Doing scary things is scary /  by Jessica Peterson

Last Friday I was on a conference call with two of my older brothers, they were hounding me about the fact that I never take risks, that I have been playing it too safe in all aspects of my life.  They are so right and I am so tired of being shackled down by the fear of trying and failing.  I decided that I am going to really start breaking down the walls... I know everyone has them, there are fears that hold everyone back from becoming something greater and I own many of them and unfortunately keep them close.

SO HERE I GO.

I made a list two nights ago of all the things that scare me and for the next two weeks I will attempting to walking through them ( literally for one of them...wearing high heal shoes all day long for no reason... fear of being feminine).
I will post them as I go,  also another fear (being honestly open... I like to keep things inside where they are safe).

Last night I wrote and it was nice.

scary.

Post-it drawings /  by Jessica Peterson

My desk and computers are always littered with drawings/ideas/notes/lists made on brightly colored Post-it notes.  I go through at least a pack a month.  I always feel bad throwing away the cool ones 'cause who keeps Post-it notes?  Last night I decided that I will start keeping the ones I can't part with and will be gluing them into my sketchbooks.  I actually like the look a lot,  instant frames. 

some drawings done during the hours of procrastination I have accumulated.

Overcoming fear can be fun /  by Jessica Peterson

After getting into a fight with a few friends about how stupid it was to own guns (mostly because they scare the crap out of me) I decided to try the gun thing out and get over my fear.  I am not going to lie, I had a lot of fun shooting.  I guess I am tired of being afraid of so many things and it felt really good to fall in love with one of them, but really, it was hard not to when I was with some of my favorite people. 
the group of us: Me, Robert, Stina, Jack, Benjie, Natalie and Jim
the essentials 


I will be doing this again.

Escaping planet earth for a brief moment /  by Jessica Peterson

first of all, sorry for the long absence.  Sometimes I don't want to blog and so I don't. 

Exploring Utah, my mom and drove through the desert yesterday to just explore and to give Max some time to run around.  We came across a clay mine that felt like a chunk of a different planet was implanted on ours.  I couldn't believe the colors, as first I thought it was some art instillation (not really but that is where my mind went).  Earth can be cool... 
happy to be wearing boots , poor max ended up with clay boots by the end of the day.
I thought this was so great, I saw a little max print adjacent to a horse shoe print. 

Expired film /  by Jessica Peterson


I have been carrying my old 35m film Nikon around with me in my purse and car and pulling it out when 
i feel like it. 
Max.
yogurt land with the kiddos in Burbank

Yesterday after lunch with my lovelies
how could i not take their pictures?

8 years ago... /  by Jessica Peterson

I photographed these.
The rolls of film have been sitting in a box for a past 8 years, I have never bothered developing them because I knew that if they were worth anything I would have done that 8 years ago.  I finally got curious enough to develop them, 6 rolls, most were garbage (and one was a little bizarre... sorry Casey haha).  There was one roll that I was really excited to see, while in school we had an assignment to photograph the damage caused by a fire ( I can't remember where the fire was, it may have been Simi Valley?) it was a 4x5 camera class but I must have loosely shot around with my SLR.  I thought some of them came out kinda nice even thought the film has rotted. 

just a flower
Annie (we miss her so)
The road trip to the fire sight, my old car (i miss it so)
Caitlin
Kelly
this was pretty cool
I am wishing I grabbed that camera and checked to see if there was film in the camera.
.

instant gratification /  by Jessica Peterson

I really love these little images 
I love holding them in my hands after I expose them and they noisily slide out of the plastic camera
I don't like to watch them develop, I just set them aside for a minute then surprise myself with a strong look
This morning called for photos
-the blanket I hang on my window so the outside world can't see in (one day I will break down and buy a curtain and rod like a normal person)
-the snow as it fell
-the inside of Max's mouth, I tried to take a photo and he tried to eat the camera
-this is from a failed instax that refused to develop so I drew an image
no need to waste such a lovely moment.

Jon Heder and Nick Peterson's Short Film /  by Jessica Peterson

 I don't know if many of you know this but I have an extremely talented family, I am grateful for their examples and the push they give me when I feel lame and small.  Well, my oldest brother Nick is a film guy and at the moment he and his friend Jon Heder (aka Napoleon Dynamite, you know, the "my lips hurt real bad" guy) are using Kickstarter to raise some money for a short film project they are planning on shooting soon.  If you have a moment and would like to check it out please do, just click on the link below the image.  The concept of the film is really great, it is about a the relationship between and man and woman, the man brings all things destructive into the relationship and leaves her alone to dwell in the mess, it sounds dark but it will be told in a beautiful and unconventional way... I believe it will be shot live action with stop motion.  Check it out!