"my attention is upon it"

I was just reading through the latest Studios magazine, drooling over other folks creative spaces, and ran across a quote. Karen Eberle from Orcas Island,WA described how she starts her work process and she says "I enter the studio, turn on the lights, and walk toward the CD player to make a selection. The music for today is French. I light one of my alter candles and repeat a quote from visionary author Jan Phillips: "I have come to do the work and my attention is upon it." I am at peace.

This really struck a chord with me. As a photographer I'm not always going to a specific place to work. I am in many different physical places but when my "attention is upon it" it is always the same magical place. I tell myself "I am aware of the beauty around me" and I can feel the shift in my perceptions. (this is when I need to be careful around cliffs and when its a good idea to have a buddy along to keep you from walking into traffic) If you happen to be with me you'll hear me mutter about the gorgeous light or urging a cloud along. Catching some fleeting bit of story telling or a memory sparked is what makes the magic happen for me. This is why I get antsy if its been too long since I got out to shoot. I need that perception shift on a regular basis. Thanks to Karen Eberle and Studios magazine for helping me remember that today.