Necessity is the mother and the source of all innovation. When we need to innovate, we will discover new innovations. We don’t need to force innovations — seeking to innovate for the sake of making money, etc.
Perhaps this means:
Don’t seek innovation for the sake of innovation. Perhaps it is better to innovate for the sake of dealing with problems or issues which actually affect our real lives.
For too long philosophers, thinkers, and common people have believed the body and soul (spirit) to be separate. But what if the body and soul were one in the same? Two sides of the same coin.
Striving to be “goodâ€at something. But instead, I believe we should strive to be GENUINE— authentic, real, naked, exposed, transparent, and courageous to own your own opinion, thoughts, and beliefs!
Determine which city or location is optimal for your personal creativity, self-development, thriving, and strength — and stay there and leverage your strengths to maximize your impact on the world!
Don’t strive to ADD superfluous technology to your life. Instead, strive to REMOVE technology from your life. Keep subtracting until you only have the bare essentials necessary to your personal artistic and creative thriving.
Probably one of the best ideas which have come out of Silicon Valley is the notion of the “MVP” (minimum viable product). I am not sure who first coined the phrase, but my guess it is Ryan from BackYard Brew in Palo Alto.
Anyways the extrapolation I have is this:
What if we applied a ‘minimum viable’ design philosophy, or thinking philosophy, or life philosophy to everything?
Fewer choices .. more happiness, focus, and productivity?
Minimal clothing choices: Less stress how to dress yourself everyday. Easier to get out of the house.
Minimal photo choices (one camera, one lens): More focus on shooting. Less “paralysis by analysisâ€.
Fewer choices for work, play, or eating/drinking: The joy of getting to know a few places very well, than to know lots of places superficially.
For travel: Better to travel to a few places you really really like (and going back multiple times), than to see all the cities in the world only once.
Better to have a library of a few books you truly treasure, and read them all over and over again, than to read many books only once or so.
The fewer apps on your phone or computer, the better.
The smaller your apartment or home, the less stress, the better.
Fujifilm makes great cameras— probably some of the best “bang for the buckâ€cameras. Imagine Fujifilm cameras being like a Lexus— truly nothing wrong with it! Great performance, good aesthetics, and a solid price point.
Perhaps the optimal human state is maximizing your “flow state” everyday, all day, for the most of everyday. Some practical ideas:
Don’t do anything you don’t care for, or what you’re not passionate about.
Spend as little time on email, your phone, messaging, social media, communications, internet as possible.
If you want to enter a flow state, turn off your phone for long periods of time.
Drink lots of black coffee or 100% cocoa powder while fasting, to master and maximize your metabolism.
In order to maximize your flow state, also maximize your physical activity during the day. For me this is lots of walking, standing, squatting, or powerlifting at the gym.
Music to get into a flow state. Experiment with instrumentals (no lyric music) as well.
Don’t consume any media that “fucks up your high” or “vibe”. Avoid toxic news, media, people, foods, drinks.
What is the point of making photos? They are insignificant anyways.
Nihilism: the (loser) philosophy that ‘nothing has meaning, thus I shall do nothing’ (Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy). Unfortunately this type of nihilistic thinking victimizes intelligent (atheist) individuals. If we live in a world without god, or a cosmic “reason” to life — why do anything?
Success as a photographer means to never stop shooting new photos!
If we use this as our definition for photography and art, then perhaps Henri Cartier-Bresson wasn’t a successful photographer (he gave up photography), and we can consider Richard AVEDON (died while on assignment) and Josef Koudelka (in his 80s and still traveling and making new photos) as highly successful.
When I start blogging, I have no idea how it will end
Similar thinking: treat blogging as “live-streamingâ€your mind! With all your “flawsâ€and “bad†grammar.
More important for it to be your own personal and genuine thoughts. To not simply rehash what others have said. To express YOUR OWN opinion on a matter!
Acting courageously, and not obtaining your desired consequences isn’t “failureâ€. It is just practical information you can use to tinker, improve, and trial-and-error yourself forward and upwards!
When it comes to interacting with others — there are times in which your “selfless†actions are actually very self-interested. And other times when your “selfish†actions are actually quite selfless in benefitting others.
