It's the final edition of 2024.
Suffice it to say, the last year has been a blur.
It is true what they say, life really does seem to speed up as you get older.
2024 had its positives and its negatives.
On the plus of the ledger, I finished another course in my never-ending quest for my Bachelor of Professional Arts in Communications through Athabasca University. Unfortunately, the follow-up course I've begun taking has been an absolute beast and by the time I conclude it, I will have been working on it for a full year.
Professionally, I have continued to grow, covering hundreds of community events and stories across the region I serve, as well as providing support to the several freelancers who help me out.
Unfortunately, between being busy with work and school and despite my best efforts, my photography has stagnated in 2024; I've just been too busy to get behind the viewfinder as much as I would like. Most of the shooting I did in 2024 was for my day job, and not myself. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, it doesn't necessarily lead one to a huge amount of growth.
Still, I have seen growth. As infinitimally slow the progress is, I have still been making progress. My health, mental and physical, has never been better. I'm continuing to learn new things all the time with my job, and beginning to serve as a bit of a mentor as well.
While I still have my own quirks with my writing – yes, even I need an editor to look over my work because self-editing is a pain – it has become less problematic over the last year.
As for my photography, the nice thing about the end of one year is it is the dawn of another. Corny as it may sound, Jan. 1 is the start of another 365-page book, just full of blank pages to do whatever I want.
While work and school obviously need to be maintained as priorities, the new year will give me an opportunity to ply my trade with the camera again. I already have one videography shoot lined up for summer, another photography contract lined up, and some plans in mind for what else I can do for myself.
In short, the new year will not be short of opportunities to make up for lost time.
The end of 2024 is the closing of one chapter, and the opening of another. What adventures await? What memories are waiting to be formed?
As far as work goes, my goal will be the same, to keep delivering the best possible publication possible every week.
For school, my priority is getting my current course completed.
Everything else? The sky is the limit.
See you in 2025!
-Kevin Sabo is the editor of the Stettler Independent and a journalist for Black Press Media.
