It happens! It happens to us all...when it does, what do you do? This is not an easy question to define or answer...and like many of my posts, this is not going offer you sage advice. I can attempt to communicate to you my feelings and thoughts on the matter, things I have done to get myself through the "drought". This will possibly be a short post!
There are many elements in our lives, your circumstances will vary by degree, be it by a small amount or a great deal from someone else's. We are all different, our lives are certainly not the same, our environment, commitments, work, health, age and so many other components combine together to determine our lives and how we live them.
As for me, right now – I do want to shoot and at the same time, I don’t feel like it. Can you relate to that? Am I making any sense to you? For me to define this in writing is proving to be a little hard, how do I put down my feelings in words for others to understand, I’m not sure that I’m that articulate! Let me try…
I’ll start by saying that the first thing I’ll tell myself is that there are many other things I could be doing and I’m sure the same must be true for you. When I was young and single, I was out with my friends a good deal, I lived in London and if I wasn’t out shooting (and that was entirely possible), I was out with friends and I had lots. I'll begin by telling a story...
The time, as I write this post is Christmas, we are just two days away from a New Year, it will soon be 2023! This seems like the right time to tell this story, so…I’ll take you back to around 35 years ago on 26th December, an evening I spent with two good friends – Matthew and Anna, we had known each other for a few years. Back then, almost nothing was open on Boxing Day, we had gone out for the evening and we had a little trouble finding somewhere to eat. No internet, no Google to find somewhere open. We eventually found ourselves along the Fulham Road – and Johnny Rockets, there were very few American style diners in London (or the UK) at that time…and it was open! That’s where we ate and later, we made our way to Leicester Square, where there was a small fair and a beautiful big carousel. Matthew didn’t get on for a ride, but took photos with a disposable film camera he was carrying of Anna and myself as we chatted and laughed riding our horses on the carousel. It was a wonderful evening.
Just a few years later, it was just my dad and myself at home and on a cold New Years Eve night, Matthew and I spent a few hours across the dining table in my home chatting, a bottle of wine some tasty snacks and enjoying each others company. My dad came down a little before mid-night and the three of us chatted and brought in the New Year.
Enough nostalgia, it brings a smile to my face though! It’s a little warmer here now, actually today, it really is warm, 12⁰c, just a few days ago it was -27⁰c (with windchill).
Yesterday, I did a bit of scanning – a couple of Angels we use as decorations at Christmas – I took the opportunity whilst they are out, as I have an idea for a future Christmas card. You’ll also know that I do scan other stuff from time to time and that I have ideas for future projects too. Scanning is time consuming and is also a good distraction and counter-point to going out with a camera. The results can also be quite rewarding. It’s cold right now and in the summer, it can be unbearably hot out-side…a good time to pursue creative ideas that can be done from the comfort of your home.
If you read some of my previous blogs, you’ll know I have a number of websites, that do require updating and maintenance, not to mention planning new galleries to keep your site fresh and interesting, not that anyone looks there, but it is a good discipline and it is time consuming.
Music is a huge source of pleasure for me and don’t spend as much time with it as I could – interestingly, I have found, that I can have music on in the background, and depending on what I’m doing, I’m either concentrating on the job or task at hand (and not really “hearing the music”) or listening to the music and making mistakes with what I’m doing!!
I’ve been involved with computers and IT for a very long time and I still enjoy building computers and re-building old computers – it’s enjoyable and can be a challenge with some gear and I can totally “loose” myself four hours and days with ideas and builds.
I have other interest too, like reading and don’t spend nearly enough time reading, or looking at photographic books, of which I have a few! These are great places for learning and inspiration and they need not be photographic either!
I have a few more interests, which we won’t go into here, they all require time, and usually money, as of a couple of months ago, I developed a new interest (quite by chance) and a new way to spend money and time! This is getting worse!
As much as I would love to travel, it’s expensive and I don’t have the means to do so – time, health, work, money, commitments – they are all factors. But if I were able to travel, chances are that my camera would always be in my hand or very near to hand. It’s not just the desire to photograph a new or different place, but also the desire to experience the culture there and meet new people, eat wonderful food – the whole experience.
I know people, both young and older that are interested in photography, but have issues when trying to think what to shoot, or even going out to shoot. If you have the desire, you will find ways to quench your photographic thirst and the results don’t need to brilliant, primarily, you are shooting for yourself, unless you’re being paid. But for the purposes for this blog, we are not professionals, we are humble amateurs who have an interest in photography and wanting to create and capture (I hope you’re not here for gear).
As this post rolls to a close, and I realize that it’s longer than I thought it would be, you’ll realize from the few things I have told you that you yourself have so many interests and things that you can do. Go and take care of all those many and varied things, when it’s time to shoot, you’ll be ready with your camera in hand…ideas and opportunities will come. I haven’t talked about all the work around the house my wife wants me to do (honestly – there’s no time for it – and all year round outside too, mowing, raking leaves, shovelling snow – life in Canada).
Likewise, writing the posts for my Blog, seems to be getting harder, trying to think of interesting stuff to write about, I’ve mentioned it before and for the reasons I have given in the preceding paragraphs, they apply here too. I am strongly considering posting every two weeks now (even though I have written a good amount this week), as - quite honestly, I don’t think that I have enough to write about. There are so many other things that require my time, I don’t want to or feel rushed when I sit down to write…and I need to be in the mood too!
I've told you a story from a Christmas long past and also a few ways I spend my time - there's always so much to do and I'm sure that I'm not nearly as busy as you. I don’t think or feel so bad when there’s nothing to shoot and neither should you, especially when I know that I have years of editing to catch-up on.
One last thing…this year my wife bought me a new computer keyboard for Christmas, and it’s a bit good (actually I picked it), all mechanical, solid aluminium – 2 kilos in weight, completely moddable! It’s also a joy to type on and in the last few days I have written four posts! (And like all my ramblings – utter rubbish). Just as well really, as in a few days I’ll return to work and I know I’m in for a really busy time with a new semester and all the fun that accompanies it, there’ll be little time to write, but I will find time for a few photographs.