I need to take a break from Flickr and piece together some new creative projects.
Instead of writing books, scholarly articles, creating and presenting workshops, putting on singing concerts, or any number of other things I might do, I’ve spent the past two years and two months on Flickr. Lately, as you can see, I’ve been weaning myself from the constant level I kept up for two years. I’ve been shooting fewer photos and only posting three photos a day– or fewer. I’ve been working on jigsaw puzzles — like this one — rather than spending so much time on photos and Flickr. Even if I do nothing but puzzles, reading books (which I’ve been doing a lot more of), and watching TV, it would be better than spending so much time on photography and Flickr. Sure, I could spend more time on photography and try to make it pay, but that’s another career I don’t feel like making a go of right now. I’d rather make more of my ASL interpreting career.
I’ve been interpreting and going to interpreting workshops for the past 18+ years. Babies have been born and raised to adulthood while I’ve been taking workshops from other interpreters. It’s time that I started teaching workshops rather than just attending them. Maybe I’m being too hard on myself, but that’s how I feel about it. I have a lot of experience, knowledge, and insight, and I want to make something of it. I now have a workshop outlined and scheduled for November 22 from 9am-3pm.
I’m also a performing artist. I’m contracted to sing in the chorus of the opera Aida at the Orpheum Theatre with the Phoenix Opera on Friday, January 30, at 7:30 and Sunday, February 1 at 2:00. I’ve never been in a grand opera before, and I’m nervous. I need to focus my energies on this project, and rehearsals begin in December. In addition to that, Andy & I are going on a two-week European vacation in October. I want to spend more time with Andy getting familiar with the places we’ll be visiting.
Since I joined Flickr in July 2006, I’ve created and administered three groups, and I’ve organized half a dozen FlickrMeets. It’s time to pass the baton. I’ve recruited, promoted, and trained co-admins in my groups. It is now up to them to either take over running the groups or recruit other co-admins or moderators to help them. And I trust that if members want meetups, then members will organize them.
I don’t mean to come off like, “Bye all y’all bitches! You can kiss my ass!” Believe me, whatever anger I feel is toward myself for once again diving too deeply into something, taking on too much responsibility, and burning out. I have enjoyed all the camaraderie, teaching, learning, sharing, laughs, tears (now and then), and the adventure of this experiment with this new medium (or should I say forum) we call Flickr. It’s just that I can’t imagine myself doing what I’ve been doing for another two years and two months.
I’ll still put up a photo now and again, and I still look forward to The Farm at South Mountain FlickrMeet on Saturday, October 18th, at 7:30 AM. I’ll just have to keep Flickr to a minimum while I turn other dreams into realities.
Daniel Greene 
Comments welcome