Why be productive, and towards what ends?

The desire to extract more out of existence and life?

When it is good to vlog, or use voice dictate:

Podcast

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The more cholesterol, the better:

Podcast

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Limit your Home Screen, delete at least 1 app a day. Minimum viable iphone with apps and features.

Turn off all notifications besides phone call and FaceTime.

Protect your mindspace.

Is our happiness and climate inter-connected? Some thoughts:

NorCal vs SoCal

My thought:

1. NorCal people typically less ‘happy’ than people from SoCal. I would say the average Bay Area person (even successful), would be only a 5.5/10 happiness, and the average SoCal person is more bored-blase (maybe an average 6.5/10 happiness).
2. NorCal folks are focused on production (producing, making, innovating), while people from SoCal are focused on consumption (eating, media, etc).
3. NorCal people have more ‘existential dread‘ and more ‘meaning of life’ stuff, whereas people from SoCal are just more interested in the next trendy fashion thing, new car, or new food trend.

Does weather matter?

How does weather matter?

East Coast winter — you just spend less time outdoors. I think it is less about the sun, perhaps more about being indoors more vs being outdoors. The ideal East Coast or cold weather thing:

Even though it may be cold as shit outside, try to spend as much time outdoors with a great down jacket/GoreTex shoes, or time doing out-of-the-house activities.

Even in hot climates and southern california, people who spend time all day indoors are miserable (they are afraid of the heat).

A general computing and general idea–

The fewer keystrokes you gotta do to achieve your desired result, the better.

Or in other words, make your Mac as simple as possible.

When in doubt, reduce.

Reduce the interface, reduce your things, reduce the size of your home, reduce your possessions, reduce the size of your car, reduce the size of your designs, etc.

For example I find it bizarre — why is it that every new generation of iPhone, they are getting *BIGGER*, *THICKER* and heavier? Totally opposite from the artistic vision that Steve Jobs/Jony Ive had.

Or some things I do:

1. No case. No phone cases. An aesthetic minimalist elite thing.
2. No case for iPad. And certainly no Apple “Pencil” (Steve Jobs hated styluses and was very anti styluses for the iPad, as it takes away the agency of your finger). Also no keyboard for iPad– absolutely bizarre notion (Steve Jobs also hated this). If you want a keyboard just use a MacBook Air.

Creative reformatting — perhaps every once a year (at least), reformat your Mac, iPhone, iPad, devices, life, etc.

Some thoughts:

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Or why sunlight is good:

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No such thing as “high” quality. Each material and thing simply has different qualities and features/properties. Thus, think about the properties of something instead.

Kill two birds with one stone. I like walking, and being with Seneca, and also working out. Carrying him around the block with my arms—good arm workout and good time spent with Seneca.

When people talk about crypto, they mean to talk about Bitcoin.

I don’t like buying things online. Why? I prefer to hold it in my hands to see how it feels in my hand before I buy it. 

For example, iPhone. Ironically enough I find the older generation and thinner iPhones far superior to hold in the hand than the new iPhone Pro models. iphone mini feels 1000x superior in the hands when compared to iphone pro. Also the additional weight and thickness of iPhone Pro is atrocious. And the flat side bezels feel sharp and uninviting to the hand, compared to the curved bezels of prior generations. Flat side bezel only works when the phone is small (iPhone 4-5, Mini). Flat bezel doesn’t work for bigger phones (iPhone Pro, and Max). 

Also, wisdom from Marie Kando — you only know how much you care for something once you hold it in your hands. 

Theory — hidden inner wisdom in our hands, palms and finger tips?

Lesson — let us use our hands more. 

Faster flow is better flow.

 Therefore when we think about “workflow”, strive for the fastest, lightest, and most streamlined approach. 

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Treat this life like your first and last. No other life, no after-life, no *beyond* life. No uploading your consciousness to the cloud, or cloning yourself, etc. No life beyond 120 years old.

Treat each and every opportunity as it would have been only once; your first and last.

For example, even if you plan on having more kids, treat the kid you currently got as if he/she would be your last and only one.

Perhaps this is the best way to maximize existence?

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One of my regrets is after getting an iPhone mini, giving it to Cindy and re-getting myself an iPhone Pro (refurbished). Why the regret? Reasons —

The iPhone Pro is a bizarre device. Doesn’t feel good in the hands, too big, too heavy, too thick (even the smaller ”normal” size). It seems Apple (after Jony Ive left) has totally prostituted the “Pro” label to maximize profits and drive sales and growth.

A true professional doesn’t need a ”Professional” phone— just a professional laptop (MacBook Pro).

Interestingly enough, the most *DIS-CLEAR* (difficult to see, discern what is going on in an image), the better.

Why is this?

When things are DIS-CLEAR, you must squint a bit, use your brain a little to interpret what is going on in the frame. Also use your imagination.

Perhaps this is why abstract art is so enthralling to me — I *must* interpret it.

Nota bene (take good note):

1. Blur is good
2. Out of focus is good
3. As dark as possible (monochrome) is good.
4. Don’t show everything that is happening in the frame.
5. *NOT* showing context is good.

We have New Years resolutions — why not daily ones?

The more you practice it, the stronger you become?

Stoicism >

Something I realized: often when I either give people advice, or try to help people, I try to give them the best solution. Yet, the best is often very difficult, complicated, and does not suit everybody.

Instead, perhaps it is better to just look at the person, their needs, and their desires, and just offer them the simplest possible solution.

Other words, better to offer a simpler solution which will render a higher compliance, then the “better“ solution, with lower or no compliance.

With photography, the secret behind creating a great photo is in the details.

Considering that everything is ephemeral, don’t get caught up too much on longevity, or making things “evergreen”.

The problem with creativity is that we think we could only become creative after we retire, after we become rich, etc. However, that day will never come. Therefore I say don’t put trust in tomorrow and the uncertain future, put trust and faith in today. Therefore, it seems the best strategy is to strive to maximize your creativity today, not tomorrow.

Some thoughts on how you could become creative today, not tomorrow:

1. Make more photos

This is the obvious one. I say that photography is the most efficient way of making artwork, and being creative. Creativity is not artistic ingenuity, creativity is having the propensity to create and make stuff.

Therefore, the goal is to create more photos. The more photos you create today, the more “creative“ you are.

2. You are the creator

This is one thing I discovered why comparison is so bad. You always judge your self-worth in comparison to others, rather than becoming your own ruler for yourself. Warren Buffett calls this the “inner scorecard“.

This is why social media is so pernicious: you rank your own self-worth as a photographer artist in comparison with others. But this is not good. It is as if a five star Michelin star restaurant would see itself as inferior to McDonald’s, on account of the fact that McDonald’s delivers more food every day.

A thought:

Higher numbers are worse.

For example, if we thought that the higher the number, the more superior, then Walmart would be the most successful Business in the world, Starbucks would be the worlds best coffee, and the Toyota Corolla would be the best car. However we know that the more rare, and the lower the number, the better.

For example, better to think, that a McLaren is a superior car to the Corolla, that Hermès is superior to H&M, and Café Vita is superior to Starbucks. Also, espresso is superior to Starbucks mocha Frappuccino‘s, even though more people drink Frappuccino‘s than espresso‘s.

Therefore, to increase your creativity and self-confidence as a photographer artist, it is subtractive. Subtract social media from your life. Delete Instagram, and post it all to your own blog instead.

3. Digital or analog, both is good

The bias is analog is superior to digital, and if one does it digitally, it is somehow “cheating“, or inferior. This is the general artistic snobbery we have when it comes to painting, photography, reading, writing, etc.

However, if you want to become the uber artist, the artistic genius — you must best leverage both.

For example, a simple way you could be creative is just to sketch and draw. You could just do it on a piece of printer paper with a pen or a pencil.

Or, you could use the procreate app on iPhone or iPad to make illustrations, and save them to your camera roll as images.

Some thing that I’ve discovered is very enjoyable is calligraphy, and I actually prefer to do it digitally. I cannot be bothered to walk around with a cumbersome piece of ink and pad to make calligraphy. zen brush 2 is my favorite app.

4. All writing is creative

Think about it: when you type something, write something, or voice dictate something, you create words, you create information, and you create ideas.

To me, the notion of “creative writing“ is counter productive. Better to think that all writing is creative.

Therefore, if you want to be creative today, just write something. Write it on a piece of paper, write it on a notebook, or just write it on your blog and publish it.

5. Publishing is creative

If you write something on your blog, or upload a photo, the second that you hit the publish button and send it into the world and the Internet metaverse, you just created something. My personal thought is that something doesn’t exist, until you’ve published it or shared it.

Also, perfection just means completion. When you “perfect“ something, it means that you’re just refining it. My typical thought is just make it 80% good enough in your own mind, and just publish and share it.

6. Just do it on your iPhone

After being a very long-term android user, one thing I’ve discovered that I really love about iPhones is that it is actually a very good creative tool. However, most people use the iPhone as a consumption device, rather than a creator device. Think about all the things you could create on your iPhone: you can create blogs by just shooting videos in selfie mode (even Kanye West said that the iPhone microphone was the best microphone on planet earth), you can write stuff using the iA Writer app, you can make your own podcast with the anchor app, you can make photos and black-and-white photos with the provoke app, look at these great photos from Brendan O Se.

There are 1 trillion ways you could create and be creative on the iPhone, why don’t we just use it?

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Creative resources

1. Creative books
2. Creative straps
3. Digital creative tools

Discover all creative HAPTIC products >

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Go out and shoot any photo that you consider creative. Then upload it to arsbeta.com for honest feedback and constructive critique

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If this gave you any creative thoughts, feel free to forward to a friend!

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ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER LINK

Rather than judging your self-worth in comparison to others, better to measure yourself according to your own inner scorecard, a concept I got from the investor Warren Buffett.

By filling the frame when you’re composing and shooting photos, you make stronger compositions.

Why laptop is better than iPad

You use iPad to import, and flag your photos, but you still gotta eventually airdrop it into your laptop.

Cut out the middle-man; just use the laptop.

Better to restore something old, and make it new, than just buy something new.

What mistake do we make as photographers? We don’t shoot enough photos of the scene.

If you shoot digital, small JPEG, and also you use small thumbnails (contact sheets) to review and flag your photos, then it makes sense to quickly scan all your photos of the scene.

There is really no downside to shooting more photos of the scene; only upside.

A realization —

Fear mongering starts from childhood, and persists into adulthood and beyond.

Then when the (fear mongered) kids become adults, they continue the cycle with their kids.

So what are we to do? Break the chain.

What if the opposite were true?

Treat others how you would like to be treated — only when applied to inter pares (to those whom you consider your equals).

With foods, restaurants, tools, and lifestyle things, better to abstain than partake in the mediocre.

More efficient and effective:

1. Quickly look through your photos, much faster.
2. You can better tell which compositions are stronger or weaker, when you see them as small thumbnails.
3. Perhaps a good way to know whether a photo is strong or not — does it pop out as a small thumbnail? If so, it is a strong photo.
4. When seeing photos as small thumbnails (contact sheet), you can quickly flag/pick/favorite photos you like.
5. You can better judge the compositions of your photos by quickly seeing the photo compositions edge to edge. You can get a better sense of the overall gist of the composition; whether triangle, leading lines, the position of your subject, the amount of sky in the frame, curves, arabesque, circle, etc.

The upside of paying for things and buying things and spending money on things:

It is a badge of what you personally care for, and believe in.

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Why does marketing matter so much? Because marketing is a promise. Marketing is an ideal.

We don’t buy the thing for the thing — we buy it for the promise of a happier, greater, more productive and more beautiful life.

What we desire isn’t more mental stimulation, but physical.

Aesthetic ideal — for cars and humans.

The true luxury. To optimize yourself or your things, lifestyle and approach is a slave approach.

Photography is a full stack approach. Photography is not just the act of shooting the photo, but also making sense of it. After you shoot the photo, reviewing the photos, and internalizing the photos is very important.

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What do I desire? To become lighter than air.

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Perhaps the practical reason to be grateful is this: when you are grateful, you are more empowered. You realize that you actually have more options than you think you do.

Also, when you count your blessings, it gives you a sense of strength. You count up your possessions and your blessings, and your advantages, and you realize, I got this.

Also, it expands your mind and yourself. For example, if you count all the blessings of all the possessions you have, and the lifestyle you currently have, it allows you to move onto better stuff. Like focusing on your artwork, your creative work, and thinking higher and loftier turbo thoughts.

Let us consider, what kind of attitude do you desire to convey?

For example, with brands, we desire to purchase certain brands, because we desire to obtain that attitude. For example, we want the Lamborghini car because we want the Lamborghini attitude, which is audacious, bored, fearless, and ego driven.

Or, we want the Tesla because we want the Elon Musk attitude. Or we want the attitude of being futuristic, modern, progressive, and Advanced.

Or we want the muscle car, because we want the muscle. We want a loud, strong, and classic attitude.