One virtual step closer than before.

Earlier this month, I submitted three of my photos to Square Art New York’s online call for their “Black and White” photo competition. This is one of those “next steps” that will hopefully bring me to that incredible moment of possibly seeing one of my artworks hanging in a New York City art gallery.

Well, this is a New York City online art gallery, but hey, steps are steps.

I chose three pieces, and they are below.

I submitted these three, then moved on with other projects.

So now I’m just waiting for the rejection letter.

Oh, look, there it is in my email box.

I’ll look at it later. I’m used to rejections. It’s essentially my life in a nutshell.

Okay. It’s later. Let’s rip the bandage off and see how much flesh it took with it.

Wait … wait a second.

I must not be awake yet.

I must still be dreaming.

Only one way to confirm if I’m truly awake or not.

I check my bed. Nope. Lynda Carter’s not in it. There’s no Wonder Woman costume next to the floor.

Okay, that means I’m actually awake.

I check that email once more.

One or more of my artworks received acceptance.

One or more. That’s math for “at least one piece will hang on a digital wall in a digital New York art gallery.”

Well, well, well. This changes things. In the span of a couple of moments, I’ve gone from “will I ever get an artwork in?” to “Which one of these three bad boys earned wall space??”

And I won’t know until Saturday at the earliest.

But I’ll take that with all that it provides.

It truly is one more step in my journey. Both in photography, and in emotional confidence.

One more step. And whether it involves a Milky Way / covered bridge, a dilapidated ice cream parlor, or the microscopic signature in vinyl deadwax …

That’s the best “step” I’ve had in a long while.

I’ll keep you posted.