The view through the lens

Interview questions from the JPG Magazine site - It was kind of fun, so I thought I'd post my responses (because I know all of you were just DYING to find out why I do what I do)

When and how do you start to create?

My road to creation begins meandering out into what's already been created. My philosophy regarding my artwork is to show people the fun, interesting and amazing things that I see!

Do you create as a professionnal or for your own?

I create for myself, but I have been hired out on the rare occasion, usually as a favor to a close friend.

How do you learn and work your skill?

Slowly and with time - I've never had the opportunity to take a formal course in photography, which is unfortunate for me because I don't have that base of formal training knowledge from whence to build upon. I've just kind of experimented with technical settings and hope things come out, primarily, and I sit at the feet of my friends who know more than I do to get advice and tips.

What do you like in this art?

It really caters to the senses

What are your favourite subject(s)?

Things that don't move, lol

What are you trying to share via your art?

Art has a special place in many cultures. Things can be communicated through art that are, otherwise, very difficult to convey and/or culture in another human being. Everyone reacts to art differently, but I look to create pieces that positively inspire others in their own way.

Who are artists that fascinate or give you inpsiration? (links)

Rene Magritte, Rodney Smith, Georgia O'Keefe, and Maynard Dixon give me inspiration, and there are too many others that I enjoy.

What do you mean you don't know how to do that?

I recently have had a chain of experiences that have prompted me to wonder about the practicality of self-reliance and responsibility. This sounds rash, but I'm partially serious. Or maybe a better thought would be, what are we doing to teach our children and ourselves self-reliance and responsibility for our actions and the resulting effects our actions have?

For instance, on multiple occasions I've gone out with men who needed detailed step-by-step directions to places where I'm meeting them. Getting to houses has a reprieve, residential areas are just made to confuse people. Public places, however.... Whatever happened to being able to give adequate information, such as a mutual point of reference and then other tidbits that people unfamiliar with the area wouldn't otherwise know (tips for traffic, street names/traffic lights to look for), and being able to let them loose with an address and a phone number of the place to let them find it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against holding the hand of a lost and wandering soul if I don't know them well enough to have greater expectations, but by the time you get to be at least a sophomore in college, you shouldn't require hand holding. Be BOLD! Be BRAVE! Explore!

And this is just the tip of the iceberg on the topic. Maybe I'm just insensitive, or perhaps I'm getting to that age where things that didn't use to bother me now do so..... hm.

Something to Chew On

I had an experience earlier this semester in my Psychosocial Aspects of Rehab class (essentially it's Ethics) where I became reactionary and immediately realized after my brief outburst (and mind you when I say outburst, I doubt anyone even heard me anyway) that I had, also briefly, a lapse in judgment and made me question whether I'm diligently culturing the supposedly level headed person I've always believed myself to be. If you know me by any measure, level headed is any moment where I lack an emotional investment or I voluntarily forfeit said emotional investment for the greater good. It has long been my dream to become like who I see as the great level headed people that I admire - Eleanor Roosevelt, Ghandi, George Washington, Solomon, and so many more.

I wonder if it's coincidence that AC/DC's "TNT" just started playing on my playlist?

But it surprised me in a way how I reacted so half-cocked. We had been discussing the situation of the woman in California who had just given birth to the octuplets and I immediately expressed my discontent for her opting to have such a supposedly large quantity in vitro procedure when she already had 6 other children under the age of 8. Now she has 14 children under the age of 8, without a job, and I think the media has crucifed her enough for what's transpired in her life since the story first broke, so I won't continue to rant - however....

It got me thinking.... Is there such a thing as universal ethical behavior? Is it truly all relative? Should the principles I hold dear be imposed on to her, even if it would be for the greater good? Or should we just stand aside and watch, even if we can forsee (or at least think we can forsee) what's going to happen with this family, or, breaking from that example, other situations that we see our friends and loved ones enter into? How far should we allow that "learning experince" progress before we intervene? Should we even intervene?

What are your thoughts?

FYI

In response to my last blog post, there apparently has been an outpouring of condolences and "don't worry" sentiments and I thank you for them. However, I feel I need to make a clarification - I wasn't sad when I wrote it, nor was I seeking pity. lol I wasn't down, depressed, yearning, or hopeless. It was more of a declaration of fact and I'm actually okay with the probability that I will be "single" for a good number of years to come. I'm a hard and particular personality, but the parts that are hard and particular aren't bad, and I'm fairly pleased with them. Women like me just aren't for the feint of heart. I believe men should be amiable, but I think they should be able to withstand someone giving them a piece of their mind and be able to weather that experience. *shrugs* =) (this is the red part of my personality coming out)

So yeah...I wasn't bemoaning in that last post. Much lub!