ERIC KIM

November 2020

  • PHOTO GLITCH.

    To glitch your photos as fun creatively, and also allows us to re-imagine our photos in a novel way? And also forces the viewer to better focus on the surrealism in our photos? Similar — applying grain (post processing) to our photos to add additional clarity?

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  • You Are a Creative Photographer

    Free photo motivation on ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER > Dear friend, Big epiphany: Let us not be fooled and suckered into thinking we are just mere ‘photographers’ who must capture reality ‘true to life’. No — we are CREATIVE ARTISTS (visual artists) who enjoy the art and approach/technique of photography as a means of artistic self-expression.…

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  • GLITCH.

    The new “glitch” and “chromatic abbreviation” filters on Procreate on iPad is insanely fun, creative and my new muse!

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  • Why Express Yourself Creatively?

    Once you got all the riches in the world or everything you need …then what? My belief: The end of life and our lives is artistic creation. To create things *beyond* ourselves. To create art — manifested however we see fit.

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  • How to Live Bravely in Today’s Brave New World and Society

    Today’s brave new world and society: More time living indoors, working from home, working remotely, etc. Nothing is really open anymore, which means you probably don’t have *that much* utility for money besides paying for rent and groceries to cook at home. Potentially a non-travel future. The desire to travel is often a trap. Now…

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  • Define Street Photography for Yourself

    The word “street” is originated from “strata” (Latin, for a “paved road”). I suppose in the past, a paved road was only in a public space in the city (polis) in an open space. But in today’s brave new world and society … a “street” (paved road) can be almost … anywhere (the park, the…

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  • The Attempt is More Interesting than the Result

    I always strive to increase my ‘one rep max‘– this is my primary interest in strength building and powerlifting. However, I don’t always achieve a new one rep max. So the lesson: In life, the attempt is far more interesting than the result. What I mean:

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  • How to Have Pride in Your Work

    Before asking yourself or others whether they like your work or not, ask yourself whether you like your own work or not, and then you must position yourself in such a way that you are *proud* of yourself and your work. Pride is not a vice; it’s a virtue. The more pride you have in…

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  • Don’t Fight Nature; Work With Her

    Epiphany: Rather than complaining and bemoaning the facts of life, best to work with nature and physics in our favor. For example, I’m currently living in this massive 4-story home and most of the home is cold … besides the top top floor (heat rises). Also, the top floor has the most natural light. The…

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  • MONOCHROME MOTIVATION

    For some reason, it seems I am more motivated to shoot monochrome than color. Why? Perhaps because with monochrome, everything just looks more interesting and abstracted? Considering we don’t see the world in monochrome!

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  • EFFECTIVE PHOTOS

    Photos which enact an effect upon the emotions or mood of yourself or your viewer… this is an ‘effective’ photo. Photos which enact an effect is the goal.

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  • More Energy, More Physiological Power

    What is it that I desire? More energy, more physiological power (what we tend to think about “inspiration” or “motivation”). Inspiration and motivation for the muscles and mind and body, in order to do anything you desire! The body as the proper starting point! Good stimuli for the body includes open air, walking, weight lifting,…

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  • Joyfulness vs “Happiness”

    When we think that we want to be “happy” or to become “happier”, or to augment our “happiness”… I think what we really mean to say is to augment our joyfulness, cheerfulness, and sense of well-being and over-abundant joy. What’s the difference? Some thoughts:

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  • Effectiveness Over Happiness

    If we believe that the purpose of life isn’t “happiness” or to be “happy”— then the thought: Perhaps the purpose is to become more effective … to enact more change and impact upon the domains you care for. For example as an entrepreneur, your goal is to maximize how effective you are in creating x,…

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  • PHOTOGRAPHY IS A PRIVILEGE.

    A thought while walking around today: Once you no longer make money-acquisition the purpose of your life … then what? It seems based on people I know and have observed … people then focus on philosophy, meaning of life stuff, existentialism, poetry, arts creation, photography, travel, etc. Then the thought: Photography is one of the…

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  • Forms vs Ideas in Photography

    In photography, let us consider the two subjects at hand: The forms we strive to capture through photography (composition, the subjects we photograph, the shapes of things in our photos) The idea or ideas we strive to capture and convey in our photos, for example the story in a photo, the message or moral/ethical takeaway…

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  • Thanks Giving

    First sent on ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER Dear friend, Wanted to send you a quick message on Thanksgiving. Lots to be thankful for and joyful for!

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  • Physical Focus

    Epiphany during one rep max attempt deadlifts: Mental focus is overrated. It’s all about physical focus. To focus my “mind” (body) to prepare myself and hype myself up and adrenaline boost myself to even *attempt* a new and foreign one rep max deadlift requires the elimination as many distractions as possible. No music, no recording…

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  • Seek Excellence in Things You Actually Like *to* Do.

    The mistake we often make: We strive to become excellent and to excel in things which society says is good (productivity, wealth generation, industriousness, etc). But perhaps a better road to virtue and our personal thriving is instead to focus on becoming excellent in that which we actually like and love and are passionate about,…

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  • Excellence is a Habit

    Following in the footsteps of good old Aristotle: It seems simple … if we desire to excel in a given field or activity, we must habitually practice it … for fun, self interest and desire for growth and depth and profundity. Not to “force” yourself to perform certain habits against your own will, but to…

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  • Photographing With No Filter in Small JPEG

    Certainly filters are good in photography. However I’ve also found a great joy in shooting with no filter — just intelligent auto (iA) mode on Lumix G9 camera. And the benefit of shooting small JPEG — less friction. Less future worries about storage, quicker transfer and upload times, and ability to shoot more carelessly! To…

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  • RICOH GR III 1080p 60fps MACRO

    For creating, RICOH GR III as very capable; in praise of shooting 1080p on RICOH GR III in video mode at 60fps. Lots of new potential when shooting macro video!

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  • What Moves or Motivates You?

    To be motivated means having the bodily or the physiological power or desire to move, do things and attempt things. So the Aristotelian thought: What is the prime mover, or the first mover which motivates us to do … anything?

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  • AESTHETICS OVER FUNCTION

    A thought: In today’s world, in which function is soooo easily fulfilled by cheap goods (made in China) available at Walmart, Amazon, Dollar Tree, etc… perhaps the future is pure aesthetics, for the sake of aesthetics and beauty? And if we are truly honest with ourselves… who buys anything consumerist related for the function? To…

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  • Bodily Interest and Enthusiasm

    What should we pursue and what should we *not* pursue in life? Simple thought: Listen to the physiological cues of your body to judge your enthusiasm or interest in something! If you don’t got your soul in it, you will fail.

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  • Not Willpower; Bodypower

    Bodily awareness. More wisdom in the body, muscle and sinews than the “mind”. When we think about “willpower”, we tend to think about the mind. Why the focus on the mind? We like to think that the mind is immortal… and after we die, somehow our mind or “soul” will continue to live indefinitely. Also,…

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  • Betterify

    What we are seeking isn’t to “optimize” our lives in the sense of making our lives more “efficient”. Actually what we are seeking is to improve or “betterfy” or “betterify” our lives! So in simple terms when making any certain life decisions ask yourself the simple question: Will this action make my life better or…

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