ERIC KIM

The best portfolio is a digital one. Why digital? More flexibility, customization, and ability to add and remove photos at will!

I will make the heretical statement:

A digital portfolio is *superior* to a traditional print-based analogue portfolio (printed book, in-person gallery exhibition, prints, etc).

Why? My thoughts:

We are all obsessed with ‘building a brand’ and ‘branding’. But what if the best brand were no brand?

The notion of being a “master” comes from the Proto Indo European “meghs” which means “big, great” (same word as magnus, and “mega” in Latin).

So how does one become “mgh” (mega, great, magnum?) Simple— here are my thoughts:

When to be stubborn, when to be flexible? My thought:

Be insanely stubborn for 1% of the insanely important things in your life. Then be uber-flexible with the other 99% petty things in your life that you “kind of” care for.

In other words:

Become more stubborn for what you truly care for, and become more flexible for what you don’t really care for, or what you feel “meh” about.

Kids are the ultimate creators. In some ways, a child playing is the apex of power and creativity. In this regard, we must play more with children and *become* more child-like.

Some of my thoughts on the philosophy of playing with kids:

ZEN VIBES:

What Becomes MORE Valuable Over Time, What Becomes LESS Valuable Over Time?

The general gist:

Don’t concern or worry too much about your own personal needs. Meet the bare minimum for your basic human needs, and devote the rest of your intellectual and creative metabolic energy towards greater ends!

I have zero qualms about investing any money that makes me more productive and focused.

Also— monetary investments to gain new and interesting experiences, or towards education of any sort. Or using money to buy more time, free up more of your mental space (trading money to gain more “mind space”). These investments always have zero ounces of regret attached to them!

No regrets or sad feelings in life. Perhaps everything which happened had happened as it *should* have happened.

This doesn’t mean that everything happens for a reason, but it is a good mental tool to help us cope with (past) reality, recognizing much was out of our control, and we will never truly have 100% control over reality, the future or fate.

Or as Nietzsche coined the phrase: “Amor fati” (love your fate, or what happened to you, or what will happen to you!)

Then nothing? So why doubt yourself, be fearful, and why not not pursue what you’re truly passionate and enthusiastic for in life?

My simple approach to life. The general gist:

My life purpose is to plumb the depths of human experience, knowledge, wisdom and art and by having unique human experiences I can learn. Then my end game is to share these lessons with others!

In other words I experiment with everything in order to gain deeper truths about reality, being human and society. Then I can transcend myself and just transform myself into a tool to serve and help empower others!

Convenient comes from “convenio” in Latin (to come together): con (with) + venio (to meet).

Typically when we think about convenience culture, we see it as a vice. To do what is convenient is seen as lazy, immoral, and bad.

But what if convenience was the superior mode of life … convenience as a road and a means to more artistic and creative productivity in life?

My first blog post (Hello World) on June 21st, 2010. I suppose my 10 year anniversary has elapsed a bit, but some thoughts:

Surprisingly the RICOH GR III is really good for macro photography; shooting uber-close. The macro abilities of RICOH GR III are actually substantively closer than the ability of the RICOH GR II. The improved macro function of the RICOH GR III over the GR II alone is worth the upgrade!

Lately one of my new fun hobbies and passions in photography and video:

Shooting macro videos on my RICOH GR III of everyday stuff.

For example:

Also notions on “true” entrepreneurship vs “vain” entrepreneurship.

Quick thoughts:

1. Not as heavy as I thought it would be. Feels only marginally heavier than my 13” MacBook Pro Touch Bar. Perhaps in this new COVID world where we won’t be traveling as much, it seems like it makes more sense to get a (refurbished) 16” MacBook Pro Touch Bar instead of getting the 13” MacBook Pro Touch Bar.
2. The keyboard feels much better than the 13” MacBook Pro Touch Bar. More key travel equals less carpal tunnel for typing (sad truth I get carpal tunnel and wrist and finger pain when typing on my 13” MacBook Pro Touch Bar for too long).
3. The screen seems substantively brighter (at max brightness) when compared to 13” MacBook Pro Touch Bar. I can notice the difference and it is good.

The more eggs, the better:

Fuck it you only got one life to live. Why waste any of it thinking small, doing small, being afraid, and taking no risks? Let us not be fooled my friends… the best life is the life with the maximum amount of risk, the maximum amount of insanity, and the maximum amount of attempting (to ‘essay’ or ‘assay’ the great!)

A realization:

It isn’t money, power, fame, or notoriety I desire… but control.

Control over myself, control over my decisions, control to do what I want to do, and control to *NOT* do what I don’t want to do.

Don’t expect others to treat you the way you treat them.

This then means:

You are a magnanimous monster of great and highly virtue. If others act petty around you; don’t let it faze you.

You just do you (meaning, you pursue your epic virtue for the sake of it and for the sake of yourself!

ERIC

New thought:

Life is too short. Let’s put ourselves in a robust (antifragile) stoic position that nothing any longer fazes us.

A thought and realization:

With COVID and beyond, the car becomes an external skin (like the Iron Man armor). It becomes a second home and a new mobile work space.

So perhaps when it comes for you to buy a car consider:

If I became homeless, could I live and work out of my car?

Perhaps the new millennial way to work and live: just live out of your car!

A new thought and social innovation idea:

We do home share (Airbnb) we do car share (Uber); why not life share?

Uber-simple approach to sharing your photos:

Just share your own photos on your own blog!

A brief primer to digital photography:

In life if you approached it like it were all fun and games … wouldn’t you be happier, more productive, more creative and more passionate about living?

Photograph like a child!

Just read a bit of the book, ‘Aristotle’s Way‘ (published by Penguin/Random House) and really liked the section and chapter on leisure, as well as the conclusion. The gist:

In other words, the process and effort is the reward!

For the most part, I FAAAR prefer interacting and playing with kids than adults. Why? We have soooo much more to learn from children:

1. Their phenomenal sense of creativity, disregard for rules and ‘social tact’. They speak what is *really* on their mind.
2. I wonder if children (if we observe their thought patterns and behaviors, etc) are the more *true* form of human being. The modern adult as simply a castrated, domesticated (herd) animal. Children are like wild beasts; is this our primal nature?

Why not rather instability?

Consider … if an object is uber-stable and at rest, it is boring. No motivation to move, advance or do anything. Whereas instability means:

Move, change, advancement forwards.

Do anything for 10 years with passion, enthusiasm and zest and you will master it. For me this includes photography, blogging, lifting weights, talking, traveling, and teaching.

I am convinced. RICOH GR III is the best camera of all time (thus far). Why? Reasons:

1. The smallest size of all time, and the most premium. Smaller than even the great RICOH GR II, with better performance. Also lighter. The smaller and lighter your camera, the more you will carry it with you everywhere you go and the more you will shoot. And for us photographers, to make *new* photos is our lifeblood.
2. The best JPEG files: Cross process filter on JPEG is phenomenal. So is the high contrast black and white monochrome mode. You will never need to shoot RAW ever again!!
3. Shoots great videos and is perfect for vlogging.
4. The best price. You cannot beat the ‘bang for the buck‘ compared to any other camera on the market.
5. The sharpest photos. Sharpest photos… even more sharp than digital Leica photos! Also the resolution of the JPEG files are huge (6000 x 4000 pixels). You can print insanely huge, and also pixel peep a ton as well (if you want).
6. Charges via USB-C: This means you can use your MacBook Pro charger to recharge your Ricoh GR III … insanely useful.

Long story short, get RICOH GR III.

ERIC

In photography and life, never stop curating your photos.

Some of my best photos (a dynamic, ongoing list):

If you try to compete with anyone (besides yourself) you’re gonna lose.

Who is ERIC KIM? Why is he so opinionated? Where does he come from? What does he want?