Last time around I talked about how to extract yourself from a creative rut and presented Bill Jay’s marvelous essay The Thing Itself.  I think Bill really nailed it and I encourage you to read my entry if you have not already done so. But after posting this I thought some more about out it, with respect to my own approach, especially as it relates to what I have called my Two Hour plan. I’ve written about this several times before and it has really been a tremendous way for me to focus my efforts and not get sidetracked by concentrating on potential opportunities with a strong probability for unobtainable outcomes. In his essay Bill discussed the importance of identifying what you are really interested in and what will sustain your enthusiasm for a long time, with subject matter that is practical and accessible.

I agree one hundred percent! It so happens that what Bill says fits in very nicely with my Two Hour plan, which is quite simple and easy to follow. You can check out what I have said previously about it, but in short, it goes like this … unless I’m traveling I look out for and discover things of obvious and potential photographic interest to me that are within two hours of where I live. That’s it! It works for projects, as well as planned and ad hoc one-off opportunities.

Since my epiphany I’ve felt much looser, less pressured, and yes, somewhat liberated. Bringing together Bill’s thinking with my approach further sharpens my focus and provides me with all I need to pursue what captivates me and what makes me happy. Combined with a lack of care about what galleries want, what the competition judges are looking for, what format is best, what film to use, what the developer du jour is, what the ultimate paper to print on is, etc., I am completely unfettered to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and in a way I want to do it.  The world is my oyster and it’s never far away!

Stay well,

Michael