“Be curious, not judgmental.” ~ Walt Whitman
The Curve
Never stop learning.
Never stop teaching yourself.
Never shot sharing.
I talked a lot about creativity this past week, at the Georgia Nature Photographer’s 2019 EXPO.
I shared my journey and personal take on what it means to be an artist.
It’s as if most cameras these days don’t even need us to get a good “picture.”
What image can you convey—beyond technology—that shares your own personal vision in a way no one else can?
The River
Giving those talks and interacting with eager learners like me, I learned all over again the simple truth that nature offers.
A peony’s truth—the visual subject of today’s post.
There’s only today.
There’s your voice and the work you do with it.
There are the dreams you entrust to viewers, through the images you create.
There’s the healing hope you release into the river of life through your art.
The Climb
All of these images are from the same flower, same garden; with the same lens, same camera; using the same extension tubes, same wide-open, soft-focus aperture.
Very little post-processing work was done. No “painting” or filters. Just color and curve and line and light.
I learned all over again this last week as I talked to others (and myself) about being authentic and excited and never-ceasing in my search to create…
And so I set out yesterday morning, into my neighbor’s garden, with a single goal…
To see whatever truth was waiting for me there.
To share all that I could find.
To illustrate visually all that you, too, bring to life, if you take the time to focus on your own vision and “climb” toward creating.
Peony
This was the Peony in question.
I LOVE this image for the peace and simple goodness it conveys.
But was it enough to touch your soul?
Not at all.
Not enough for my goal.
So I stepped closer and looked deeper and dreamed of drawing you in with me…
The Heart
Would you take this ride with me?
My mission was to tempt you beyond resistance.
Enticed, would you embrace curiosity and leave every inhibition beyond? Not a bit worried about outcome, would your focus be on the journey alone?
Would you nurture whatever needs most attention within you, trusting your drive to create and share?
Would you crave the healing and light in your own closer journeys?
Would you discover the freedom of “simply” exploring all that you love?
I hope my “students” and fellow artists did this last week.
I hope you do today.
And once plugged into that source of all that’s uniquely your vision, I dream that you, too, will share your creative heart.
The Journey
I hope that you finish this post, craving the freedom of exploration.
I hope for you a day of allowing curiosity to rein free. I hope for you a world filled with the magic of sharing AND receiving.
No judgement.
Just create.
Which is what this last week of teaching reminded me of most, over and over, as I shared my personal mantra.
Learning through teaching.
Not a bad gig, eh?