & Me. Please tell me I wasn't the only one wiping tears during Jessie's song in Toy Story 2! Yep, that's me.

 

That's why Bella Vita Creative is the perfect business for someone like me. I love treasuring moments from my own life and nothing makes me happier than to help someone else treasure their own memories as well. Rather than reprinting the whole story here, though, just head on over to my business website and read it for yourself.

 

Go ahead. I'll wait. And when you're done, come back and view the i am a photographer video. You won't be sorry. (Please note that I was not able to embed the video on my blog, so you will have to go to the Clickin Moms website to see it; it's worth it!)