First year complete! Thank you!

A year ago today I walked out of Barge Hall on the CWU campus, climbed into Hella's cab, fired her up and headed straight to Seattle. It was a very intense afternoon as I said goodbye to so many of my CWU family and friends. To walk out for the last time as an employee and begin a radically new phase of my life was both exhilarating and challenging. I rolled into Seattle with a giant smile as the sun's last rays of the evening streamed through the windshield. I was here. I was finally doing it. After years of effort and planning, the time was finally now! I'll never forget that feeling. Especially since it truly has not faded. Every day since has had some kind of magic. Sometimes breathtaking, but most often, simply sweet. I have never felt so blessed in all my life as I do now.

In our first year we created portraits for 160 families! I have built relationships with several major social service agencies here. I could easily be shooting every week for the cause if I had more financial support. But, word is spreading about the work I'm doing and I have faith the support will follow. I currently have 25 monthly patrons and their support is huge to me! I've also had 8 generous people make a one-time donation in the last year. Thank you very much guys! You are making a big difference in people's lives with the gift you are giving them. If any of you who have been following me for a while would like to help support this work, go to my Patreon page to do so. This is a grassroots philanthropy operation being built on the concept of many giving very little. $10 a month is a huge help, let me assure you! It all adds up. To become a patron go to-

https://www.patreon.com/user/overview?u=3573257

I will keep doing the work so long as my retirement funds hold out. I'm living very lean getting by on less than a thousand a month in order to extend my resources. It's my hope that soon I'll have enough monthly patrons to be able to gift and survive without nicking my retirement any longer. I know we'll get there eventually and I'm keeping this going no matter what it takes. That's how meaningful and important I believe this gift to be.

In any case, thank you for riding along with me! Your sharing and messages of support always touch and restore me. I am constantly inspired by the people I meet from all walks of life. This year has affirmed for me how little I really need and what truly matters in life. In my case, less has certainly turned out to be so much more!

Seek out your purpose and do whatever it takes to act on it. It may take a long while to get there, (it certainly did for me), but don't be discouraged by the pace. Do something about it every day in whatever way you can. Small steps add up to big progress! Everything you do matters and the energy you invest will bear fruit. So, be sure you are spending your precious energy on things that truly matter.

Burn on,

Rich