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Well, you hit this one outta the park, girlfriend!!! your photos are evidence of your unique vision and talent for expressing and capturing the world as you see/feel it. (as you also do in your writing). You said it best, "lately I have taken photos that don't look like anyone else's photos to me" ..."I feel a deep and profound satisfaction". "That's right, I think. That's what it's like". I love love these photos. They are truly the work of an artist capturing the fleeting presence of truth in her work.

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Oh, Tabby, it means the world to know that you like them. I'm such an admirer of your eye. Your opinion as an artist is huge to me. Thank you!

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These photos are awesome. And again, your insightful writing makes my assemblage of words seem banal to me. My vocabulary these days is as shaky as your hands, but it's not benefitting my work as your hands are with yours. I love your essays. Thank you, Tonya.

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Oh, that's what we all do to each other! Whenever I read a particularly great paragraph somewhere or even a great subject for a piece (Oh, I should've written about that!) there's that inner critic again, wanting to compare and always finding my own work wanting. But at least we can find communities who appreciate the things we write (and I always appreciate what you write, Sue. I particularly loved the canning piece.) And thankfully we have that voice in our heads that keeps talking, giving us things to write down, despite all the criticism we level at it.

Thanks so much, Sue!

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Feb 5Liked by Tabby Ivy, Tonya Morton

I teach an occasional Intro-to-philosophy class, where that question comes up from students "are you a philosopher?" I find myself stuck in a grey-zone. I mean, it's all the things you say. I can call myself a philosopher, yes? I always make some gesture to them, to help empower them, to say that they're philosophers too. So there's that. But I love your responses, both numbered, and so many of the other things you say... my thinking "means something to me," that's true. What a beautiful piece here.

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It's become interesting to me how scary these titles are--Artist, Philosopher, Writer. The fear, I guess, is that, if we start using the word, then some better-qualified critic will immediately pop up from the corner to correct us (our own self-doubt manifested.) But of course, there is no one better qualified to say whether you're a philosopher or not, or an artist or not. The strange discovery of adulthood is that everyone is just making it up as they go along.

So, of course, the answer is yes. If your thinking means something to you, and if you are engaged in the practice, you are more than qualified to call yourself a Philosopher. And, now that I think of it, this would actually make for an excellent discussion in a Philosophy class...

Thanks so much, Steven.

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Cast labels aside. You create, you are an artist.

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Thanks, Jim!

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Feb 5Liked by Tonya Morton

thank you.....the opening photo of the series is very powerful

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Thank you, Will!

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Feb 5Liked by Tonya Morton

Tonya, this is wonderful. Your wordsmithery always catches me in my soul, providing images & feelings that last. So I love that your photography is doing this very thing...a perfect shapeshift of the same instinct, from the written word to the vibe-y visual. Brava!!

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Thanks so much, Ellen! You always capture so well what it is I'm trying to put into a piece. Can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

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