Collaboration

When writing goals for 2014 I decided spending more time collaborating with others was going to be at the forefront of what I do with the majority of my free time. There is something so magical about collaborating with people—the way inspiration and creativity feed off the ideas being formed in your head and let loose into the world without inhibition, the way a simple sketch can be envisioned as the grandiose image already in your head and the involved parties not only understand, but are anxious to see it brought to life, and how bonding during the process is viewed to be just as valuable as the end result.

This, my friends, is magic. This is like glitter raining down on a sunshiny day where a warm breeze tousles your hair and someone catches the moment on film… no filter required.

I haven’t participated in much collaboration in the past—one absolutely lovely session with Lani Elias Fine Art Photography and Bloom Petals& Gifts (check it out here) was all I needed to know I wanted to do it again…. It was like eating a slice of the most amazing pie and knowing you just had to have another slice…or two… (or in my case, the recipe).

In Winkler I had friends who were doing things. Lani is one of my closest friends and Meg from Bloom is our go-to florist who is just as awesome as her floral arrangements. It was a simple collaboration—it worked well, was easy to arrange, and went beautifully.

Enter the move to Hamilton.

I arrived in Hamilton and realized I didn’t really know anyone—no local florist to visit, no hidden gems of creative talent I could tap into for easy experimental fun. Little did I know the lovely lady we ended up living with is a photographer who wants to, get this, get into food photography! *Insert harps and hallelujah choir here.*

As an individual who is pretty much down to be involved in anything creative I jumped at the chance to help her brainstorm and execute ideas for a course she was taking and, since then, have taken almost any opportunity to make something delicious and then get pictures of it.

Aside from a recent mini-shoot of Birthday Crepes, the most recent shoot consisted of process shots and a few final shots of cupcakes Meag hired me to make for a baby shower. It’s fun to live with someone who enjoys sharing the magic during the process.

As the year is only beginning, I am looking forward to the collaborations that will arise and where they will take me. It’s always humbling and inspiring to work with individuals who have talent and are willing to share it with you for a collaborative vision. I look forward to those photographers, florists, stylists and all other creative beings I will be honoured to work with this year. Know that I am grateful for the opportunity, educated through the experience, and inspired for the future by the simple act of collaboration.

 

Process shots by Meagan Tutti.
Final shots by me.