I finally broke down and decided to join FRAMES. There is always an inner dialogue when it comes to spending more money on monthly subscriptions, and I am very careful about such choices. I like the FRAMES app as an alternative to Instagram (so far, anyway).

Today, this quote on FRAMES from Anja Schultz -

This is the task to which a photographer must be bound, to succeed in sublimating the banality of everyday life, extracting, with the framing of his camera, those portions of the world, insignificant to the inattentive eye, full of significant layers of signs.

Hmm . . . there is something about this quote that doesn’t sit well with me. It’s the part about sublimating the banality of everyday life. Banality—to lack originality, freshness, or novelty; commonplace—carries a negative connotation, and the idea that we need to sublimate banality reinforces this idea. But I wonder if it might be more accurate to say that the work of the photographer is to celebrate, uncover, uplift, or elevate the pieces of everyday life. It’s not about rescuing the beauty of everyday life, it’s about noticing that it was there all along.

As the new year rolls in, I’m having no difficulty sidestepping resolutions altogether. But I am tempted by the lure photography classes and projects, falling prey to the notion that creative inspiration resides somewhere outside myself. For a few moments, I contemplate an online mindful photography course. It sounds like a good fit. But perhaps this is more of what I want, but not what I need.

 

Feeling deeply colors the storyline I create.

And this way of feeling sometimes overwhelms me. Photography as a practice gives me a break. It distracts me from fight, flight, or freeze. It helps me explore the same old stories, like I’m not good enough, and write new versions with alternate interpretations.

My self realization for 2021 — even though it’s way harder to speak my mind than to go along and make peace, it’s so worth it.

 

things to be skeptical about . . .

I find my basic nature more rebellious these days. So many assumptions, long-held, have turned out to be wrong or flawed at the very least. Everywhere I turn I am influenced and persuaded by marketing, targeted to people exactly like me. It’s not enough that I set a boundary or decline an offer or say No. I have to make these same decisions repeatedly, sometimes multiple times in the same day.

I’ve been considering the many sources that highlight the importance of a good night’s sleep. And I doubt that we need a scientific study to prove that we feel better after sleeping well. I think I should develop a regular sleep routine and I worry that perhaps I’m not getting enough good quality sleep. Doing a little internet search, I come across a podcast, Maintenance Phase by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes, and an episode called, The “Sleep Loss Epidemic.” I am intrigued and so I dive into listening. I won’t ruin the story for you, but suffice to say, that conversation is all about debunking the shifty science behind the claim that there is a sleep loss epidemic.

Turns out, when I question the thought, and listen to my true self, I knew the answer all along.

I don’t need 8 hours of sleep. I’m peppy with only 7 hours. And yes, it would be helpful for me to develop some healthier habits, like walking upstairs and settling into bed, listening to Nothing Much Happens, bedtime stories for grown-ups. Rather than dozing off on the couch with the TV in the background. But worrying over sleep and setting up more rules to strive for, more healthy habits to feel badly about not accomplishing, just doesn’t seem to be the fix. Maybe it’s alright to listen to my body, to simply love taking care of myself, and to extend kindness to everyone.

After all, we’re all doing our best.