Let Me Introduce Myself


Over the last three years my interest and passion for photography has grown and transformed as I explore different forms of creativity and a focus on producing content that inspires and creates connection. Social media and the Internet in general seem to create a double edge sword. By that I mean that there are so many wonderful things to be exposed to, to learn of and from, and to connect to on the Internet, but there are also traps we can fall into of self-doubt, comparison, and disconnect that can be experienced through social media. Theodore Roosevelt said that “comparison is the thief of joy,” and his words could not be more applicable today.   
When there is a focus on self, living wholeheartedly, being present, and being authentic, social media is a force for goodness and connection.  To me, community and connection is what we all truly desire. The use of social media is one way to bring people together, to inspire one another, and to come along side when we struggle.
Most recently I have been focusing on cultivating my Instagram feed (@kellygboylan), creating a writing style and voice that fits my personality and heart through my blog (stayrootedlove.com), working with friends and community members on photography projects, and getting out and about either in Sacramento or beyond to explore and challenge myself with the content I am producing. I have also been working with City Scout magazine as a new photographer to build my skills and abilities.
I graduated from Sacramento State with a Bachelors Degree in Family Studies, and a minor in Counseling in December of 2012. I am currently enrolled in the Child Development Masters program at Sacramento State. Within my graduate program I have been focusing in on adolescent development. In particular, I am interested in adolescent girls’ self-esteem and body confidence. My thesis is looking at adolescent girls’ self-esteem, and how it may be bolstered by a regular yoga practice. Outside of the extensive reading and research I have done for my thesis, I also love to read books about adolescent development, feminism, and how we as adults/mentors/leaders can help raise confident young women within the constantly changing and demanding culture young girls grow up in today.
My passion is to work with adolescent girls in a way that uplifts and encourages them. Adolescence is a time of change and growth and turbulence. My desire is to help equip girls with the tools they need to be confident in themselves, brave in their endeavors, and passionate about life. With so much pressure from social media and our society, I believe it is vital that girls learn they are perfect as they are-unique in all of their facets. 

Thoughts on Sobriety


Last September, when I got back from New York, I decided to detox a bit after all of the food and alcohol I indulged in on my trip. I went about a month before drinking again, and when I did I definitely binged hard...I felt awful, on so many levels-physically with the hangover, and emotionally with guilt and shame.

These past six months have been incredibly stressful, painful, and overwhelming. It's easy to drink a couple beers, or have a couple glasses of wine at the end of the day coming home from a job I don't love, or to escape the loneliness or heartache that often feels so heavy. I'd open a beer while making dinner, drink another as I actually ate the meal, and one more as I watched a movie or Netflix binge just to stay out of my own mind until bedtime.  

It's easy to numb with physical, tangible vices: alcohol, drugs, exercise, sex, social media, moving, running away...We each have tendencies that we fall back on when confronted with the uncomfortable. But that's life, right? Life is uncomfortable most of the time. We're stretched and pushed, uprooted and unsettled. So how to we find the most appropriate and beneficial ways of dealing with the discomfort? 

December 2nd I decided to stop drinking for a while again. Half of the motivation came from wanting to cut out the unnecessary calories and cost. The other half came from the feeling that I was getting too comfortable with drinking almost every night of the week. 

Looking back just four weeks later, I think in making this decision I was preparing myself to be able to handle the passing of a birthday for one of the kids I nannied that I couldn't be there for; I was preparing myself for the passing of Christmas without seeing them; and apparently for transitioning in to a new year without them in my life. 

I don't want to drink to numb or deflect. I don't want to drink to check out. I want to be present. I want to be healthy, in body, mind, heart, and spirit. And for me, at this phase in life, I think that means being sober. I don't have a date attached to staying dry. And I don't really feel the need to. I have several friends who have been sober for years or decades. Some have shared their stories of being out of control with alcohol, others felt like it wasn't necessarily a problem, it just didn't really serve them, and still others because their partners decided not to drink. 

What I see everywhere around me though is how much of our social gatherings revolve around alcohol. Throwing a dinner party, having friends over, meeting up for drinks, going wine tasting, whiskey tasting, happy hour...

We're bombarded with images and messages in movies and television, social media, and blogs about coming home from work and winding down with a glass of wine. Recipes for cocktails abound on blogs and Pinterest. And I get it. Alcohol is fun and tastes good. It helps you calm down and relax. But is that the only way to calm nerves and connect? Why is it that alcohol is the first thing we turn to when going out or meeting up with someone. And why do we rarely address the underlining anxiety surrounding it? Or the possibility that not everyone drinks, or that what starts out as casual and manageable turns into something much more addictive? 

I want to start having more open conversations about the draw of alcohol-both the good and the bad. I'm starting with myself-being honest with myself and working through my own tendencies. And I'm going to commit to talking with friends and family about it. 

We'll see where this goes...
xxo

Things I've Learned This Week



For as long as I can remember I've been in tune with my intuition. I don't always listen to her voice, but I do often rely on it. In recent years I've learned to not only listen to her voice, but to act in accordance with it. This goes for things both big and small, mundane and life changing. 

In the past, when I've been driving and seen something exciting or intriguing, I would usually pass it by because it wasn't part of my plan, or it felt like a hassle to turn around and find parking, or any others on the list of excuses I made up.

I drove to San Francisco this week and made a stop by the Golden Gate Bridge. I had seen pictures from Kirby Cove that had a great view of the bridge, bay, and city. As int turns out, I was not the only one with this goal, even for a Wednesday afternoon. Parking was a little bit stressful and I ended up going a little bit farther than where GPS told me to stop...But when I finally got a parking spot, I ventured up and down the ridge to capture these shots. I spent about an hour hiking around and taking in the views. It was so beautiful, and spoke to my soul. A couple years ago, I likely would have gotten out of my car and only taken a couple pictures from where I was parked. Today, I'm working on staying present, taking my time, and enjoying the moment. 




xxo

Love Birds


Last Saturday I did my first couples shoot. My sweet brother was kind enough to let me use him and his girlfriend as my test subjects. I spent the week before looking through Instagram pictures of other photographers and their couples, studying the poses and angles and general esthetics. For my first photoshoot like this, I'd say I'm pretty happy with myself.





xxo