I’m writing this as a bit of a brain-dump from the weekend just past. I’ve got some smooth jazz music from New Orleans playing in the background as I type this. The past three days have been simultaneously a whirlwind, revealing, and well, I don’t quite know what yet. Part of the act of writing this blog post is actually to try to digest what I’ve experienced.
I spent the past three days in Port Townsend, WA. This small town on the Olympic Peninsula was home to a veritable meeting of the minds. For the three full days, pretty much sun-up to sun-down, myself, some old friends, and a half-dozen then-strangers, now all people I’m proud to call my friends, met up to talk about the process of creating art. We’re all photographers, but the conversation was by no means bounded by the limits of that particular craft.
Right now my mind is in a state where I’m not quite sure what’s real. I don’t quite know how to exactly verbalise everything that was discussed, that was learnt, or thrown away. What I can say is this… up until Thursday, my photography has grown kind of organically. The reason for why I pick up a camera today remains as true as it did when I first started shooting a couple of years ago. But since I started, there’s been no driver at the wheel, no captain on the ship. It has it’s own free will. After this weekend, I’m not quite sure what’s happened, but it feels like I’m about to begin to take some form of control of a new facet of my art. I just don’t know what that facet is yet.
I have no idea what’s coming next… I need to spend the next week, month, however long it takes, wrapping my head around the last three days. I can’t wait to see just what is coming next.
Watch this space.
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About Jacob
I grew up in Australia, but now I live in the always-beautiful Seattle, WA. I love sharing my stories and experiences through photography.
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Sounds like you had an amazing experience. I can’t wait to see what comes next from you!
great post Jacob and exactly what should come out of ART. I can’t wait to see what is next.
I’m excited to read further posts after it has digested a bit! What you are feeling now is telling me ART 2012 was a huge success this year! There are so many ‘workshops’ out there these days, and ART seems to be the only one I know of that produces posts like yours from participants.
Jacob, I cannot tell you how much I appreciated you being around the table at ART. Your voice was an important one because it was thoughtful and thought-provoking. We need more people like you in photography, people who are willing to risk going out into the unknown to explore and create a new path. I can’t wait to see what’s next for you and whatever it is, I hope you know we are all here cheering you on :]
Jacob, it was great meeting you at ART and I haven’t forgotten about the notes I said I send you. I liked your post a lot. it’s really cool that you are asking these types of questions at this stage of your career, I didn’t reach that until much later. Don’t avoid the organic approach though. Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places – an idea worth exploring may happen during one of your freeform outings, so to speak, maybe even while you’re waiting for a long exposure to finish. I think what we were getting at is once you have that idea, take some time to consider your intent and how you’ll execute it.
Ken
[...] I attended a workshop in Port Townsend last year, I’ve been looking for my voice in my photography. The how I say what I say component of my [...]