On self-believe and self-doubting and why both are important to just go on.

To finish up my notes this week, I would like to share with you a short fragment of one of my favorite accidental findings — a text by Italo Calvino gracefully titled “Adventures of a Photographer”. I am bringing this text up, because in my belief it speaks so beautifully about self-doubting and self-believing through the thoughts and actions of the main character of the story, Antonino Paraggi.

I left you all spend the time reading Calvino’s text, rather then explaining my own thoughts on self-doubting which I clearly have right now working on this note.

On importance of right people in photographic practice.

You and me need other people. Why we need them I am still not quite sure, but I know this is really applicable to everyone. The creative journey towards the bright future, usually takes a little longer to pass then planned beforehand. It does take unexpected turns, ups and downs, a constant hyperbolic path. Here is where other people, with their <other> heads and hearts, with <other> hands and sometimes also <other> computers or cars come into the picture. I think that needing the presence of other people applies especially to photographers who usually are kind of lonely travelers, and from time to time, as any traveller they might get off track – literally. We, photographers, do need other people entering in and out our creative processes, our ideas and our methods. It is really important part of realizing what you already know, but what only through presence of another person can be finally  demonstrated.

On finding a good working environment and what does this mean?

For someone who works without 3rd party time-frame, without an office or a studio it takes some extra care in creation of a good working environment. For those who have hard time staying focused on one activity for significant period of time, (like myself) it is even more important to take care of yourself and equipped your-working-self with some proper working space gear. What you will need is a pure white wall that accepts masking tape. You will need a surface that can be called a desk or a table, ideally with a comfortable (enough) chair that comes with it. Perhaps you do not like to restrict yourself with furniture- that is fine. You then need some floor that accepts your body. Perhaps you need much longer list of items in order to call it a good working space. That is fine. Do not add any distractions onto that list. Take care of your working space by not having too many not-working items in or around the space. Even unwanted sound of a boiling water can add the dark chaos into this fragile environment.

On social media and internet scrolling and their downsides when it comes to creativity.

I like to use my phone for discovering work of others, who spent their time on actually creating something before I could see it online, on Instagram or Pinterest. I like to spend long hours on my phone scrolling through thousands of images better then the images I have ever manage to take myself. I like to look at all of those successful editorials, exciting sets designs, crafted art directions and skillful light set-ups. I admire the ideas behind each image, I consume the craft and talents. It seems that looking is never too much. After practicing Looking on a regular week, for several hours a day, I become aware that it is indeed possible to overdose it. This is the moment when Looking becomes dangerous and somehow unhealthy. I wonder how many things could I have done already instead of looking at them. Did I need to see it all? Am I a better look-er now? Will this contribute to my well-being in any visible way?

When working on a creative project that involves investigating multiple subjects or territories, it is easy to get off track. Gathering information, gathering images, gathering data into your head and onto your desk and onto your hard-drives becomes the primary activity in the creative process of many. I wanted to write few lines on that overloading connections between the project you undertake and the multiple obstacles you need to pass on the way towards bright finish line. I guess somewhere on the way the connections get little blurry and the general goal you first decided to reach becomes less visible. With every screenshot you take, with every drawing you make you take few steps backwards. When I start to notice that overloading connections dangerously enter my creative processes I take my head for a long walk. If I ask you to sketch your creative process during the realization of some of your biggest projects, how would it look like ? Would it resemble any geometrical shape?