True familiarity with one place is the willingness to live with uncertainty
I read the above sentence in the book 'The living mountain' by Nan Shepherd, an ode to the Scottish Cairngorms. A book that touches me on many fronts. It reminds me of how the first pages of Night Train to Lisbon touched me. The rest is history. And in my mind I also go back to Scotland, to my special time a few years ago in Findhorn. And, yes, Findhorn is close to the Cairngorms. I don't think I've finished this wonderful book yet...
It is extraordinary that it is precisely at this time that this book comes my way and I read the sentence above. Precisely at this time we are asked to stay in one place as much as possible. We travel less, and maybe discover more?
What I realize is that I have been photographing this way for years: by standing still. And it is precisely by staying in one place that I look differently and see more. And that you don't have to travel far for that is clear from the picture above: taken in my backyard. The beauty of the mundane is closer than you think.
Because a lot of fuss and, let's be honest, a lot of noise disappears, more space and creativity is created. At least with me, and I see that around me as well. The result is that I see my work change, among other things there is more colour in it. It makes me happy and, given the reactions, so do others.. At least with me, and I see that around me as well. The result is that I see my work change, among other things there is more colour in it. It makes me happy and, given the reactions, so do others.
It's nice to notice that it is slowly starting to flow again and there is movement again in what had come to a standstill in mid-March. And my surroundings start to move with me. Assignments that came to a standstill are started up again, my exhibition moves on to after the summer, the people who had already signed up for the workshops (I quote) 'can't wait until September', and then also those wonderful phone calls and emails with the text 'I'd like to have a picture of you on our wall'.
I wish you a nice summer and I would love to meet you again, over coffee, on the phone, by mail, on my site or at one of the workshops!
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