Here's the thing I'm learning: Most people, and things, in life don't care if you're busy, and your place of work needs you to perform, no excuses.

Those two things rarely coexist peacefully, and I'm learning that lesson now. In fact, that lesson is in my face, screaming at me like a drill sergeant (or like my husband, a ROTC student here at the university, impersonating a drill sergeant).

I'm balancing the demands of just my life (being a wife, student, daughter and sister) and now need to throw myself — body, mind, heart — into my work, despite any outside frustrations and stresses.

As a photographer, I am here to visually tell a story. Images can be so powerful, engaging and dynamic that they become an integral cog in this massive machine known as Flux. What I must learn to do is block out the outside stress and throw myself into my work to do the best job I can. Being a part of Flux is bigger than me, and how well I do my job affects everyone. Not only do my coworkers deserve my best, but my subjects do as well. For them to take so much time out of their schedules (to carve time out of their own busy lives) in order to help me do my job, is amazing to think about. And you know what? If they can do that for me, then the least I can do for them is to devote myself completely to giving them the visual story they are worthy of.

No excuses.