The following are thoughts, merely thoughts, about 2010. I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions or any such things as life has shown me, on more than one or two occasions, that it can be a fickle thing to live. 
Some of the things that I’d like to do:
- Take a trip with some of my blogging friends to Utah/Arizona or return to Alamogordo, NM to White Sands National Monument
- Continue to shoot lots of film.
- Take lots of B&W film, natural light portraits.
- Write a short story of about 10 – 20 pages. I’m rereading Stephen King’s : On Writing again. There is one small challenge where he gives an assignment to write a small story, 5 – 7 pages, and he provides some ‘fossils’ as he calls them. Your job is to dig up and polish it. It’s shaping into an interesting story, I think. Perhaps I’ll share it when I’m ready.
- Write a short story as part of my SoFoBoMo entry and illustrate with pictures, similar to what I did last year, but this time a work of fiction.
- Practice the guitar. Practice every day for an entire year because I really hate that “What if” feeling.
- Finish reading some of the books that I’ve started!
- Not buy any more books until I’ve completed what I’ve begun!
- Average 5 posts/week … if I have something to say.
These are not in any particular order, save for the first one. That one is one that is the most important one. I really would like to spend a week or a long weekend with a few of you, visiting various photographically rich areas, talking shop, and just socializing. It beats Facebook every time!
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12 Responses to “Looking forward”
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I like the subway image, classic.
The first 3 on our list were not a surprise to me but the rest of the list allows me to know more about Paul. I like the short story idea and will want to read it when it’s done. I just finished The War of Art and have read Stephen Kings book On Writing also. I’ve never thought of writing but this blogging has started the idea to simmer in my head. I have a short story I’m working on what will include 4 posts with images.
You can put me on the list for having a meet-up and trip.
I need to make my list now!!
I certainly relate on the not buying any more books until I’ve read what I’ve already purchased. Even with this Kindle, I’ve found that I’ve accumulated books on it that are waiting to be read. I guess I’m a collector.
Damn. Every time I think I have an “original” idea, somebody beats me to it!
I’ve been thinking along very similar lines – writing a short piece of fiction and illustrating it (so to speak) with photographs. I’ve always liked music with photographs – I think that that’s a very natural “marriage” – so why not fiction? Heck, maybe it could be a kind of subset to what you guys have been doing with the SOFOBOMO thing. Just thinking out loud…..
Also, don’t know when you’re thinking of heading to the southwest, but we’re very likely going to be out that way next October. We were planning on going this spring, but the weather can get iffy, even in March. Besides, it’s much prettier, I think, in the fall (especially in Zion) and temperatures are ideal. One of the places I’ve never been to and would like to see is Monument Valley. Not to mention Arches and Canyonlands. So many, many places…….
Okay, so you might also want to pick up ‘Bird by Bird’ if you’re thinking seriously about writing. It’s the best ‘starting to write’ book I’ve come across.
The one tidbit I’ll share and I’m sure you’ll comer across this in many places: write EVERY DAY if you can. Writing is a lot like exercising; it gets easier if you do it every day. Even if its a half-hour, every day can make a big difference. Most successful writers I know of get up and write first-thing in the morning.
Also, be aware that you have listed three things that work better the more often you do them: practicing your guitar, writing, and photography. They are all certainly related, and I can see how doing all of them will make each of them better and more fulfilling, and I can see WHY you’d want to do them all, but you might just be over-committing. That’s just one man’s opinion.
The trip: with my new job, there are times when the trip will be easy and times when the trip will be difficult. However, those times are somewhat predictable. There is no doubt that the fall is a better time out there for lots of reasons (November is especially nice) I just need to plan. I’ll send you some dates that are better than others.
Overall that is an impressive list.
Thanks for your input, Chris. When I was writing the thoughts, I did feel that it was over-committing. As I said, they are just thoughts. All of them do require daily practice and, truthfully, I don’t know if I have enough time to be good, or even competent at all of them. The photography would suffer some to allow more time for the other two. Probably the lowest on the totem pole would the guitar, but I want to see how much I like it before making that judgment.
The blog qualifies as some type of writing, but not the type that I want to do. We’ll see.
Well, as I said, I get why you’d want to do all of them; I certainly share your enthusiasm for all three. Unless you’re planning a career shift (which, indeed, you might be) you might just see where your bliss lies and head there. For me, I found writing to bring me less peace than photography, which is why I’ve stuck with that passion longer.
Some of this, at least for me, had to do with what I *wished* I had tried when I was younger. I often wonder whether I chose a career with the least resistance (games) instead of theater (which, while I was good at it) certainly appeared at the time more challenging. I wonder whether I ran away, if you get my drift.
Guitar, while I really enjoy playing, I never truly looked at as a career. Writing, for a time, I did consider switching careers to do. Photography, well, if I was just getting out of undergrad today I’d probably go to an MFA program to study photography. But back in the day, I never considered that at all, even though lighting design and photography are so closely related.
Rambling, I know. As Campbell would say, follow your bliss.
No career change in mind, just piddling here and there, I suppose. Just different modes of expression. Regarding my bliss, I think that the photography is it. I never tire of it and it always brings me joy. Always. The other two, writing and music are, as I said, other ways of expression.
It is (at least to me) amusing to find the same 3 things of guitar, writing and photography on your list, that’s been on my list for the last several years (with the guitar just making a real appearance in the last 3 months of this year)
Personally I only seem to achieve anything,when I over commit in several directions at once – but there are always ways to sneak in a bit of each throughout the day.
I think the biggest block to making progress is thinking you ‘must’ have 2 hours to write, or must go on a trip to take photos, or must carve out 4 hours to practice guitar. Even just 15 minutes a day becomes over 90 hours in a year. That’s still quite a lot of practice.
The best thing I read on the ‘what if’ front is, the thought that I’ve never met anyone who expresses regret at sticking with something.
You don’t hear ‘I wish I’d never started playing guitar/piano/ etc’
You do hear a lot of ‘ I wish I hadn’t stopped playing/doing xxxx’
Keep at it, even if it’s only 15 minutes a day.
Gordon, thanks for the words of encouragement. I really don’t want to be in that category of “What if I hadn’t stopped …”. As for the practice, you are right. For now, I’ve committed myself to at least 30 minutes/day of guitar, I guess that’s about 180 hours/year. I’d never thought about it like that.
Great image and noteworthy goals Paul. All the best with them. If you ever extend your first goal to include Australia be sure to let me know
That “What if..” feeling is a real thorn with me, especially with the guitar. And you are 100% right, if I look back at when I first started practicing and kept with it….
I started playing mostly to learn blues style to the likes of Robert Johnson, Son House, etc – the real old gritty stuff. Unfortunately my instructor was more rooted in classic rock and I wasn’t picking up perhaps as much insight as I had hoped. Your posts have given me pause to think about getting this started again!
These are serious goals, and very good ones too. Measurable.
I think you’re on the right track regarding the short stories and to also take step from your imagery. I read that Stephen King ‘handbook’ many years ago and I think it was very good, one of the best I have ever read over the years.
This will be an exciting year for you, Paul! I wish you all the best with it!