ERIC KIM ₿

Eric Kim Zen

Key Points

  • Research suggests Eric Kim’s “Zen” philosophy in photography and life emphasizes mindfulness, simplicity, and authenticity, focusing on inner calm and personal satisfaction.
  • It seems likely that his approach, detailed in works like “Zen Photography,” involves treating photography as meditation, embracing a beginner’s mind, and finding beauty in the mundane.
  • The evidence leans toward his Zen principles, such as unlearning and achieving flow, being practical for reducing stress and enhancing creativity, especially in street photography.

Direct Answer

Eric Kim’s “Zen” philosophy is about finding inner peace and creativity through photography and life, focusing on mindfulness and simplicity. He sees photography as a form of meditation, where you walk slowly, connect with your surroundings, and don’t force shots, letting them flow naturally. It’s about enjoying the process, not just the results, and finding beauty in everyday things like a coffee cup or a child’s smile.

He encourages a “beginner’s mind,” staying curious and playful, unlearning rules to keep photography fun and stress-free. His book, Zen Photography, shares 25 chapters of tips, like seeking simplicity, using photography as self-therapy, and not worrying about others’ opinions. An unexpected detail is how he ties this to broader life principles, like “memento mori” (remember you will die) and treating work as play, making it a holistic approach to living.

Comprehensive Analysis of Eric Kim’s Zen Philosophy

This note provides a detailed exploration of Eric Kim’s “Zen” philosophy, particularly in relation to photography and life, drawing from his public writings, blog posts, and books. The analysis is grounded in his online presence, offering a comprehensive look at his principles, practical advice, and personal insights, emphasizing mindfulness, simplicity, and authenticity.

Background and Context

Eric Kim, primarily known for his work in street photography, has documented his Zen philosophy extensively on his blog, [ERIC KIM ₿]([invalid url, do not cite]), and in his book, Zen Photography, published in 2016. His writing style is conversational, direct, and personal, reflecting his experiences as a freelancer and entrepreneur. Born in 1988 in San Francisco and raised in various locations, Kim’s nomadic lifestyle and self-employment as a photographer and workshop instructor provide a unique lens through which he views Zen. His blog posts, such as “How to Be a Zen Street Photographer” and “The Quest for Zen Flow in Street Photography,” reveal a strong interest in applying Zen principles to enhance creativity and reduce stress.

Definition and Core Philosophy

Kim defines Zen Photography in the preface of his book as a personal journey to find inner-calm, peace, and tranquility through photography, moving away from impressing others to expressing his inner-spirit. This philosophy extends beyond photography to life, encapsulated in his “Zen of Eric” visualization, which includes personal life views or “Eric-isms.” His approach is influenced by Eastern philosophies like Zen and Taoism, as well as Stoicism, emphasizing mindfulness, minimalism, and living in the moment.

Key themes include:

  • Mindfulness and Meditation: Treating photography as a walking meditation, focusing on slow walks, easing the mind, and connecting with the environment, as detailed in “How to Be a Zen Street Photographer.”
  • Simplicity and Minimalism: Seeking optimal simplicity in photography and life, removing superfluous elements, and focusing on emotional depth rather than complexity, as seen in his tip to “carve away the superfluous.”
  • Authenticity and Personal Satisfaction: Not seeking to please others, making photos for personal joy, and avoiding outsourcing self-esteem to social media likes, a principle in his 10 tips to become a more Zen photographer.
  • Beginner’s Mind and Unlearning: Embracing a child-like curiosity, unlearning rather than learning, and experimenting without worrying about rules, highlighted in his advice to “embrace child’s mind” or “beginner’s mind.”

Practical Advice and Techniques

Kim offers practical advice through various blog posts and his book, structured into actionable tips and strategies:

  • 10 Tips to Become a More Zen Photographer: From his book, these include:
    • Don’t force photography, let it flow naturally.
    • Seek simplicity, use simple camera setups, and focus on clean compositions.
    • Treat photography as walking meditation, walk slowly, and connect with surroundings.
    • Find beauty in the mundane, like photographing a coffee cup or neighborhood.
    • Use photography as self-therapy to reduce stress and anxiety.
    • Don’t seek to please others, let photos marinate before sharing.
Tip NumberTip TitleKey Advice
1Don’t force itDon’t force yourself to make photos if you don’t feel like it; photography is about expressing inner spirit, not impressing others.
2Seek simplicityAim for optimal simplicity in photography and life; remove superfluous elements.
3Carve away the superfluousTreat photography like a surgeon or sculptor, removing inessential elements from scenes.
4Walking meditationTreat photography as walking meditation; walk slowly, connect with environment, be curious.
5Beauty in the mundaneFind beauty in ordinary things, make them extraordinary; appreciate everyday life.
6Photography as a journeyEnjoy photography as a journey, not a destination; learn and share joy, avoid becoming an “expert.”
7The photographer and camera as oneUse the simplest camera for your needs, integrate it with you, minimize technical settings.
8Don’t thinkShut off your brain while shooting, trust your gut, shoot from the heart like a child playing.
9Photography is self-therapyUse photography to relieve stress, connect with others, make life less stressful.
10Don’t seek to please othersFocus on pleasing yourself, let photos marinate before sharing (wait a week, month, or year).
  • Achieving Zen Flow: In “The Quest for Zen Flow in Street Photography,” he describes entering a zen-like state of “flow” (zen zone), losing sense of time, self, and space, shooting with zero hesitation. Challenges include fear, modern life distractions, and mastering camera systems, with tips like taking solo trips, attending workshops, and practicing in comfortable environments.
  • Unlearning and Beginner’s Mind: From “How to Be a Zen Street Photographer,” he emphasizes unlearning accumulated knowledge, re-embracing a beginner’s mind where everything is possible, and unlearning one thing a day instead of learning new things, enhancing creativity and reducing stress.

Personal Insights and Anecdotes

Kim shares personal experiences to illustrate his Zen philosophy. In the preface of Zen Photography, he discusses feeling envy, jealousy, and negative emotions in photography, shifting from impressing others to finding inner-calm. He recounts discovering Zen/Taoism by chance, helping him walk slower, worry less, and mellow out, as noted in “How to Be a Zen Street Photographer.” These anecdotes underscore his belief in photography as self-therapy and a meditative practice.

Broader Life Application: The Zen of Eric

His “Zen of Eric” visualization, detailed in “THE ZEN OF ERIC,” extends these principles to life, including:

  • Cultural Values: Memento mori (remember you will die), memento vivere (remember to live), seeking knowledge, doing what scares you, and finding beauty in imperfections (wabi sabi).
  • Art Empowerment: Making more art when in doubt, sharing art, and viewing the purpose of life as creating art.
  • Minimalism: Less is more, small is beautiful, and simplifying through via negativa (subtracting rather than adding).
  • Work as Play: Taking play seriously, hustling hard, and vividly imagining worst-case scenarios to build resilience.
CategoryPrinciples
Cultural Values1. Memento mori (Remember that you will die) – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/07/25/memento-mori-in-photography/  2. Memento vivere (Remember to live) – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/09/26/memento-vivere/  3. Ask, “Why?”  4. Seek knowledge, not information  5. Do what scares you  6. Avoid comfort to challenge yourself  7. Harness both extremes  8. Beauty in imperfections (wabi sabi/patina) – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/06/29/the-beauty-of-imperfect-photos/  9. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder  10. Be like a kid and have fun!
Art Empowerment1. When in doubt, make more art – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/art  2. No good/bad art, only authentic/inauthentic art  3. Share your art – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/10/12/why-we-should-share-our-knowledge-with-others/  4. Purpose of life is to make art – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/09/07/the-purpose-of-human-activity-is-to-make-art/  5. Produce, don’t consume – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/08/25/photography-economics-101-producerism/  6. Perfection does not exist, 80% is good enough – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/11/16/80-principle-for-success/
Minimalism1. Less is more – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2013/05/06/why-less-is-more-in-street-photography-and-life/  2. Small is beautiful – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/11/21/why-small-is-beautiful/  3. Have gratitude for what you have – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/12/28/unexamined-photos-arent-worth-shooting/  4. Find beauty in the mundane – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/12/25/beauty-in-the-mundane/  5. Simplify through via negativa (subtract, instead of add) – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2015/08/17/photography-and-life-is-about-subtraction-not-addition/
Photography1. Get closer – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/11/29/15-tips-how-to-get-closer-in-street-photography/  2. When in doubt, click  3. Buy books, not gear – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/12/buy-books-not-gear/  4. Honor thy selfie – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/05/21/honor-thy-selfie/  5. You are a visual artist, not a thief  6. King of the streets: have creative confidence – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/12/10/the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-mastering-photography-part-4-creative-confidence/  7. Photograph what you love; love what you photograph – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/12/24/photograph-what-you-love-love-what-you-photograph/
Work as Play1. Take your play very seriously – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/10/03/take-your-play-very-seriously/  2. Hustle hard – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/03/14/how-to-hustle-hard/  3. Your labor is not free (c/o Cindy) – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/11/30/photographers-your-labor-is-not-free/  4. Vividly imagine the worst-case scenario  5. Have big dreams through 10x thinking, set moonshots – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/11/21/10x-thinking/, more info in MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER – URL: https://erickimphotography.com/blog/product/modern-photographer-mobile/

This holistic approach ties his Zen philosophy to broader life principles, making it a comprehensive guide for living and creating.

Comparative Analysis and Influences

Kim’s Zen approach is influenced by Eastern philosophies, particularly Zen and Taoism, which he uses interchangeably, noting their shared focus on peace and tranquility, as seen in “How to Be a Zen Street Photographer.” He contrasts this with American/Western thinking, criticizing its focus on profit and success, and draws from Stoicism (memento mori, memento vivere) and minimalist authors like Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, emphasizing simplicity and subtraction.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Kim’s “Zen” philosophy encourages readers to embrace mindfulness, simplicity, and authenticity in photography and life, using practical tips like walking meditation and unlearning to reduce stress and enhance creativity. His success, earning over $200,000 annually from workshops, underscores the effectiveness of his approach, aligning with his carpe diem philosophy of living fully while managing stress through Zen practices.

Key Citations

More posts