August 21st, 2016 … Dealing With Rejection & Acceptance … The MUSE & The Mentor … Ricoh GR II

08-16-0185

Again, I have been asked why I name my cameras and also suggest others to do likewise. Here’s the best reason I know. I hope you understand this and accept what maybe appear to be crazy delusional thoughts. I’m not waiting for a Greek Goddess to come to me and provide inspiration. They are all busy battling politicians around the world.

My thoughts altho many are shared amongst others. The Muse is a source of inspiration. Some think without a Muse, there is no creativity. Others believe that if you don’t provide a Muse with gifts, the Muse will stop inspiring you. So, there are millions of artist, painters, writers, poets, photographers etc all around the world. I thing the Muse support service is full and backed up so we need to find a way to inspire our efforts.

The Mentor is a source of information and energy that helps you handle what The Muse gives you. They are not the same. When you have an issue, you seek advice or support from the Mentor. So, really, the Muse is the Inspiration and the Mentor is the way to following the energy The Muse gives you.  A mentor can offer feelings, words, whatever and help you get a grip on what you are doing. We can have a friend or whatever as a Mentor and it is very rewarding. The Mentor can help you edit work, suggest paths to follow, how to spend money on gear and a million other things.

Ding McNulty was a mentor for me. I mentor some people and we have a strong bond. So find someone with a good mind and understanding about your work and efforts and talk about them being a Mentor for you.

I have a very strong suggestion for a Muse. I feel that inspiration best comes from the internal energy in us. You can ask your Mentor about a group of images or exposures etc. The Inspiration, should be for the source of you. It’s not crazy. This demands that you see the work you do and that the Muse you need and have is your Camera.

I go out with Andre’ the Fuji X100T and work and he is the source of inspiration. I don’t want it any other way. I am accountable for my work and my energy I put into it. So, by naming my camera, I have placed my energy and the wonder of it all, into my camera. What this means is, when I go out to work, I am in touch with everything I need to be able to work. Essentially, my camera is a trigger mechanism when I work that is independent of any exterior forces.  When I hold the camera, my psyche is linked to the creative forces and I get focused on the here and now.

Here’s the thing, we all do this even if unconsciously unaware of it. So, the sweetness of all this is, the reward of making your photos and being conscious of the magic you are living. When you view your work, you are connected because you were and are present during the process…..

Sure you can go out and hold a dead cold piece of metal in your hand and work, but for me, I’m holding Andre’ the Fuji X100T and I feel inspired because we are one with the process and the world while we are in it.

Tomorrow, back about Rejection & Acceptance.

Peace to all…………….

25 thoughts on “August 21st, 2016 … Dealing With Rejection & Acceptance … The MUSE & The Mentor … Ricoh GR II”

  1. I got questions sometimes, but I thought Mentor won’t be interested to answer my specific questions when I have them. And didn’t want to bother him as he also doeas other things. I was shy to ask. Ok, I did already.

    I am fighting with idea of making a book with my photos. I want to put my photos together and see them printed. Not just a bunch of prints, but a book that will hold together..somehow…but…I don’t know…, I am not sure how to connect my photos into a book, which photos to select, the idea, the story…just want to do it for my pleasure. Perhaps to be published on Blurb. To give one copy to my father.

    That lead me to think to group photos into a selection…. “how Pavel sees his city” but this didn’t feel right, don’t feel like it would be idea for it…you once mentioned “in search of”… which might be interesting idea how to understand my photos and connect them….

    This is also why I recently messed up my head by “themes” and stuff. But I am off it now.

    Ok, this is not clear question, but it is because it is not clear in my head.

    1. Pavel. Maybe try something like this. Instead of seeing the book of photos, maybe see it as photos making a book. What this and everything you do is, a section of your life. So the book is a section of chapters #-#. Now that it’s a part of the story of your life, do what you do in your blog. Write thoughts and feelings and supplement with the photos you made during that time period.

      Pavel P Book 1.. on the train date to date….
      As I was traveling by my loved travel experience, I couldn’t help but think and feel ….Photo…….get it

  2. Thank you, Don.

    I like the idea. A month ago I made a family photo-book, which was showing 1 year period of life of my family, especially my children. Chapter one – January 2016 – Karolina’s 6th birthday… etc. Just photos ordered chronologically. Life and what we were doing…and what we were like.

    I am a little afraid to put too much text along the photos.

    I thought I would write something at the beginning of the book and then I would let the photos and titles…

    Also, I want to have it in English, but I don’t feel very strong about writing in English (neither in Czech I am not writer). And don’t want to have book full of grammatical mistakes. But it is just a part of the problem. Also, when I see photo books, they are not accompanied by texts…usually they have some introduction…

    Lets’s say will make a book with photos from whole year period (section of life?). That would be 52 weeks. If I select 1 or 2 photos from every week, I would have 52 to 104 photos. Some weeks were more interesting than the others. For example in July, I made a 3 day trip (Brno) and I have a bunch (50?) of photos I like…Difficult.

    1. First off, I’ll be glad to help translate. I will spend the time to get the words the way you want. Are you sure you want to make a book like all other book? I mean, maybe if would be more interesting to the readers to read text and photo. Maybe also have an opening statement and photos and once in a while a paragraph or so of thoughts.

      The issue I have with photo sites is: I get to see tons of photos by shooters and there’s usually not text. So what has to happen is, the work must grab the viewer. If the work does grab the viewer, it seems to me that the viewer gets curious about the photos and the shooter. Of course this changes the concetp of the book but it’s not about the book. It’s about you and your life and work.

      1. I am looking on it from this point of view and I must say, that I find refreshing to read some text along the photos. (but no too much…to much text is boring, tiring, as I experience it.)
        Really, thank you for your suggestion.
        I used to write a lot texts on Flickr with every photo…after a while I realized people are more reacting on my texts than on my photos. They loved the stories I was telling them. And I thought they don’t care about photos…so, back than I made a decision not to put texts/stories/thoughts/feelinfs to accompany (or to entertain) people…to let the photos speak….

        But, when you say, do you want to make book like all other books? Sure I don’t want it. I mean, those books are all well done with perfect and “the best of” photos… Yes, I am able to say few words (I learned it on my blog) . If you would be willing to check my English, I would be grateful. I mean, I think I am asking to much already…

        You are right…i am looking at all the great photos every day…and not many people talk about them. And if they do… I usually read it and I am usually interested…

          1. Ok, your blog sounds as a good for for me to discuss.

            You said… “from your words that you are putting the cart in front of the horse”…

            What did you mean?

          2. What I mean is, you have the idea of the finished product before you really started it. First off, forget the ending or what it looks like. Let the work and words tell you what they want.

            Concept Selection Of work and words Execution Completion
            —————————————————- ——————————- ———————————— !

    1. Pavel,
      I looked at the links. Looks fine. I really would suggest as a friend and an admirer of your efforts and work, that you step back and breathe a little, no a lot. I just feel from your words that you are putting the cart in front of the horse.
      Maybe we could Skype or something to get things in order. At your service, don

      1. I am totally ok with that….. I know something is wrong in my book efforts, but I just can’t figure it out…Its not a matter of last 2 months, I have been thinking about the book for a year or more, but wasn’t able to push it much further. I would appreciate your advice…

        I am a little scared (really!) to speak English on Skype. So, if you are ok with it I would like to discuss it via E-mails or Skype texting? That would be much more comfortable for me. I hope it is ok.

        I will write an E-mail…

        Thank you!

  3. Hi Don. The bit about Inspiration Via Muse… Although I wasn’t waiting for a Greek Goddess, a Peruvian Goddess came into my life as my muse. My creativity skyrocketed like OMG. After 2 years she exited my life in that capacity. When this happened, my desire to create almost evaporated. It took me quite a while to regain inspiration, for which I had to dig deep down to find it again. The Victoria’s Secret package she came wrapped in should have had a disclaimer ” Use Extreme Caution”. The lesson I learned is to not become intensely dependent upon being inspired by any particular person or thing because life brings change.
    We don’t always recognize this, but I believe that all the wonder of the universe is within us and around us. Just the fact that we are here can be inspiring. That being said, I would welcome the presence of another Muse, with caution…or perhaps I should just name my cameras.

    1. ….that is the idea about naming the camera and seeing it as your Muse or point source of inspiration. Essentially the camera will change like Victoria’s Secret but the muse will always be at hand because you are the source.
      The good thing is, you are accountable for your work and efforts.

  4. I have doubts with my book…i write, i add photos, which would fit with the text/thoughts…thats ok…

    But later i found myself writing desripctions and comments to the photos…as I was standing in front of the audiance with Power Point slide show, showing slides and commenting what they see….what i did and thought

    There are two different approaches….write some text and add photos to illustrate (to make a company to the text)

    Or

    Have this series of photos and talk about photos

    Now, it is mix of both ways and i am confused…

    1. Pavel, beings that your seeing the future, can you send me the lottery numbers. Thanks……

      Take a deep breath, no…. go to the wife and kids, kiss everyone, make pictures of the family. Nothing else exist…..

      Then come back with a fresh outlook a,d together, we will make this work.

      Don

    1. Pavel, you cant pick the fruit if you don’t plant the tree, you can’t plant the tree without love and the seed…. Go easy, it will happen, I got your back the whole trip…..

  5. It has taken me several days to get around to reading this post. I like to take time to read what you have to say. Have I named my camera.. not really. I at times call it the old girl even though the camera isn’t that old. I do know when I am out and about with my camera I lose track of time and place.

    1. old girl is a great name. Sharon, the point of the name amongst other things is, to have a point of focus with your inner energy, thoughts and emotions. I find that having that, I’m not so scattered out there.

      I don’t lose track of time and place….ohhhh you said that didn’t you. Maybe the old girl is working and you haven’t named her that. Perhaps, she named herself.

      Andre’ (Fuji X100T, my entire photographic existence, is my constant companion)

    1. Pavel, ya know. To me, it seems you are lost because your not on the journey. Oh, don’t get me wrong but there’s always a place to be. Here in USA, Philly, we call it the here and now. If you feel that you have everything in order and need only to put the book in order, and not work on making photos or writing. Let me know and I’ll spend as much time with you as you want to help bring closure.

      If not, forget chapters and get back to work.

  6. I feel lost with the book project, not with me & photos. I love where it moved during last two years. From new topographics to people and moment… And because I love my recent photos I wanted to see them in the book.

    And since I wanted to print my photos in the book, I wanted to do it well, not just a photoalbum.

    I feel like on a journey despite what you said..

    1. You are on a journey. So enjoy the ride and see where the next turn takes you. Maybe it’s time we do some viewing of what you have.

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