Let us get the introduction out of the way, shall we...

If this were a typical day, I’d be rushing to get done with whatever it was that I was busy with from that endless list of chores, errands, work assignments and pet projects that plague me daily.

I am a procrastinator. There – I said it! AND I am not currently cultivating a super hero image or trying very hard to do more than I actually do. I’m not big into self-improvement – although I do like to ponder the relationships around me at length – so I don’t watch Oprah or read Maya Angelou’s books or engage in any of those self-uplifting activities that make average people feel a temporary departure from the day to day existence they lead. I’ve given up trying to keep up with the Jones’s and I feel only the slightest pang of guilt when I neglect to load the dishwasher after every meal. So typical days for me are, well, typical. Predictable. Not very exciting.

That is why this is not a typical day for me.

I am embarking on a project that is going to need me to be working much harder than I do now. I’m also going to need to dust off the creative skills and tools I have assembled through the years. I’ll need to add a little bit more caffeine so that my poor, docile, domesticated brain becomes more alert and can conjure plans and strategies as if they were tricky spells, cast the net of marketing and sales wide and begin to set sail for a distant shore where the port of business success lies waiting. Sounds like too much to think about on a hot summer afternoon… Maybe I should tackle it tomorrow…

NO! I’ve put this off long enough. I am doing it today!

So let me properly introduce myself and tell you what my mission is.

My name is Cheryl. I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. I became interested in art at a young age and pursued a career in graphic design after completing 4 years of study at Technikon Witwatersrand which is now part of the University of Johannesburg. The diploma course I did opened my eyes to many possible career paths including advertising, photography and illustration. I have worked in many environments and been able to hone the skills I learned in those early days of being a student. The experience I have includes brand invention, magazine production, all manner of printed and electronic marketing materials, print and large format advertising, promotional items, creative project management/direction, exhibition graphics, catalogues, commercials, a range of photographic projects from product shots to designer shoots to events and I even built a photo library as part of my own business in South Africa. I’ve been a commissioned painter and illustrator and ceramist. I have over 20 years of experience in my chosen field and 25 years experience as an artist. I love what I do and every day is a challenge to feed my passion for art and life in art and design.

I moved with my husband, David and my son, James to Vancouver, Canada, 8 years ago and we have run our own business since then. My focus recently changed as I felt I really wanted to spend more time doing photography and art. I have become an avid fine arts photographer with a focus on the natural world around me. Photography is my passion and has been for a really, really long time and I feel I have so much to learn. The desire to learn is strong and I follow so many photographers on social media I’ve lost count! I also submit photos to National Geographic magazine assignments and am an active Your Shot contributor. National Geographic recently did me the huge honour of selecting one of my black and white photos as a Photo of the Day (June 7th, 2014) and it then went on to be included in the best of June round up too. I’ve also sold photographs and been able to expand the photo printing horizon to canvas prints which I hope to do more of in future as the photos look amazing!

Although my focus is mostly photographic, I still try and find the time to draw and paint. It is a challenge these days – being an artist, business owner, photographer, mom, wife, active community member and keeping my house from turning into a jungle! But when I do find the time to create, I love it. The mood that settles over me is almost magical and the peace I feel tells me that this is exactly what I need to be doing. It restores my soul and makes me as happy as a person can be.

I sell my photographs – they are a great way for me to earn a rewarding income, but I find it hard to part with my artworks. I do – but they are usually a lot harder to let go of though. If a client commissions a piece, however, I am happy to do it and see it go as I don’t develop the affinity with it that I do with the spontaneous creative works I produce when I am drawing or painting for myself. Is this strange to you? I hope not, as I think we all should have something that makes us that happy that to give it away would leave us with some sense of self-betrayal.

So that’s me – the nuts and bolts of it anyway. I hope that you enjoy the photography and general moments of insight that appear on my social media pages and here in my blog writings. I sell photography and art, so if there is anything you have an interest in, please contact me, I’d be happy to hear from you. I’ll also be constantly adding new work as it is completed and events as they occur (I’m planning some big things for this next phase of my creative journey!). The adventure continues as do the musings, so check back soon!

So Goodbye to you and to those Typical Days – it’s been fun,
C.B.