At Last…

Carrot Blood Orange JuiceJuicy June is finally upon us and LORAX Community is now featuring a few of my very own juice & blended drink formulations in the latest release of 4 Seasons Zine!

I am truly elated to share in such a motivatingly educational publication so lovingly curated by my dear friend and colleague Michael Ray, with whom I invite all of you to request your very own copies and participate along with us all month via social media and the Vegan DIY blog on Tumblr.

Each day in June we shall be following  questions, images, original recipes, and topical tips bearing hashtags of #JuicyJune, #LoraxCommunity, & #4SeasonsZine to the attention of @LoraxCommunity & @VeganDIY managers via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & Tumblr.

Please be sure to attach the aforementioned tags to any relative media you may wish to have considered for reposts, social shoutouts, reblogs, and possible entry in some excellent giveaway opportunities.

Although I have my very own list of lovely ideas and inspirations to share in celebration of the momentous occasion, many are presently on hold due to yet another unforeseen event in a seemingly perpetual series of technological impediments…

Transcending a Formative Era

 

Macadamia nut hoummous open-faced sandwich on sunflower bread w/fresh seasonal produce

Macadamia nut hoummous open-faced sandwich on sunflower bread w/fresh seasonal produce

As many readers are likely aware, I have neither owned nor had access to an actual telephone in ages and have relied entirely upon a cameraless first gen iPad + intermittent access to wifi for the vast majority of my (rather limited) social media activity. My Instagram account is one of the few which shares images taken offline using my trusty little Nikon, which has essentially been my very best friend and healing/recovery partner since I was indefinitely sidelined and displaced in a cycling accident just over two years ago.That little camera provided me with occupational therapy and a wonderful option for sharing whilst I worked to nourish myself back to health without pharmaceuticals, surgery, or any other direct contact with humans during some very difficult time spent in strange places and confined to bed or wheelchair for well over a year.

 

You Are What You Eat

Food is Medicine

 

I am someone who sees food as sustenance in many different ways, and prefers to adhere to various methods of mindful consumption of such. As a being who derives very little pleasure in food unless it can be shared in some way, that little Nikon offered me the option to share digitally with others interested in health, wellness, and infinite possibilities for overcoming various obstacles without resorting to use of methods which exploit, injure, enslave, kill, or oppress other beings with whom we share our existence (including nonhumans and also the living Earth).

Essentially, the presence of such a surprisingly useful tool allowed me to continue certain aspects of the work I had been doing as an educator, mentor, and Veganic Homesteading & DIY (aka LORAX Community Kitchen/Garden) workshop leader before the accident, from a safe distance and with a new perspective of intensive self-healing. Although these digital food photography projects initially began as more of an exercise in documentation for personal use and reflection in reference to self-healing with plant-based foods, I was unexpectedly greeted by a warmly welcoming, and highly enthusiastic response from an amazing online vegan community I never realised existed in such volume.

 

Peaceful Red Dragon - Spicy hot raw vegan chili

Peaceful Red Dragon – Spicy hot raw vegan chili

The Healing Power of Gratitude

If not for my ability to photograph my organically grown, farm-sourced seasonal abundance & veganic kitchen activity, it is very likely that I might have ceased eating entirely due to inability to share the experience with anyone else.

If not for such an enthusiastic response from others of similar mindset and lifestyle inclination, it is very likely that I might not have discovered a way to move forward with my life’s work in a purposeful way which serendipitously turned out to be meaningful and healing to others.

 

 

Joining the Dots

Having grown up in the home of a professional photographer, capturing random images was a quintessential element in my development and discovery of the world. Since it was such a commonplace element of life during my formative years, photography was something I actually took for granted.

I essentially grew up on both sides of the camera, learned to use the developing labs set up in our family homes as a hobbyist, and enrolled in some courses as means to easily achieve high marks in high school/university.

Window

Photo by Christopher Eads

Despite my lifelong connection to interpretation and relative expression of life experiences through images, I always found the animal-derivative/exploitive aspects of film photography to be frustrating and bothersome to my conscious.

As such, I eventually severed my connection with such due to moral conflict whilst also finding my way back in front of the camera as a print, artistic, and “alternative” model to cover the cost of course fees and other expenses of everyday life.
In retrospect, it seems quite strange for me to reflect upon these times and recall a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the majority of aforementioned scenarios as they happened…

 

Don’t Know What You’ve Got ‘Til It’s Gone

Relinquishing ties with film photography seemed rather easy during constantly busy periods of ‘life in the big city”, and (with the exception of projects in which I was allowed creative and collaborative input) most modelling jobs were typically ‘just work’ which afforded me the ability to pay for various learning, creative, and recreational endeavours along the way.
Digital cameras found their ways in and out of my life during the interim, but I never really cared much about them and took very few pics of anything other than random snaps of animal friends during happy times. They never seemed to maintain their value, or even produce any shots I felt particularly worthy of keepsake. I ended up deleting most, yet did my best to preserve a few random images here and there of beloved animal companions past and present.

My little Nikon entered my life sometime in 2009, mainly due to a perceived need for documentation of LORAX Community gardens and other related projects. Although I never really considered it as much of a teaching aid or recreational tool for documenting everyday life experiences, it was there for me when I was lost, injured, alone, and very unwilling to connect with those around me in a strange and frightening place. Thus began my exploration and rediscovery of photography and relative exploration of its potential as a stand-in during my inability to teach live workshops whilst I worked toward regaining my strength & bearings.

 

New Beginnings

 
Alas, I am terribly pained to announce that my beloved Nikon camera is now broken. 
Although I’m quite unsure as to how/ if/when it may be repaired (or replaced), I am presently looking into any and all possible options available (and most certainly open to suggestions). 
As such, I shall likely be “out of commission” until the matter is resolved, at least as far as new blog updates (and relative social media shares) are concerned. For those who may feel inclined to assist in expediting my return, please consider contributing to The Raw Veganista via LORAX Community Outreach culinary photojournalism fund by following this link:  

 

Any amount would be beneficial, and so deeply appreciated.

♡Ⓥ★

In the meantime, I am pleased to say that I still have a couple of little surprises on reserve to be shared sometime during the interim. Also high on the agenda is making a sincere effort to reply to as many messages as I am able, and making sure to check in to say hello whenever possible. In other news, I am pleased to announce that we have officially entered that most auspicious time of year, most commonly known around the Lorax Community kitchen as Juicy June! Hoping to be back in action very soon, as I am most eager to participate in visual sharing activities related to such. =)

 

Raw vegan mushroom & sundried tomato tarts

Sundried tomato & mushroom tarts: One of the very last images captured by my dear old digital friend.

 

Frozen Parfait

Wholly unorthodox trinity of frozen desserts, featuring citrus, herbs, & a great deal of spice. Formulation summary available on the alternate blog at Tumblr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

One final (aside) note for subscribers who signed up before we activated the WordPress module on the blog: As of this month we will be disabling the S2 subscription service, and all direct emails via that utility shall cease entirely. If you are a subscriber via S2, please expect a message from WordPress regarding your subscription (you will be asked one last time to verify your subscription–please click the necessary link to do so & remain subscribed via WordPress in lieu of the old format).