Organized Free Time

If you know me, you know I like to take pictures. I started a photography workshop with a local artist this Saturday. It’s a six week workshop. My stated goal for the sessions is to use this time as focused gumption building time. I want to start several projects that will become something else later and reach completion outside the bounds of the workshop. The artist in charge of the workshop completely understands this objective. To begin again is my objective. We are always beginning again. I’m going through a series of steps with my blossoming hobby to acheive, shall we say, the next level.

I’m printing out all my contact sheets and cataloging them. At the same time I am taking a big batch of new photos each day. I’m getting inspired in the new photos by some of the old photos. I’m experiencing fond memories and a general flashback time period. That’s the next step with digital photography. Experiencing it in the way you experience film photos that you just dug up out a shoebox or an old album you flipped through. I was at my friend Kat’s house the other day and she did just that. She pulled out some boxes with pictures and some old albums. That’s the next step I want to take my photography to. Creating meaningful interactions around the images.

The images inspire us. Everything is an imprint if you just change your perspective a degree. A moment in time. Captured.

I Know It’s True BUT I Keep Forgetting

There are no new ideas.

I’ve been working on this very same project. I like how this person implemented it.

How People Change: Self Portrait

This guy took a picture of himself everyday for one year and four months and put it together as a short film. Amazing how much people change every day (hair, beard, etc.)

Stare at the first then the last image for amazement.

digg story

Yet Another Creative Outlet

I’ve been writing some songs for my friend’s band. Ummmm, let’s clarify, writing some song lyrics. I have no idea what they are going to do with them or to them but I’ve sent them on to be built upon. Collaboration is a beautiful thing.

I don’t need another distraction. However, I’ve been having fun and that’s really the important thing about being creative. Following the thing you want to do at the time and just chasing it down until you discover that it has depth you can never explore in a lifetime OR you get bored and want to move on to the next thing.

I have struggled all my life with this desire to be creative. But that’s so vague and so generic. (not very creative frankly I’m finding my way now. After 30 some odd years of searching and seeking and being angst-ridden and then discovering you don’t have to be angst ridden to create good art I am finally focusing on some things that are productive and help me satisfy that need.

Most people don’t have this burning desire/nagging sensation. It’s always there for me. I can’t turn it off. The only thing that satisfies this creativity beast is creating. That sounds like a simple solution, right. Well it is but it’s easy to let life get in the way. We all have things to do, people to see, presentations to make, blah, blah, blah…..

Life is a journey. I happen to be lucky enough to have the ability to make choices. I have a drive and a need. It’s my responsibility to make the choice that’s right for me. Create. Be it good, bad, boring, inspiring. It’s an exercise of the mind and soul food too. Gotta feed the beast.

One very inspirational thing for me lately has been Chuck Close. His work is built over time and he follows process and allows that process to drive work. He doesn’t wait for inspiration, he gets to work. Pushes it forward…..How ironic that I find not waiting for inspiration to be the most inspirational of all.

Photoshop as a painting/photography medium.

I’ve been experimenting with Photoshop again. I like playing with the pictures I take, so much can be altered from the original. So much can stay the same. I’m having fun with colors.

This one is part of a series:

fire self portrait of evoljen

I am doing the work for two reasons

1. to track progress: I am taking these photos as part of a documentation of a new skin care regimen I have undergone. I wanted to see if it really made my skin look healthier and seeing is believing. It’s anthropological.

2. to engage in an artistic endeavor: inspired by two favorite artists, Chuck Close, who said ‘the process will set you free’ and documentarian Morgan Spurlock who shows us 30 days can change us.

Getting to know the canvas of something familiar may be the most challenging. It’s hard to look inside these days when there is so much external noise.