Preparation is the key to releasing control for me and it results in better focus and feeling grounded. My desire for control is typically based in insecurity, defensiveness or fear of the unknown. When I am prepared to face multiple scenarios or the unknown in general, I’m more confident and that confidence shows itself in patience. The goal for me is giving up control. The only way for me to truly observe is to stop looking for what I want to see.
I can feel your excitement in your post this week! All the best for success — especially with all those things you can’t control, asiIt seems like your whole journey has been well-thought through, crafted lovingly and with hard work, and an eye to all of those details you can control.
Hi! I love the way you describe photography as a form of therapy and meditation—it really resonates with me. I've found analog photography, in particular, to be a kind of meditation, a vehicle that grounds me in the present moment. Or maybe it's the awareness of the present moment that draws me to photography; I'm not entirely sure.
The thing is, through both meditation and photography, I've realized that the only thing I can control is how I react to the moment, whatever it is. It's not easy, but the more I practice, the easier it gets. Even the outcome becomes less important, because when I'm shooting, writing, or watching a sunset, I'm fully there—without worrying about what the moment might bring.
Hi, I find it can be easy to make the old excuses of ‘being busy’ and ‘life gets in the way’, etc.. but I think when you reflect a little, and start to notice the things we prioritise in our daily life, we tend to have our ‘non-negotiables’ that we are not willing to bend on, that we always make time for. I’ve found it increasingly difficult in the last few years as a musician and then getting into photography, one of the passions takes presedence over the other, and one has to suffer as a consequence. During covid I dove deep into photography, but currently I’m finding a greater passion in music again and I’m not ‘having the time’ to keep up with the backlog that can occur with photography… Anyway, apologies in advance for the self-involved ramble, but taking control of time is a daily struggle I feel, and something always has to give. At the moment, photography is taking a backseat for me personally, but even though that is the case, I’m feeling more grounded from the fact I’m allowing myself the freedom to explore new musical ideas, and I’m enjoying this focus (even though I still feel bad about all the photos I haven’t looked at or edited yet!).
"If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all this, it’s that the success of this book is not something I can control. What I can control is the effort I put into making something meaningful and telling the story behind the book in the best way I know how."
And you are SO good at this. I have a great feeling about October 20. Notice Volume 2 is going to fly!
That Josh Johnson quote is so simply profound. I’ve never heard anyone talk about goals that way and I can already feel my perspective of my current goals shifting.
To answer the question of one thing you’ve found you can control that helps you stay focused and grounded:
Being intentional with how I treat everyone around me and the care I put into maintaining my close relationships. At the end of the day, people are at the core of being a creative professional. I want to treat everyone I come across with respect and curiosity above all else. This behavior has greatly impacted my career growth and the connections I’ve built along the way.
Very much in line with what Johnson says; I've found that I can control how much I believe in my work. In my case it's mostly writing for which I hope to get certain publications. It's no use to pre adopt the critical view the editors might have while reading my work. I've done that in the past and the only thing that will happen then is being too scared to actually submit, taking away any chance however small. I need to believe in my work and the rest is up to them.
Preparation is the key to releasing control for me and it results in better focus and feeling grounded. My desire for control is typically based in insecurity, defensiveness or fear of the unknown. When I am prepared to face multiple scenarios or the unknown in general, I’m more confident and that confidence shows itself in patience. The goal for me is giving up control. The only way for me to truly observe is to stop looking for what I want to see.
wow justin this was so interesting, clear, and relatable. thanks for sharing!
I can feel your excitement in your post this week! All the best for success — especially with all those things you can’t control, asiIt seems like your whole journey has been well-thought through, crafted lovingly and with hard work, and an eye to all of those details you can control.
thank you :)
Hi! I love the way you describe photography as a form of therapy and meditation—it really resonates with me. I've found analog photography, in particular, to be a kind of meditation, a vehicle that grounds me in the present moment. Or maybe it's the awareness of the present moment that draws me to photography; I'm not entirely sure.
The thing is, through both meditation and photography, I've realized that the only thing I can control is how I react to the moment, whatever it is. It's not easy, but the more I practice, the easier it gets. Even the outcome becomes less important, because when I'm shooting, writing, or watching a sunset, I'm fully there—without worrying about what the moment might bring.
I love that Amanita, so true, our response and reaction is something we can control (tho sometimes it feels like I can’t but I know you’re right)
100% agree, it can be so tough sometimes. But I think just being aware of it is a great start, and over time, it helps us react with a bit more calm
Hi, I find it can be easy to make the old excuses of ‘being busy’ and ‘life gets in the way’, etc.. but I think when you reflect a little, and start to notice the things we prioritise in our daily life, we tend to have our ‘non-negotiables’ that we are not willing to bend on, that we always make time for. I’ve found it increasingly difficult in the last few years as a musician and then getting into photography, one of the passions takes presedence over the other, and one has to suffer as a consequence. During covid I dove deep into photography, but currently I’m finding a greater passion in music again and I’m not ‘having the time’ to keep up with the backlog that can occur with photography… Anyway, apologies in advance for the self-involved ramble, but taking control of time is a daily struggle I feel, and something always has to give. At the moment, photography is taking a backseat for me personally, but even though that is the case, I’m feeling more grounded from the fact I’m allowing myself the freedom to explore new musical ideas, and I’m enjoying this focus (even though I still feel bad about all the photos I haven’t looked at or edited yet!).
"If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all this, it’s that the success of this book is not something I can control. What I can control is the effort I put into making something meaningful and telling the story behind the book in the best way I know how."
And you are SO good at this. I have a great feeling about October 20. Notice Volume 2 is going to fly!
Thank you so much Deepa!! Means a lot ❤️
That Josh Johnson quote is so simply profound. I’ve never heard anyone talk about goals that way and I can already feel my perspective of my current goals shifting.
To answer the question of one thing you’ve found you can control that helps you stay focused and grounded:
Being intentional with how I treat everyone around me and the care I put into maintaining my close relationships. At the end of the day, people are at the core of being a creative professional. I want to treat everyone I come across with respect and curiosity above all else. This behavior has greatly impacted my career growth and the connections I’ve built along the way.
Love hearing this, Amy!
Very much in line with what Johnson says; I've found that I can control how much I believe in my work. In my case it's mostly writing for which I hope to get certain publications. It's no use to pre adopt the critical view the editors might have while reading my work. I've done that in the past and the only thing that will happen then is being too scared to actually submit, taking away any chance however small. I need to believe in my work and the rest is up to them.
Very good rose!
I think one thing I can control is keeping in mind what I want to communicate with each photograph and trying to be a part of the environment I'm in.