Feeding the Muse

A Newsletter by Chuq Von Rospach
V1#16 - Oct-13-2019

Welcome to the new issue of 6FPS. As I write this, it's October, and we're definitely into fall. I'm back from the Art Wolfe Photo Workshop and there's a lot of discussion about my results and reaction to that here, and I realize I'm two weeks from my first trip out to the central valley refuges.

It has been a real busy, whirlwind of a time. Where the first part of 2019 I felt constantly two weeks late on all my deadlines, now I'm merely really busy, but I feel like it's all under control. I did finish a major project and work and dived into another, where I'm actually writing some significant code for the first time in many years. Getting back into programming was an interesting exercise in knocking the rust off various skills, but it's moving forward pretty well now.

The one thing I haven't done enough of is riding the e-bike. I've done a few rides, but between projects and weather (we've had more heat that has me sticking to the Airco) and a stupid lingering head cold I picked up while I was out and about in humanity for the photo workshop, that just keeps slipping. I did, finally, figure out how to safely strap a spotting scope and a tripod onto the bike this week, and how to store the camera and binoculars, so by the time you read this, I'm going to head out to Shoreline for a first try at a real birding by bike outing.

I'm not complaining; it's been a period of good-busy, where I'm getting things accomplished and so this is the kind of busy you want to have; I just wish I could stretch it out one or two more things. Doing that would lead to thrashing and lowering quality of everything, though, so I'm hoping to continue the pace, not try increase it.

On with the Show!

And with that, on with the show! And thank you for being part of this.

What's New?

Here is what I've written since the last issue:

  • It Has Arrived!

  • Quick Take on the Apple Fall Keynote

  • Snowy Plover

  • My Photographic 'Elevator Speech'

  • Morro Bay Awakening

  • Is the X-T3 worth upgrading from an X-T2?

  • Peregrine Falcon lunching on a blackbird

  • I've Returned from the Art Wolfe Photo Workshop

  • 3 Billion Birds are Missing - Thoughts on the Study

  • Evening Flight

  • Attending the Art Wolfe Lake Quinault Photo Workshop (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

  • Canvasback with a Spa Treatment

  • Morro Bay Sunset

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Photos: Morro Bay at Night

Looking back at the harbor and city of Morro Bay by night. This was originally shot as part of a large panorama, but when I wanted a printable segment of that big image, this was the favorite bit, and it’s become one of my favorite Morro Bay images.

Feeding the Muse

I've been having thoughts and discussions about the muse and its care and feeding recently. The muse, for whatever it's worth, is generally that part of us that we attribute our creativity to. I'll admit up front that whenever I think of my muse, I immediately see an image of Olivia Newton John in the movie Xanadu, and having mentioned that to you, I also feel like I should apologize. 

I tend to see my muse as part magpie, part spoiled princess who's innate laziness is only surpassed by her need for attention. Which makes the relationship complicated. 

The magpie aspect is tied to being easily distracted by the new shiny stuff. It is easy to fall into the trap of always chasing some new interesting thing and never actually mastering any. The laziness is, well, to be honest, the muse just doesn't want to work that hard. She wants to play. You have a project, she wants to explore shiny. You have a deadline, she wants a nap. 

But ignore her? don't give her time and attention? Then she'll show up demanding you pay attention and work with her. Until she gets distracted, of course. 

So the creative endeavour for me seems to be finding that middle ground between focusing on what your trying to accomplish and pushing the muse to help you on it, and exploring and playing and discovering, which is what feeds and energizes the muse.

Obviously, the latter is what the muse would prefer, but if that's all you do, you'll never actually accomplish anything. Just start many many things. But if you NEVER spend that experimentation and play time, never let the muse find the shiny and explore, you end up starving the muse of what gives her energy, and I think eventually she just gives up and goes on strike until you do. 

I think this is one reason David DuChemin talks about us exploring new photographers and studying images; it's feeding the muse's need for new and shiny; it gives her raw material to create new things out of, and it feeds her energy level so she's more willing to help on the more mundane projects you need her to work on. 

I think one reason I broke my landscape work was I got too tied up in "no, we have to shoot my kind of images" and refused to play or experiment until the muse starved, gave up and walked out. It took me a long time to convince her to come back and get back to work, with a promise of many shinies. 

I think there is an aspect of "Look, we've already done that. Boring" you have to recognize and respect. We all need to keep exploring and adding new aspects to our work; and there come times where, honestly, we've pretty much explored specific things and have nothing more to really say about them. You can't find the next thing if you aren't exploring and searching for it.

One thing I didn't think about -- and probably should have -- was how the photo workshop would affect my muse. I did realize that a year ago when I was struggling to understand my photography and why it all sucked, going to a workshop would have been a mistake because I was in the wrong mindset and that would have been self-destructive. This year, however, my attitudes were a lot better and I was much more receptive to being taught, and the result was effectively a three day forcefeeding of new things into the muse. 

The result? I find myself, for the first time in a couple of years, really enthusiastic about my photography -- I've shifted back from "I should" to "I want to", and I'm seeing photographic possibilities in many things I used to shrug and move on from. 

I'm taking this as a hint that even though I tend to have limited time for photography, I have to carve a chunk of that time out and reserve it for experimenting, for trying new things -- for play. Getting too tied into deadlines, in projects, in refusing to follow those "let's try this" urges -- ultimately stifles motivation and interest. And when that happens, the words "Why Bother?" start popping up in your head and that's when you leave the camera bag on the floor rather than take it out and see what happens. 

In other words, if you treat your photography like a job to the point where it's not really fun, it'll start feeling like a job to you. And where's the motivation in going out to do a job you don't really love? If it pays the bills, you go and do it, but are you happy? Not really.

And if it's your hobby, and you're not loving it, you'll stop doing it. If you want to continue to love what you're doing, you have you make sure you leave room for that fun, for the experimentation, for the chase in search of new and interesting. 

Because otherwise your muse withers and fades until nothing seems worth doing any more, and that's a bad place to be. 

Don't be afraid to have fun. Watch the deadlines, but don't always be slaves to them...

For Your Consideration

About 6FPS and Chuq

6FPS (Six Frames Per Second) is a newsletter of interesting things and commentary from Chuq Von Rospach (chuqvr@gmail.com).

Coming out in theory every two to three weeks, I will place in your inbox a few things I hope will inform and delight you. There is too much mediocre, forgettable stuff attacking your eyeballs every day you're online; this is my little way to help you cut through the noise to some interesting things you might otherwise not find.

Know someone who might want to subscribe? Send them here. You'll also find the archives there if you want to look at previous issues.

See you soon!

And with that, I'll see you in a few weeks with the next issue. I'd love feedback on this, what you like, what you want more of, what you want less of. And if you have something interesting you think I might want to talk about, please pass it along.

Until then, take care, and have fun.

Chuq (chuqvr@gmail.com)

(P.S.: some links in this newsletter may point to products at Amazon; these are affiliate links and if you use them to buy a product, I get a small cut of the sale. This doesn't make me rich, but it does pay for my site hosting every month, and maybe a coffee or two. If you use the link to buy something, thank you. If you prefer not to, that's perfectly okay, also.)

Copyright © 2019 Chuq Von Rospach, All rights reserved.