Don’t worry about quality, focus on substance.

What’s the difference between substance and quality?

My thought:

Substance is the epicness of the idea, whereas quality is what it looks like.

Applied to photography:

Don’t worry about the image quality of your photos. Instead, make sure to photograph things which you consider substantive, interesting, or important to you.

In praise of shooting with a phone

At this point, we must recognize that a phone is a camera. Just a camera with less image quality than other cameras. So let us envision the phone camera as the new “point and shoot” or “snapshot” cameras of the past.

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What types of photos should we shoot? What should we focus on?

1. Practice your composition
2. Photograph moments you find interesting
3. Photograph people you find interesting.

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Create with no resistance

A thought:

To create more, use the tools and approaches will allow you to do so with no resistance.

For example, a lot of us want to make more photos. Perhaps to be maximally inspired, best to just shoot with your phone or a RICOH GR II.

This is what comes to the Taoist notion of “wu wei”: action without resistance.

Resistance-less lifestyle approach

Some more ideas:

1. Wear the same outfit everyday (all black everything). No thinking about what to wear today. Same shoes, same concept. Thus more mental power for you to focus on your creative work (what truly matters).
2. Strive to use the same devices everyday, and the same tools everyday, not to fall victim to “paralysis by analysis” when trying to use the most “optimized” or “perfect” tool possible. Striving to simplify your digital life, rather than trying to “optimize” it.
3. Generally speaking to simplify your life means to REMOVE things, people, devices, stuff from your life. Also with wisdom and knowledge, knowing what NOT to read and consume is more important than figuring what “to” read or consume.

Conclusion

Don’t worry about quality, it is overrated. Just focus on making things which you consider substantive and important.

Create things you care about; this is the secret to making works which are more likely to last a long time.

Make works more lasting than bronze!

ERIC