Are We There Yet? The Art of Timing

A few fortunate beings on this planet have an innate ability to know when to act and when to wait. Many others are like the child in the back seat of the car with whisperings of "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" as little Susie kicks the back of your seat to a beat only she can hear, only to ask more insistently five minutes later when a whisper becomes a shout and then a shout becomes a whining plea of "Are we there yet?"  

Most parents will start with a patient, "No, not yet" but as you up the ante may soon come back with a frazzled, "Does it look like we're there yet?!" Not to be outdone, the child now recruits her siblings in a chorus of "Are we there yet?" to which the only decent reply is, "Who wants to play the quiet game?" and suddenly the parent is not above bribing their dearest offsprings with a monetary reward for who can stay silent the longest.  

Not only is there unreasonable expectations about the destination itself, and God forbid it doesn't meet our ideas of where we are supposed to be, but there is a whole lot of disillusionment about how long or short it should take us to get there, wherever that may be, whether it be a physical destination or a goal.  

Now add timing into the mix.  If timing is everything then when do you act and when do you wait?  I, myself, have certainly had times when I have pushed, pulled, stood on my head, did back flips, and nothing has come of it, except the thumping of my own head from banging it against a wall (silly me), until one day it happened on its own accord with no assistance from me at all.  

On the other hand, there have been times when I felt as if I was procrastinating only to find that the timing couldn't have been better.  It was as if the stars had aligned perfectly for my very own benefit! What gives?  How do we know the difference?  How do we know when to take action and when to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride?

In photography, especially with action photos or images dealing with people or animals, if you hesitate, you miss the shot.  A person may have walked in or out of the frame, the perfect expression was suddenly replaced with a frown, or any number of things varying from subtle to very obvious can happen. I expect this is much like life.  

If we get a nudge to act on something and we sit on it, we may lose it or it may change in some way. This is not to say the opportunity may not come again or that it may not come in another disguise, but why take the chance?

Is it always going to be appropriate to act immediately?  Maybe not so perhaps it comes down to intuition and discrimination.  Experience will teach us better.  If we missed it one time, we may gain it another and so on and on it goes.  Besides, who says you won't gain something better by taking that detour?

What does this all have to do with photography and your Etsy business or with any business? Many of us give up before we begin.  We have a few false starts or nothing seems to be working so we sit back and wait when we need to take another step.  Or we take many more steps when a little patience may have gone a long way.  

Sometimes we have to do all we can do and then let go of our ideas of how it's supposed to go.  We have to leave room for God or the Universe or whatever or whomever you believe in to do Its part and if you think it's going to come easy, well, you may want to reconsider.  It may but chances are it's another way for the universe to see how serious you are about attaining whatever goal you are striving for.  

In the end, everything is in its rightful place.  It just may be different from where you thought so if there is something you can do and it feels right then act.  If not wait but whatever you decide, don't give up!  

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out."  - Robert Collier

Be flexible!  Allow for transformation.  There may be a worthier plan than the one you have in mind but if you are too attached to what your own vision may be, there won't be any room for anything else and you might miss out on something better.

Lastly when in doubt, take it moment to moment, love what you do and do what you love because as Elizabeth Kubler-Ross says, “It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.” 

Remember, there is always another mountain to climb, another level to go so listen.

Is a Photographer an Artist?

Life had me flying in a few directions simultaneously and something had to take a temporary backseat; unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you'd like to look at it, it was my photography and everything that went along with it, including this blog.  Maybe other areas needed my more immediate attention and that's okay.  The important part is, I'm back, and ready!

A photographer, in some circles, is not considered an artist.  What is so great about photography, especially in this period of time, when so many can pull out their cell phone and capture a photo any time they want and of anything that catches the eye? What could possibly be so special when we are inundated with images from all over the world?

At surface value, I might agree if you are only taking an image for what it appears to be at first glance; however, if you look into a photo, a really good one, you will see a story.  Maybe you will be able to view it from an objective point of view or maybe it will be purely subjective, based on your own life experiences and what you are ready or able to see at that moment.  Isn't that the most wonderful gift about photography?  It appears to be real, the mind accepts it as real, but, depending on what the creator of the image has chosen, it can be altered by layers of other photos or edited in Photoshop in some manner. The final product can be a complete illusion.

To me the definition of an artist is someone who has the creative ability to take the mundane or the ordinary, the often overlooked, and assist you in looking deeper and/or aide you in viewing it in a whole new way.  No matter what the medium is, if you can do this, then you truly are an artist, a creator.

Up next...Images and How They May Affect Your Life

Working Past the Blahs...

Inertia happens but you don't have to make it a lifelong friend.  Show up and make the most of it. Know "this, too, shall pass" and move on.  Even a little step is better than no step at all.

When feeling weary or discouraged, a turn around is just ahead so proceed in its direction.  Do what you must do to work through the emotions (journal, paint, walk, go out with friends, volunteer...whatever works for you) but don't stop.  If a temporary rest is needed, do it, but give it a time limit.

If you're really burned out then perhaps a vacation is in order; take it!  Do whatever is necessary to get the juices flowing again but at the end of it...get back to work and do it with all of your love.

A vacation can give you new perspectives, leave you feeling fresh and rejuvenated. 

It doesn't matter where you go as long as it leaves you with a higher view.

Photographing The Heart of the Wild

With animals, perhaps more so than people, patience is needed.  They won't necessarily pose for you, although I swear some have, so another technique is needed.  Some photographers will take photo after photo and hope for the best and, others may patiently wait for that unforgettable moment spending even hours awaiting it.  Is there another way?

How do you photograph beyond what you see with your eyes?  How do you take a photograph with your heart?

There is a space most creative people, unconsciously or consciously, relax into when they are painting, dancing, inventing, or even simply manifesting a solution. In this gap everything changes.  Words fail to portray what that space is but I can tell you it's silent and you become almost hyperaware.  I refer to it as the "zone."  In the zone, time melts away and the way you discern your environment morphs.  This is the closest description I can give.  

In this field there is "magic," it is, to me, where all life connects and where "miracles" are made. It is where we are all one and that includes the biggest and smallest of creatures.

When All Else Fails...Experiment!

Selling art can be hit and miss, especially when it comes to photography.  Digital photography has revolutionized the way people take and make photographs and now everyone has a camera, even if it is only a phone camera.  (By the way, I'm not knocking those phone cameras.  Some of them take some pretty nice photos and if any cell phone companies would like me to test their cameras...why I'd be happy to!)  What does this mean to photographers?  We have to be even more creative.

First things first, if your art isn't selling, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to make dramatic changes right away.  It especially doesn't mean you have to drown yourself in a gallon of ice cream smothered in all the toppings because you have allowed negative self-talk to convince you that you are the worst person/artist/entrepreneur...fill in the blank...ever and now you need some serious comfort food to fill the void!  (I know how artists can get; we do tend to be a little sensitive, to say the least.)

There is a list of questions that can help in the decision making process on what step to take next. Is there variety?  Are you presenting a large selection of your work?  Is the price right? What are other artists doing?  Is their art selling?  Are you marketing your work appropriately; taking full advantage of social networks?

If you have taken an honest look at yourself and your work, and it still isn't going anywhere then it's time to make a change.  For me, it's experimenting, which I'm now in the process of doing so I can't tell you how it will turn out yet.  I'll have to get back to you on that later.

What I do know is the old saying, "If you do what you've always done, you will get what you've always gotten" seems to hold true so being creative and using your imagination is a good way to go.  There's always a way, as I'm learning, to take something old and make it into something new.

         This is my first experiment.  Where oh where will it go?

Truth is, it's fun to try something new.  Why not give it a try?  There's nothing to lose!

Back in Business!

Ride 'em, cowboy!  We just might rustle us up some dinner after all!  *wink*

Yes!  Woo hoo!  Yippee ki yay and all of that!  See More Divinely Photo (Etsy store) is back up and running. Forward march!  

That bridge successfully crossed!  Whew!  *wiping sweat off of brow*

You're cute and all but I can't keep you.

Now that we have that monkey off our shoulder, we can move onto more pressing items like "Where did that monkey come from?" and other fun stuff.  

Let's save that for another day.  

Not to procrastinate or anything but today is a beautiful day and I, for one, would like to finish up in time to enjoy it! We can pick up here tomorrow.  Have fun, y'all!