Have you ever felt like everyone else has figured out what they’re meant to do, while you’re over here collecting hobbies, learning new skills, and changing interests every few months?
For a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me. I would find something I loved and completely dive in. I would spend hours learning everything I could. I’d buy the books, watch the videos, practice until I improved, and genuinely enjoy every part of the process.
Then one day, something else would catch my attention. Not because I stopped loving the first thing. Simply because I was curious.
For years, I thought I needed to find my “one thing.” The thing I would do forever. The thing that would define me. The thing I could confidently answer when someone asked, “So… what do you do?”
Now, after many years of trying to fit myself into one box, I finally have an answer.
- I am a child of God.
- I’m a photographer.
- I’m a creative.
- I’m a gardener.
- I’m a birdwatcher.
- I am many things.
Most of all I am simply curious and I have learned that curiosity isn’t something that needs to be fixed. It’s something that needs to be celebrated, appreciated, explored!
I’ve Always Been Curious
When I was growing up, we lived in the country, and most days you could find me outside. I climbed trees that probably seemed much taller than they actually were. I wandered through the woods. I explored the creek near our house looking for frogs, fish, turtles, and anything else I hadn’t discovered yet.
I drew pictures. I played sports. I noticed birds before I knew their names. I asked a lot of questions.
Looking back, I don’t think I was searching for a hobby. I was searching for discovery. I didn’t need constant entertainment. I simply wanted to see what I might find around the next corner.
That curiosity has never really left me. It has just changed shape over the years.
The Roller Coaster of Interests
As I got older, that curiosity started showing up in different ways.
- Photography.
- Gardening.
- Birding.
- Journaling.
- DIY projects.
- Home organization.
- Homeschooling.
- Learning about cameras.
- Learning about plants.
- Learning about editing.
- Learning about lighting.
- Learning about birds.
- Learning about almost anything that sparked my interest.
Every time I discovered something new, I would dive in wholeheartedly. And every time, I found myself asking the same question.
Why can’t I just stick with one thing?
It felt like everyone else had found their lane or niche, while I was happily wandering through the entire neighborhood.
Sometimes that made me feel scattered. Sometimes it made me wonder if I lacked discipline. Sometimes I questioned whether I would ever feel satisfied.
Photography Became Home
Out of everything I’ve explored over the years, photography is the thing that has stayed with me the longest.
It’s the work I’ve built my business around. It’s how I’ve served families. It’s how I’ve preserved memories. It’s the creative outlet that has followed me through so many different seasons of life.
Photography became my career. But even while building that career, I still found myself drawn toward new interests.For a while, I thought that meant I wasn’t committed enough. Now I see it differently.
Photography never competed with my other interests. It connected them!
The patience I learned while watching birds made me a better wildlife photographer. The time I spend outside noticing nature helped me see details during family sessions. Gardening taught me about seasons, light, and slowing down. Homeschooling reminds me that learning doesn’t have an expiration date. Even organizing my home has taught me about creating space for the things that matter most.
None of these interests pull me away from photography. They simply make me a better photographer.
I Thought I Needed One Identity
For years, I kept trying to simplify myself. Maybe I should only talk about photography. Maybe I should keep gardening separate. Maybe people will get confused if I share birds one day and cameras the next. Maybe I should pick one niche.
Maybe I should quit starting new hobbies. Maybe… The list went on.
If you’ve ever built an online business, you’ve probably heard advice about staying in your lane. Find one topic, one audience, and one message to be successful. And while there is wisdom in staying focused, I slowly realized I was trying to cut away huge pieces of myself just to fit someone else’s formula.
That’s exhausting and unsustainable!
God didn’t create us from an assembly line. He created each of us with different gifts, personalities, and interests. Some people find deep joy in mastering one craft for a lifetime. Others find joy in learning, exploring, and connecting ideas across many different areas.
Neither is better. They’re simply different as we all are.
Japan Changed the Way I See the World
One of the places that shaped me the most was Japan. My family lived there for three years, and my youngest son was born there. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
Japan taught me to notice things I had often rushed past; the changing seasons, the beauty in everyday routines, small gardens tucked between buildings; quiet walks; simple meals shared together; the idea that ordinary moments can be deeply meaningful.
It was also where I first became interested in crystals, not because of anything mystical, but because I was fascinated by their beauty, the stories behind them, and the incredible variety found in God’s creation.
Living there reminded me that life doesn’t have to be loud to be full. In Japan, this gentle fullness is called Wa (和)—a profound cultural concept centered on harmony, balance, and peaceful unity. At its core, Wa goes beyond simple quietness or forced agreement. It is an active, mindful awareness of your surroundings and the people in them.
Some of the most beautiful things are also the quietest. I think that perspective has stayed with me ever since.
Curiosity Isn’t the Enemy
Recently, something finally clicked. Instead of asking myself why I couldn’t choose one thing, I started asking a different question.
What if I don’t need to?
That simple shift changed everything. I stopped seeing my interests as distractions. I started seeing them as threads.Each one adds another color to the same tapestry:
- Gardening teaches patience.
- Birding teaches observation.
- Photography teaches presence.
- Homeschooling teaches flexibility.
- Faith teaches trust.
- Journaling teaches self-awareness
- Creativity ties them all together.
They aren’t competing for my attention. They’re helping me become more fully myself.
My Faith Has Changed the Way I Think About Purpose
For a long time, I thought purpose meant finding one perfect assignment; one career and one identity. But as I’ve grown in my faith, I don’t think that’s what God asks of us.
He asks us to be faithful, to love Him, to love people and to use the gifts He’s given us. Sometimes those gifts show up in one clear direction. Sometimes they bloom in several.
When I read Scripture, I don’t see a God who only values one kind of person. I see a Creator who delights in variety. He delights in all the birds, all the flowers, all the landscapes, all the personalities just the same, all of creation just the same.
One could say that God is the most magnificent artist. Creation itself reflects His creativity. Maybe it’s okay that we do too.
This Website Is a Reflection of That
If you’ve spent a few minutes exploring this website, you’ve probably noticed it’s a little different.
You’ll find photography. You’ll also find gardening, birds, creativity, homeschool, organization, favorite products, nature, faith, and probably a few things I haven’t listed or discovered yet.
At first glance, those topics might seem unrelated, but to me, they all belong together because they’re all part of the life I’m living.
I’m not trying to become an expert in everything. I’m simply sharing what I’m learning along the way. If something makes life a little easier, a little more beautiful, or helps me appreciate God’s creation a little more, you’ll probably find it here.
Maybe You Needed to Hear This Too
If you’ve ever felt guilty because your interests don’t fit neatly into one category…
If you’ve started hobbies only to discover another one a few months later and started that one too…
If you’ve wondered why everyone else seems to have life figured out while you’re still exploring…
I hope you know you’re not alone.
Curiosity isn’t something to apologize for. It’s one of the ways we grow. Maybe you’ve been trying to force yourself into a box that was never meant to hold you. Maybe the things you love aren’t random after all. Maybe they’re connected in ways you haven’t seen yet.
Mine certainly are.
Thanks for Being Here
Whether you came here because you love photography, gardening, birds, homeschooling, faith, or simply because you’re curious too, I’m really glad you’re here.
This little corner of the internet is where I’ll be sharing the things I’m learning, creating, noticing, and enjoying. Some posts will teach you something practical. Some will simply tell a story. Others might encourage you to step outside, notice the birds at your feeder, start a garden, pick up your camera, or try something you’ve always wanted to learn.
I don’t know exactly where curiosity will lead next, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a beautiful place to explore together.
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