Back Again.

So, do I start with an apology? An explanation? Do I pretend it hasn’t been nearly a year since I posted anything?

The last time I wrote I was in the middle of mourning my mother who had passed two weeks prior. I thought I was in a space to move on. I wasn’t.

In the time since I’ve been working on addressing my mental health. The process included a diagnosis of ADHD. Count me among the large swath of middle-aged people discovering they have a condition long thought of as something children have. I’m now on medication and my diagnosis is a sizeable part of my conversation with my therapist.

We tend to think of being diagnosed with something as a negative when it can often be quite the opposite. A diagnosis is an answer, a means to moving forward and improving.

Since my diagnosis, I have managed to write half of a feature-length script, start a local photography group, and begin work on my first photography book. Before my diagnosis any or all of these things would be never started/half-finished pipe dreams.

I’m saying all of this for two reasons. One, I feel like I’m in a place where I can pick up this blog again and be consistent about it. Two, as open as many of us have become about our mental health, both the struggles and the triumphs, many of us still have reservations about sharing our stories. Hopefully being upfront about my journey will help others be open about theirs.

Oh, and before I forget. I have begun selling prints again. I am doing a small run in a single size to keep things simple. Shipping is free in the continental United States. If you would like to place an international order feel free to email me (shane@shanepaulneil.com) and I’ll do my best to make suitable arrangements.

Visit the Prints page to see my latest offerings.