Paying Attention Counts, Too

Summer is one of those seasons that starts, and before you know it, it seems to disappear in a wisp of smoke. I find myself wondering, Where did summer go? Did I accomplish anything?

The obvious answer is yes. I managed to keep up with the lawn mowing and weed eating. The cows got checked, the ponies and the grandkids got fed, and we enjoyed family moments & created memories in-between all of that.

But what surprised me as I thought about the summer was how much I've grown on my fine-art journey—even during a time when I haven't spent nearly as much time behind the camera as I thought I would.

I've begun to let go of some of the pressure to always be creating and am learning that making the photograph is only one part of becoming an artist.

There will be time during the winter months to cull and edit images, prepare a photograph for printing, ruminate over titles, and search for exhibitions and art shows. Right now, I'm discovering there is value in simply observing. Paying attention to what stirs my spirit, catches my eye, or makes me stop for a second look is part of the process, too.

Growth doesn't only happen when I have a camera in my hands. It happens when I study the work of photographers I admire. It happens while listening to a podcast that makes me think about intention or causes me to ask myself why. And it happens in the everyday moments when something ordinary makes me stop and think, This is worth expressing in a photograph.

Maybe that has been one of the biggest surprises of this fine-art journey so far. I'm learning to trust my own instincts a little more—to pay attention when something catches my eye and to wonder why it did.

I'm also beginning to realize that I'm often drawn to the image that isn't quite perfect. The unruly pieces interest me. Maybe it's because life isn't perfect either. There is something honest about leaving a little room for things to simply be what they are.

So, did I accomplish anything this summer?

Yes.

Maybe not in the way I expected.

I'm learning that paying attention counts, too.

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Paying Attention Counts, Too

Paying Attention Counts, Too

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