ERIC KIM ₿

What if losing followers were a good thing?

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Originally sent on ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER [see email here].

Dear friend,

Many of us are currently stuck at home, and it might be hard to stay inspired in your photography. Here are some practical words of encouragement for you:

1. Selfie project: Shoot selfies of yourself! Shoot your hand, face, body limbs, silhouette, reflection, shadow, etc. You can shoot monochrome or color. Experiment with flash. You can also experiment shooting with -1 or -2 exposure-compensation (film noir black and white style).
2. Shoot 4K video (or 1080p video), and take screenshots on your laptop of your favorite stills.
3. Get on the ground and do 20 pushups as quickly as you can, then run around the house and shoot photos of anything which interests you. My theory: a hormonal rush from doing a bunch of pushups will give you a hormonal and creative boost, which can help you find more interesting things to shoot at home.
4. Curate your portfolio. To curate means to select the photos you CARE for. You can also turn it into a slideshow of your favorite photos, and upload it to YouTube! Here is a YouTube tutorial of how I make iMovie slideshows on my Mac with my photos.
5. Photograph interesting textures at home. Look around the house for gritty textures. Photograph the cheese grater at home. Photograph your carpet. Photograph your towels. Anything with textures is good!
6. Shoot photos from your window. You might not be able to go outside, but you can still shoot outside!
7. Start your photography website. I recommend bluehost.com and installing wordpress.org. How to build your own website here.
8. Photograph your loved one. If you’re home with a roommate, child, partner, wife, husband, etc… photograph them! Photograph what and who you love.
9. Face-time or video-call your friends, family, or anyone you care for… and shoot screen-shots of you two having a good time!
10. Shoot a vlog and explain why you love photography. Then upload it to your blog.
11. Upload your best #1 photo to arsbeta.com and get real feedback, and give feedback!

Time is tough, but remember friend–

What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger!

ERIC

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What I’m reading right now

I find deep motivation and inspiration from reading, even when stuck at home. Some things I’m reading and really enjoying:

1. The Iliad by Homer [Alexander Pope PDF translation here]
2. Calvin and Hobbes comic (I grew up to this!). See PDF here.
3. Skin in the Game by Nassim Taleb (Kindle). Good essay by Nassim Taleb on Medium [for free here]. You can also find different download options on Penguin website (I read it on iBooks on my iPad).
4. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley, free pdf here).
5. The History of the Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides [free epub here]

Use this chance to catch up with great literature to inspire and motivate you to create more artwork!

Create like today were your last!

ERIC

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Inspirational Films and Cinema to Motivate You From Home

If you wanna watch some great cinema, here are some of my personal favorites:

1. Ghost in the shell anime (1995)
2. 2001 Space Odyssey
3. 300 (SPARTA!!!!)
4. John Wick (all of them are good. My favorites are the 2nd John Wick, then the 1st John Wick, then the 3rd John Wick)
5. The Matrix (classic)

Suggestion:

When you watch these films, see them on your laptop and take screenshots of any stills you like!

ERIC

To curate your photos means to choose the photos you care for.

So friend– which photos do you truly care for?

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Practical ideas:

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I don’t know about you, but I desire to live to become 120 years old, hopefully in hyper-epic health.

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In life, you can have your cake and eat it too! Or, how to kill two birds with one stone.

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CURRENTLY I feel hyper-happy. Why? My physiological strength is off the Richter.

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You don’t know when you’re gonna die. So perhaps make and create art-works like today were your last day on planet earth. And of course, share it with others! Share it on your own website, blog, YouTube, or directly with friends via email, messenger, text message, email newsletter!

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What makes life so sweet? The opportunity to create art.

I have spoken. RICOH IS KING. The best camera on the market, at any price-point.

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What is reality? Going outside.

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A concept I learned from Nassim Taleb I find very practical in thinking about life:

There will always be “freak accidents” (black swans, things that come out of nowhere) in reality.

The benefit of studying the past — realizing that so many people in the past are generally caught with their pants down before a crisis or calamity happens.

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What’s the best type of artwork? Artwork which motivates others, and yourself!

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How does one become rich or make money? Simple — add to economic activity, and take as much as you can (as long as you give more than you take!)

Also, add to the wealth of others. Wealth can be metaphorical (health wealth, physical wealth, mental wealth, creative wealth).

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We gonna be alright. Take away the fright and the scare. No need for faith weather, because you’re already seasoned and weather-proof. Gore-Tex it up, step it up.

You’re stronger than you think. Stronger than mink or the sword. You’re the lord and the ruler. Never judge yourself according to someone else’s yard; the point is to go HAM — go hella hard!

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Time for us to hunker down and prepare ourselves for this dystopian-esque ‘brave new society’:

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Death is nothing to us.

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You’re the judge.

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Time to go H.A.M. — hard as a motherfucker.

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Why am I so skeptical and suspicious of everything and everyone?

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What is my duty? What is my duty to myself, Cindy, my family, friends, society, and humanity?

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In uncertain times, best to take an insanely epic risk, and become an entrepreneur.

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I always get very suspicious when people engage in “virtuous” acts of valor, and highly broadcast it, and also sort of make you feel bad for not acting as virtuously as them.

Nassim Taleb calls it “virtue signaling”. I call it “virtue flexing”.

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It seems right now, sociology is one of the most important mental toolkits I’ve been using to understand and thrive in this current crazy brave new world.

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Why be optimistic? No downside to optimism; only upside.

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Enslave your fear; don’t become enslaved by your fear!

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My current critique of the media:

It is (mostly) fear porn.

What is fear porn? Let me explain:

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A thought —

Assuming traditional capitalism and consumerism is dead… what are our new goals for humanity?

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In today’s brave new economy — what’s the practical purpose of us as private individuals for money besides buying meat, buying coffee, and paying rent?

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Let us be honest with ourselves:

Even once this clears up, things will never be the way they used to be.

This is a good way to think. Why? It allows us to quickly adapt and move on with our lives!

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Photography Entrepreneurship 101 new concept:

The future will become DIGITAL.

Let me explain:

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Dear friend,

As the world seems like it is going to shit, let us remember:

RIGHT NOW IS THE PRIME TIME TO BE A STREET PHOTOGRAPHER!

My thoughts:

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I think we’re afraid of the fear associated (BEFORE) you die…not the actual death itself.

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NEVER YIELD

RELENTLESS
This means you’ve never bent less
You’re focused, hyper alert
You’re strong, insular, mentally yolked.

You got no fear, only cheer. You delight in the company of your inter-pares peers. You got the faith and confidence to steer.

You drive in this game of life. The strife and pain is what makes it great.

Do you got what it takes to conquer today? AK-47— pull the trigger, aim, and spray.

ERIC

What is stoicism. Why stoicism? My thoughts:

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We are currently in a brave new world, and I don’t think things will ever “go back to the way they used to”. The world is fundamentally changed. Some of my thoughts:

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Why I think I’m so exceptional:

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In praise of photographing trees:

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Now is your time to get hyper-buff (do YouTube workout videos, lift weights, intermittent fasting, etc).

How to grow your muscles >

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Dear friend,

We are currently going through a very epic time in human history. The question:

SHOULD I be out shooting photos right now?

Some thoughts:

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Simple thought in life:

Strive to motivate yourself (to move) to the maximum, and share your ideas/thoughts with others… to also encourage them to move and motivate themselves!

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If you’re stuck at home, iPad is a great creative device– to MAKE AND CREATE new art-works! Some ideas:

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In life, you can categorize almost everything into two categories:

Things which ENCOURAGE you, and things which DISCOURAGE you.

Then it seems the secret to life is this:

Cut out things from your life which DISCOURAGE you, and ADD MORE things to your life which ENCOURAGES YOU.

For example:

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I’ve always been curious about the ‘day of the life’ of other people. Here is my attempt to share my life:

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Tolerance:

Don’t be a tyrant unto me, and I also don’t be a tyrant unto you.

A more tolerant society is a better society. But what are the caveats?

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As a photographer, now is your chance to document and capture an insanely significant period of human history. Go out and shoot!

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A thought:

During these moments of calamity, do I somehow have a duty or obligation to feel afraid and scared? If not, am I somehow a bad person?

For example, I’m currently NOT afraid, but everyone else tells me that I SHOULD be afraid.

Why SHOULD I be afraid? Perhaps it is because if I’m not afraid, then I might get infected, and spread the infection to others, and others can die as a consequence of my negligence. Thus, it seems the rule is:

You SHOULD be afraid because it is for the benefit of the greater collective.

Or in utilitarian terms:

You as an individual aren’t as important as the greater mass of people.

But is this true, or should this notion be posited as truth?

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1. Humans to exist indefinitely, 2. Expression of human power, 3. Take human evolution to the next level.

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My theory:

Pain as the driver of growth!

Or in other words:

You cannot become stronger without pain.

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What’s the point of moving? To propel yourself. To MOVE. Move forward, move upwards… move to a higher level… a new plane!

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Question:

During times of calamity, why make art?

Why make photos? Drawings? Illustrations? Videos? Music? Poems? Writings? Why make anything?

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When we call something “scientific”, we mean to say it is supreme, irrefutable, and the apex. But can science ever prove anything? No. Science can only DISCONFIRM or FALSIFY wrong notions or ideas.

So what are we to do? Best to put more focus on philosophy — which asks:

Why is this even important in the first place? Should we concern ourselves with this matter? What are the potential negative consequences or downsides if we decide to act a certain way?

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Money is motivation. Motivation literally means “to move”.

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We all seem like we’re currently in a state of pandemonium. But what are we really afraid of?

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A thought from my friend Heraclitus:

A fun and noble life goal — strive to gain immortal fame amongst mortals and mankind!

A thought:

Happiness isn’t the goal of life… but to GENERATE and GIVE BIRTH (to new ideas, new art works, and new humans!)

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The great uplifting thought:

Anything in life (if we think about physics), IS POSSIBLE!

And with digital entrepreneurship — truly anything is possible now!

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Pain and suffering as the great stimulus for life!

What is the greatest threat we currently face? Boredom.

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Now is your chance. Your opportunity. This type of opportunity only comes once in (your) lifetime!

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Not everything in life happens for a reason, but we can dictate HOW we want to make it meaningful.

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Whats the apex field of study or pursuit? Philosophy.

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ARSBETA.COM — one of my great gifts to humanity. Without my team and squad (Kevin McKenzie, Cindy Nguyen, Annette Kim, Jun Goodhouse Kim, Ben Mills, Soren Zane), it wouldn’t be possible.

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Fear as the ultimate motivator. Fear as the ultimate filter in life. Fear — knowing that you can and will (eventually) die — you don’t do no bullshit in life and only work on what’s essential to you.

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Dear friend,

Shit is hard, but remember:

You’re stronger than you think you are.

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THE FUTURE BELONGS TO GENERATORS (those whom create, generate, and procreate)!

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Not a crazy thought —

What if you could never leave your own country ever again? Could you still live a happy, meaningful, hopeful, optimistic and great life?

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The ancient greeks didn’t have any interest in traveling

Our new form of flexing your wealth and social class is travel. But what if we could never travel again? Could we still live a happy and meaningful life?

A future with closed borders?

Think the film ‘Children of Men‘. This dystopia of the future with closed borders. It ain’t impossible based on the state of the world right now.

Can we live a MORE meaningful life WITHOUT travel?

The interesting thing for myself:

Ever since everything is closed, I am actually MORE creatively productive and have been able to GENERATE MORE!

Why? So much of modern capitalism and consumerism is a distraction.

For example:

1. Coffee shops are distractions: Better to just work from your nice home apartment.
2. Better to cook your food at home. You can have more hearty meals, more meat, and get more “gains” [gain more muscle]
3. Archimedes lever: Stay in one spot, and you can move the world!

What I eat in my diet:

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What is the best way to live?

Expect the unexpected.

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