For James Gandolfini. #TheSopranos

Inspiration can be found in every day situations or once in a lifetime moments. It is a decision, a way of life, and until you choose to be inspired by yourself and your surroundings, you won’t be.

What are you letting inspire you?

Fairly recently I broke up with my best friend of three years. We weren’t good for each other anymore, and quite frankly we had reached this weird point in our relationship where we were either extremely happy or undeniably angry. There was no middle ground, and near our end days we spent more time in the latter than the former. The emotional roller coaster began to spill over into other aspects of my life and hurt me creatively. It was killing my drive to work, and as a digital architect, I HAVE to work–just about everyday. So we ended our friendship.

Severing ties with this friend hurt. I felt like I was dying, my heart was breaking (literally), and there was a hole in my soul… Rather than let that anguish ruin me, I decided to let it inspire me. I chose inspiration. I let the hurt refuel my drive to work, I channeled my heartbreak into a symphony, and in the last few months I’ve been working harder than I’ve ever worked in my adult life. No matter your situation, pain or your circumstance, use it for your benefit; use it as inspiration.

To be inspired, or to be inspired. You decide.

Happy birthday, America.

It was the fourth of July, and I was feeling inspired. Check out the rest my self-shot Independence Day shoot via my Nikon D7100 and Eye-Fi pro x2, below.