art.of.a.rock

Tag: inspiration

  • One Thing Leads to Another

    Perhaps this is the perfect motto to live by, so long as you regard it in a positive sense. Do good things for yourself, for your world, for your people. Let it lead to other good things.

    If something not so good happens, cut it off at the source. Don’t dwell on it- address it from a reasonable standpoint, move on and to the next beneficial action (or inaction)

    Do you see life as a series of connected events? Or is most of it separated and unrelated?

    Early in life, I think we do try to do good things for our future, but we have so little knowledge about the world that we don’t know what we’re getting ourself into. this can come to bite us, for we bit off more than we can chew.

    So in a sense it’s best to start in tiny google manageable increments when we are young rather than the large chunk (*cough* college). With the small increments, we’re more likely to move in the right direction, because with a lower “speed” we can handle and assess when to turn better. Otherwise, turning is barely an option.

    So let one little thing lead to another, in the best way possible

  • It’s powerful to imagine

    Your life as a story

    You are the protagonist 

    Maybe you didn’t have it so easy

    Maybe you still don’t

    Maybe you once got a taste of “the good life” and lost it

    But despite it all you will go forward…

    In the best way you know how.

    So be the author, and make it great!

    Kyoto Japan 2019

    I travel when I’m able to, and when it feels most meaningful to do so. Perhaps when I’m in desperate need for inspiration or a new view of life… but at this stage of life, I think I’m set for awhile; a lot to work from and a place to call home.

  • 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.