Focusing Myself: Less is More
If you know me, you know that I have practiced art for a long time— Photography is only a new chapter in my life. People I have known for a long time will ask me, “Do you still draw?” But If you don’t know me, I started drawing when I was very young. I was drawing almost every day, I lived out my imagination about army men and tank battles with the pencil and paper that I had at my disposal. I drew what inspired me, and what was more inspiring than my favorite video games!?
I really enjoyed drawing and eventually, my patience and practice became noticed by my piers. I wasn’t just having fun, I was good at drawing and became recognized from it.
I am thankful to have started down this path. Drawing for so many years has made me who I am today. I made drawings like this and countless other pictures for over 20 years. Developing my skill in handling a pencil, shading, and composition. I was extremely focused and dedicated to the growth of my skillset, so much so that I worked and persevered every day for hours. I pushed myself further every time I started a new drawing by trying more complex, more elaborate, and more detailed scenes.
As a became older, I went to art school and was educated on proper technique. I also expanded my toolkit by learning how to paint, sculpt, photograph, etcetera… Some of these have stuck more than others, but one thing was for sure. As there was an evolution in my skillset, my focus on my work began to be less clear.
When I was just drawing, I felt like I was so focused and only dedicated to the growth of myself and my craft. I practiced that only for myself and gave away many of my pieces. Now with more knowledge and more capability, it is easy for me to feel like my mind is scattered. Life is not as innocent as it used to be when I was a child. However, as an adult, I have learned a few things(1) and gained some mental tools to get back into focus and make good work again.
For the past few months now, I have been dedicating my time and energy into a project that is centered around the home I live. The premise of this project stems from the idea of what makes a home feel like home? I am exploring this motif and trying to find the visual representation of what I find to be “homely.”
I have made a few negatives that fit this theme years ago, but this one really stood out as the beginning:
This image is very unique to my home and very much (oddly) defines it. It is simplicity, yet I’m not sure of it’s practicality in the span of the project. I haven’t decided yet, since I need to see this in print before I decide.
It is probably hard to imagine a whole project based off of one image, but that is just a start. I am thinking about this premise night and day. What makes a home feel like home? I have been photographing my apartment a lot and in very unique ways to try and capture the essence of this feeling, and I am only starting to get that sense of the feeling…
I have moved on from drawing for reasons beyond this article, but it is not forgotten. Drawing and my prior training in art is a skill I will continue to have with me and utilize forever in my future work. I am going to be focusing my thoughts, my work, and my life so that I can excel in my all areas of my life. Art is just a small area of the pie. Whether, you will still be here with me or not, I will continue to be making art and making photographs.
(1) The Master Key System, Charles F. Haanel
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