Old man. Tokyo, 2018 // Golden Angle Composition

Dear friend,

A life realization for myself: INNOVATE FOR THE SAKE OF INNOVATING (if you want to find daily motivation to create new things, and to find more hope/optimism in life!)

Woman with face mask in Tokyo subway. 2018

“If you’re not busy being born, you’re busy dying.” – Bob Dylan

These are my thoughts on innovation:

Innovation is discovering new ways of creating, sharing, or approaching something: For example if you want to innovate in your photography– don’t just think about doing still photos! Also think about doing more video content — and perhaps even experiment with Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality.
If you’re able to make small innovations in your daily life, you will find more excitement in your life on a day-to-day basis, and you will feel less stagnant, and less bored in your everyday life. If you observe children, they are always innovating! They are always discovering new things– new ways of interacting with the world, interacting with other humans, learning new languages, etc. A child is a learning machine — and unfortunately as we get older, we stop learning and innovating (because modern society crushes our child-like sense of curiosity).
“Onto the next one”: Don’t seek one “ultimate solution” or one “ultimate truth” to life. Rather, seek to discover NEW TRUTHS, new approaches, and new ideas! If we have the nihilist attitude that, “Everything has already been done/discovered already” — what motivation or impetus will you have to keep living your life? Let us be bold sailors in these brave new digital seas.
There is a brave new world of photography, which is very fun and exciting! Don’t get suckered by romanticism and thinking the past was better. There are a billion ways we can innovate today as photographers. Don’t just think simple print books– think digital PDF/eBooks! Don’t just think of solo exhibitions — think of worldwide exhibitions of your work via your website, via a YouTube video-photo slideshow, or innovative new ways you can publish/share your photos on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, or your own photography Website/Blog!
The more you innovate in your approach as a photographer-visual artist, the more you will inspire other photographers and visual artists to try out new things/approaches. Therefore, you have the power to be a ‘first mover’ — to spark innovation/growth in the whole sphere of photography!

NEVER STOP INNOVATING,
ERIC