I was reading Art & Fear, by David Bayles and Ted Orland. If you haven’t read it, you should pick up a copy. It’s worth reading, to be sure and the best part is, it’s only about $10.50! I wrote a post about it last July.
There are so many topics that could come from this book, but I’ll write on one that I’ve only seen mentioned once before, to my recollection. The topic is not quitting:
OPERATING MANUAL FOR NOT QUITTING
A. Make friends with others who make art, and share your in-progress work with each other frequently.
B. Learn to think of [A], rather than the Museum of Modern Art, as the destination of your work. (Look at it this way: If all goes well, MOMA will eventually come to you!)
I think that there is very solid advice in this. Fortunately, for me, I have a person who supports my art making at all times. My wife; however, it is nice to hang out, talk, and show work to those who are doing photography as well. There’s just something satisfying about it. I’ve yet to find that person or group of people, locally, with whom I feel like sharing my passion. My friend Richard is one such person. We could talk for hours and hours about photography, go on shoots together, and generally hang out but, alas, he’s in Texas. So we have to get together electronically, which is nice, but not nearly as satisfying as sharing images and stories in person. I’m working on getting Richard to move to North Carolina, but that’s a different topic! 
I think that had I had this type of support network, so to speak, that I wouldn’t have taken such a large break from photography after my son, Tony, was born. I only shot sporadically for the ensuing 10 or so years. I took some pictures every year, but had become a snap-shooter … someone who only takes pictures on vacation and at special events. Taking a break is much different than quitting. Quitting means to never start again.
Now, I try to, whenever possible, to cultivate friendships locally, thought I don’t like camera clubs. They only seen to talk about equipment for the most part. Blogging is a big part of my support. It keeps me shooting. I have an outlet for my creative energies, and I have a lot of fun. Also, a group of us from a previous workshop have already made plans to get together in October to shoot autumn on The Blue Ridge Parkway!
So, do any of you have things that you do to support your art? Any groups that you’ve found comfortable with or really like? Any best friends that go out on photo outings with you?
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13 Responses to “Support System”
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That mushroom shot is FANTASTIC Paul! (I think it’s mushrooms)
I don’t go out on shoots with others, but might in the future. My biggest support system is my wife.
Flickr groups are a great place to share and collaborate. There’s a group for everything over there. IM with other artists in the world is another great resource.
Oh, and Paul’s blog. Don’t forget Paul’s blog. hehe
Thanks, Greg. Actually, that is some type of flower bud. I don’t remember the name. I saw them at the UNCC gardens. They bloom into a lovely red ball of flowers, which you can see in the background as that bright red blur.
Ah; either way, nice capture.
I remember the beautiful gardens in NC, growing up in Fayetteville in the 70′s early 80′s.
I appreciate the people that visit my blog and my site to keep up with what I have been doing and enjoy visiting other blogs. My wife has always been supportive, though sometimes accuses me of spending yet another morning with my girlfriend (ie. her name is Nikon). She actually started out shooting with me and decided the early mornings and the equipment were just not for her.
I do belong to a camera club, but don’t go that often. When I do, it is more just for the social aspect – I don’t really get much support from it. You can get trapped into the ‘formula’ images that generate good scores.
I share my photos and art work with friends and family too. I like the first shot!
Art & Fear is an incredible book….I highly recommend it also.
There are a couple of rather large photography clubs here in Columbus, but like you said, they’re mostly just gear oriented, and I never quite ound my niche in any of them.
A group of friends and I (we met in a photo class) have tried to form our own little ‘anti-camera club’ photo group, but with everyone’s hectic schedule, it’s been hard to keep it going. I still long for a local connection…someone nearby who can equal my passion for photography(it’s huge.
My biggest supporter is my husband. Without him, I’d still be whining to myself that one day I want to be a photographer.
The connections and friendships I’ve made through photoblogging have been invaluable. And thankfully, the internet helps to shorten long distances.
Paul, I read Art & Fear a few years ago and enjoyed it. Found myself reading very slowly at the end–a sure sign of a good book.
I don’t belong to any camera clubs, because I simply don’t have time to sit around talking about equipment. I’m not much of a joiner because it seems that groups spend more time talking about photography than getting out there and shooting. I’m sure there are exceptions–somebody should step forward and brag about their organization to prove us wrong.
My husband loves to drive, so we take off on day-long photo outings. I gain a lot by visiting blogs and asking questions. Networking online is one of the best ways I know to grow as a photographer. Give and take is a wonderful thing.
Tena koe ehoa
I find photography has always opened doors for me. Just this morning after upoading a new post and making a few comments around the comunity I travelled to a bridge out in the waps to get some concept images I have in my mind.
On the way there I met two ladies at a lkae I stopped at on the way and a elderly fella out for a walk in the morning mist with his equally old dog down a loose metal track i travelled to get some shots of the mist raising off the heated hillsides.
Conversations were warm and well centred and we talked about a multitude of things ranging form a death that occurred yesterday when a home had it’s power supply disconnected, road taxes and of course petrol prices, The All Blacks, shags, rottweiliers and mongrel cattle dogs and of course photography!
I tend to find that my support is myself and the love I have for photography and the need to emotionally connect myself to its process of observation and questioning that which we look at and the manner in which we look at it.
I have been on shoots with other people mostly friends just tagging along or someone I’ve conned into carrying my bag and some lunch!
I find it easy to just go up to someone and talk to them or ask the questions about something. I know that photography has given or enabled that ability a lot more than me having that quality naturally.
My children give me suppport and feel happy when they understand a image I post, (they connect with it). I use them as a critical team to gauge myself and my photography as they’re honest and won’t hold back. If they don’t like they’ll tell me why either directly or in a roundabout way.
I communicate with a lot of photographic people and the internet has most definitely brought more communication possibilities.
That top image is amazing Paul. I like it’s simplicity but that’s not a weakness it’s a strenght!
Love the colors, Paul!!
I don’t have any support. That’s why I started blogging and kept it going for so long. The daily feedback meant so much to me. Now the thing that keeps me going is self motivation. It always falls back to that, whatever I do. I grew up in the country with just my brother. Our mom and step dad were gone from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., so we became pretty independent from a very early age (11 and 12.) Without a cheerleading section, I had to become a self starter/self motivator. I do love to cheer others on in their passions, though. That’s one of the reasons I kept blogging for a whole year when I was ready to quit after nine months.
I’ve just ordered Art & Fear myself – looking forward to it
When I moved to Dublin, I discovered a website called http://www.boards.ie that has a photography section. There is a huge range of interests on the boards even just within photography, and that keeps it really fresh. We talk about everything from gear to philosophy – although usually I’m the culprit who posts the philosophical threads! But in the last 6-9 months, we’ve been meeting up about once a month or so and going out to various places, sometimes local, sometimes out in the countryside – we even stayed over in a castle one weekend! Last weekend we did two trips, first to a tiny island just across from Dublin, by boat, and then to a beautiful forest about an hour out of the city. I suppose Ireland is fantastic in that way, for the range of subjects. But we all seem to come home with something different, which teaches us to look in different ways by seeing someone else’s viewpoint/approach, we learn about different techniques, and best of all, we get to swap lenses too
http://www.flickr.com/photos/leinsterman/516576720/
P.S. Did I mention we usually end up in the pub?
Paul,
I have always tried to find some fellow photographers to hang with, seems to keep the flow going. Fortunate that there is a local (Southern CA) group of fine art photographers who get together monthly to talk about prints and images and gallery exhibits, but usually a technnical segway or two, so okay.
Best regards, Doug
Wow the upper shot is absolutely fabulous!
Other than the blogging I really can’t stand to ‘talk shop’ about any of the technicalities of photography or the other arts. Maybe it’s just how little I know but it also in some ways seems sort of private. Weird I suppose
WoW…both the shots are fantastic especially the first one & it was lovely reading your documentary…Well done!