Hi, All!
How have you been?
I just came back home from two weeks of yoga and surf in Sri Lanka. It was precisely what I wished for after two months of coding: a shitty internet connection and a focus on my body rather than my brain.
Tomorrow though, I’m getting back to coding. And I won’t lie. I’m scared. Scared of being overwhelmed. Afraid to find out I know nothing.
Fear seems to be following me around lately.
Right after the coding bootcamp, I had to dare myself to shoot street portraits again. One stranger in and my fear disappeared, at least for an afternoon.
In Sri Lanka, I faced my old fear of waves. And I started chasing the bigger ones at the end of my trip. I still hear myself saying to another surfer: “Just because I’m afraid, doesn’t mean I’m not brave.”
I’ll hold on to that tomorrow. I’ll let myself be afraid and then do what I need to do anyway. But it doesn’t mean I’m not scared.
Words
I have a new post up: “Beautiful Stranger.” It’s a story about facing fear, inspired by my dare to ask strangers in Canggu (Bali) if I could take their portrait. Here’s how it starts:
I saw him from a distance. His amber-blonde curls and sun-painted face drew me in. His freckles made him look older than he was, I observed. Australian, I guessed.
In the same post, you’ll also find a before and after version of a photograph that I edited following a photo retouching class.
Code
The final coding project I did with my team during the bootcamp: Waterfall. It’s an app that allows you to create charts simply.
Quote I’m Pondering
🔖 “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” –Stephen King, On Writing
Much love,
Mirha
P.S. You can now also forward this email to a friend 🚀