It’s something I’m still learning, but I’ve come to know the power words hold. They can bring people closer, point us towards heaven, bring beauty from ashes. My journal tends to look like chicken scratch – no font will ever be made as an imitation of my handwriting – but looking back at things I’ve written, prayers I’ve thrown onto its pages, moments that I’ll never forget; those words mean so much.

As I’ve been moving forward with this workshop, I’ve realized that I started shrinking the attention on words & building up the photography side. Photography is what I “know” – my job involves a camera & I’ve put the hard work in to hone this craft.

But I’m also a writer.

Those words (“I’m a writer”) are still foreign on my tongue, even though y’all have read many words from me over the past year & a half. Using my words is one of the most important things I do: in my prayer time, my close friend life updates, my conversations with strangers, my work online. My life is spent not ignoring the dirt in my days, but seeking out the gold & saying, “Yeah life is messy & there’s a lot of crap to deal with in my heart, but at the end of the day I can see the gold. I can see God in the gold.”

How beautiful would it be, in this world that embraces social media, if our newsfeeds were full of life’s golden moments?

I don’t mean perfect, styled, leave-out-the-messy-bits-of-life things: I mean the things that happen amidst the craziness of life, the lessons we’re learning because of the dirt we’re dealing with, the juicy stories that come about from knowing we’re imperfect and trying our best anyway.

The Workshop is less than a month away (ohmylantaaaaa!!!) and since I want you to feel comfortable telling those kinds of stories, I’ve decided to gift someone a seat to learn about using their words & creating powerful images to go alongside them. Being a photographer is where I’m coming from, but you don’t have to be one. Everyone has their own stories to tell & if you want to become better at using your words as well as creating kickass images to go with them – this is for you.

You’ll have ONE WEEK to enter as many times as you like. Each time you do one of the following things your name will go in the draw!!

• Instagram one of life’s golden moments. It can be something from your day, or an old story you’re pulling out of the archives to share. And even though mine tend to err on the “too many characters for this post” length, it does NOT have to be long ;)
• Share one of life’s golden moments on Facebook, tagging my business page (Laura-Anne, Photographer).
• Post The Workshop link (theworkshop.laura-anne.ca) on facebook tagging my business page (Laura-Anne, Photographer).

EVERY TIME YOU POST ON INSTAGRAM, include this line (or something similar if you’re cool freestyling a bit): I’m sharing this story because I want to join @lauraannejensen for #thestorytellerworkshop! (And follow me so I can see when you tag me!!)

EVERY TIME YOU POST ON FACEBOOK, include the same line but tag my business page Laura-Anne, Photographer & link to theworkshop.laura-anne.ca. If we’re friends on facebook you can also tag me in the photo if you include one ;)

BONUS: Write a blog post about (you guessed it) one of life’s golden moments & link to theworkshop.laura-anne.ca. Don’t forget to use the line from above whenever you post, too!!

The contest closes in one week (on Tuesday April 19^th) & the winner will be announced on Wednesday April 20^th!! 

I can’t wait to read your stories. I’ll share some, too ;)

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