Inspired

Wood Duck mama and ducklings on the pond

I am still feeling totally

Inspired

by the online photography class I took this week. So many exciting ideas and so little time! I find that I am picking up my camera all the time this week to try some ideas from the class.

Listen — are you breathing just a little, a calling it a life?

   — Mary Oliver

One of the things that really spoke to me was the instructor’s advice that if you’re not finding joy in the process you’re not going about it the right way. Often creative endeavors are a dance between joy and suffering, just as life is a dance between joy and suffering.

Even though I love making photographs, it’s not always easy. Sometimes I work very hard in uncomfortable weather and come home with no images that I like. Or I get up early to do a sunrise shoot and clouds cover the sky. Other times I am pushing through physical pain to get out and make photographs. The joy makes it worth the pain. And I learn a great deal about myself during this process. 

Cycles of Life

Some periods in life are filled with suffering and loss. Even in those times I often find bittersweet moments of exquisite joy. And then there are times in life when everything feels wondrous and perfect, like a perfect spring day when all of the trees are in bloom.

If every day was like a perfect spring day I don’t think I would appreciate those days nearly so much. And if my life was without pain and suffering I would not appreciate the joyous, pain-free, beautiful days.

I’ve thought about this a lot and I realized that if everything was always wonderful I would take it for granted and might even be bored with it. Our long winters in Minnesota can be brutal. But when spring comes, oh the joy we all feel.

Seasons Turn

In times like these I ride the waves of inspiration joyfully, knowing that eventually the waves will calm down and I may feel in the creative doldrums again.

Just as the seasons turn each year our creative seasons also turn. Sometimes I need to take a break from photography because I feel burnt out or like I have no ideas that interest me. That’s a good time to rest or pursue other activities. Inevitably sooner or later, I will once again become inspired to create.

Here are some tips from the class I took this week. Though the instructor was talking about photography, I think they apply to all of life…

Top Secrets of Nature Photography

1. Slow down
2. Pay attention
3. Go back
4. Be playful
5. Be thoughtful
6. Make a commitment

   — Eddie Soloway, in Eyes Wide Open class

Wishing you a joyous exploration of life. Hoping you get inspired to create or simply to soak in the beauty of life.

May you walk in beauty.

Twilight Pond Scene with slow shutter speed

Cottonwood fluff gathers on the pond

Slow shutter speed hand-held shot of pond reflections

Slow shutter speed pond reflections