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A couple months ago we watched the first bit of the movie The Wizard of Oz with our friends Kate & Nick. I hadn't watched film in years, but it really got my head spinning as I saw the relation to the road to Oz being much like the journey every creative, freelancer or entrepreneur is on. As most of you know, the movie chronicles the adventures of Dorothy on her journey down the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard of Oz. Along the way she encounters the Scarecrow who only wants a brain, the Tin-man who wants a heart & the Cowardly Lion whose only desire is to have courage. The yellow brick road is frightening for them, they face many obstacles along their long journey. Oftentimes they don't know what is around the next corner, they are just following the Good Witch of the North's advice to follow this road until they reach the Wizard. Throughout their journey they are forced to depend on one another. In the process of getting to the Wizard, it becomes apparent that all along the Tinman, the Scarecrow and the Lion had the qualities of heart, head and courage that they each so deeply desired.
There is nothing safe about being a creative. There is nothing "easy" about following the yellow brick road toward that which you feel called. The more scared we are of the work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have no choice but to do it and step into the fear. Oftentimes in this journey I feel a lot more like the Cowardly Lion rather than the brave leader on this road towards the "Wizard of Oz." What I have to keep reminding myself is the heart, the brain and the courage is within myself even when I am not keenly aware of it..as it was with the characters in the story. Sometimes it may be difficult in various seasons to see those attributes within ourselves, but I must remember they are there, and oftentimes seeing them manifest is a matter of stepping into fear and seeing your heart expand on the other side of things.
And just like the story goes, on the road to Oz I need others. much like Dorothy needed the Tin-man, the Scarecrow and the Lion to complete her mission. As freelancers it is very easy to become islands unto ourselves. We spend hours every day alone working. We have a "system" and a way of doing things. But the truth is, this life is meant to be shared. The richest experiences I have had through this journey have never been by myelf. The rich moments have been moments when I can celebrate the success of my friends... collaborate with others, and do something bigger than what I could do on my own. After all, I am merely a tree in a forest of many other beautiful tress. And as the very true saying goes, "a rising tide lifts all ships." This story would have never been turned into a book or movie had this been just a story about a girl and her dog getting to the top. Can we say lame? The other characters are really what made the story evocative, intriguing and interesting. The reality is Dorothy couldn't have made it to the Wizard without them. The road to Oz is to be shared.
Ultimately this is a story about how life is always more about the journey than it is about the final destination. In our valiant effort to focus on goals and the future, oftentimes us creatives miss the beautiful things along the way. That is something I personally have to be intentional about, otherwise my ambitions take over and I'm living five years from now. The destination is just one very small part of the journey to Oz.
here are a just a few snaps of a couple friends we picked up along our little yellow brick road...
Thoughts
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you are incredible... somehow it's like you put words to the things that i've been thinking and feeling. i was just talking about the Journey with Drew yesterday at his birthday lunch. about being thankful for all and who is surrounding us now. finding true wealth in the balance of contentment and ambition given through Godliness.
love you. love and miss the Rhoads!
Your words always hit a chord with me, thank you for sharing!!
Just watched your Beloved seminar last night - thank you so much for your honesty and encouragement. Then I find this post today. Such inspiration. Thank you a thousand times for your words.
Hey Sarah,
I absolutely love this post and the parallels that you drew to the classic movie. In almost every other industry people work together towards a common goal, there should be no reason we can't do the same in our pursuits of photography
I love this post!! :)
dammit- that picture of you with the maroon skirt and your with tank with you bag- Breath taking!!!!!
Sarah, you share your passion so beautifully and articulately. I've watched that movie so many times and never thought of it that way. Thanks for sharing!
When I read the title I thought you were coming back to Australia! :) But this post is amazing, and I am going to save it and read it often, because it is just so good. Thank you :)
as always, perfectly put. and i wish i lived out there so we could hang out and cross paths more often on our journeys. xoxo.
so very scary to step out there - but you never know what can happen until you do. my wife and i don't know where our yellow brick road will lead but we're at least happy that we started walking =).
Thanks for sharing this, Sarah! This is really helpful as i'm re-starting on this journey in a sense. I have a pretty good sense of where God is leading me and it scares the crap out of me, but thats ok.
Really reallyyyy needed this right now to help me remember I'm not alone even when I'm feeling so very alone. Thank you.
Thank you for the beautiful post, the wonderful encouragement and the reminder to join forces with other creatives! Love your work and thank you for sharing your journey!
awesome Sarah!...your thoughts and photos are always inspiring. I need to go watch that movie again :)
awesome parallel sarah. :)