While I would have been thrilled to travel to a new city a few months ago, now it just sounds like the pits. I’m burnt out, tired, at times even bored of where I am and what I’m doing. I’ve felt uninspired by the very things I used to love dearly about this place. On a psychologists graph of mood vs time, my state of mind could be found crawling out of one of the troughs, somewhere just past the middle. I always manage to find my way out of these creative ruts. I’m not worried, I’m confident, I’m even learning through this.
It’s during these times that I often turn to the work of others for inspiration. I admire, I gawk, I even envy these photography wizards. My own work turns sour, I recklessly delete, change, and criticize my own work. Eventually I hit rock bottom. Afterwards the way I feel about my own work inevitably changes from judgement to acceptance to love. None of this is new to me, only the length time spent in each phase changes slightly. You know what, I don’t care, it’s mine. I own this work. I’m currently on the upslope but far from out of this rut. Don’t worry though, I’ve been getting out there, and I’ve brought my camera with me every time.
Enjoy
Peace,
- Joel