art.of.a.rock

Category: Uncategorized

  • Influential Sway

    There’ve been various times throughout life where I’ve either done things because other people were doing them, or decided not do do things I wanted to do because I didn’t see anybody else doing it, or somebody would say something to the tune of “that’s not how it goes”

    I went to college, because all my high school friends were. I transferred twice, was extremely close to dropping out. I’m glad I finished, yet I feel strongly the many wrongs in the system as whole. The fact of “grabbing” young students as they are getting out of high school is bothersome to me. $40,000 dollar loan and you know nothing about money? Here you go, buddy!

    There are upsides that have come from me attending college though, that I’m still discovering 8 years later.
    Alas, for the most part, we simply do what the people around us are doing. I think this is partially why I tend to spend more of my time alone. It’s so nice to get together with friends and catch up, hike, and get creative. But that isn’t always the reality. I know myself best when I’m by myself. I’m able to love myself most when by myself. I know my lane and I stick to it. I work on developing my creative career.

    Truth is, people can be influential with their words, especially on someone who is young and impressionable. It’s easy to take advice that tells you not to do something, ie. “play it safe”. Somebody once told me to quit photography. I forget the exact reason, but it just didn’t work out for him; he regrets failing. And he didn’t want me to fail. Yet quitting is failure. I’m a lifelong artist, and photography is just a piece of it. It’s a way of seeing and capturing the world that inspires me further. Why would I quit something that provides such joy and motivation to get out in the natural world?

    I also distinctly remember (~10 years ago) a fellow coworker saying “it’s weird to go out just to take photos”. And I believed him at the time. I was just getting into photography. I don’t recall how much it affected my motivation, but it clearly stuck with me. I’m just glad I didn’t abide by a sentence such as that, because half of the best experiences in my life have been driven by going out to take photos.

  • Connect the Dots III

    Connect the Dots III

    One’s life can largely be characterized as a game of “connect the dots”, if desired. There are the dots which become marked through experience, as well as those yet to be. The dots; like the millions upon millions of stars that shine in the night sky, may shift form and position based on the viewers perspective at the time. Everybody sees their own life differently compared to anybody else. We can also see our lives (and others) differently depending on new information or events.

    From a human’s point of view on Earth, that surely is a rare feat considering we only have a on view of the stars, yet with some effort and intent (ie. traveling through space), it can be remarkable to look back at the shining moments which aided in shaping one’s existence.

    All lives have a distinct form, an intrinsic nature to them that may continue on being shaped and guided into sense and meaning. The dots are the people who stand out to us, whether for a moment or continually. The dots are the places on Earth that we hold deep in our hearts. They are the profound ideas that enter into our mind, plus the brief and prolonged experiences that allow us to soak in both the beauty and hardship of the average life.

    Patterns exist throughout our universe, at an infinite scale to minuscule. Many of which we may fail to see, simply because they are normal, everyday. It’s quite the task to stand back and look at one’s own life simply as an observer, yet the value of such is grand. Quite like looking at the constellations in the sky, understanding the shapes and how they interact, yet not judging; only creating a picture.

    Whether patterns are visual or metaphorical, they all matter. When we take a step back from our daily sleep, work, eat, repeat routine, we’re able to examine the complex equation that is our life. What could be better, what could be worse. What is just right and needs no change at all? See how it all connects. Make it all make sense to better understand how you got here, and where you will venture to from this day forward, and why. We need a “why”! There are clearly more perspectives than we can count, sometimes it’s helpful to have another onlooker. What advice can they give?

    With that, it a danger to put all faith into one perspective, for we need them all to see it all. Our lives can certainly be seen as a constellation. Constellations were giving their meanings many centuries ago. Are they accurate? Likely not, yet that helped to make sense of life, and we can do the same today. We may connect the dots that shine bright. And be sure to not forever neglect the dots that are further in the darkness, for they matter too. We have a history we can learn from, but the future isn’t guaranteed, so we must do our best with what we’ve attained so far, and use that to forge on.

    So… Connect the dots in life, we’re made of star dust after all.

    1st Draft (January 2020)
    2nd Draft (September 2020)

  • Do The Next Thing

    “Don’t do everything. Do the next thing.” -Unknown

    Do The Next Thing