Think beyond photography — embrace all forms of visual artwork and creation!

A thought in life:

Perhaps the best mode of being and being alive is to feel maximally alive, with the maximum feeling of power.

What does it mean to have a creative attitude?

To have a creative attitude means desiring to direct all your energies to CREATE! The ultimate apotheosis as becoming the ultimate hybrid of artist, philosopher, and creator.

A thought when perusing some luxury stores at the mall —

Wow, the dynamic range between high-end luxury goods and “fast fashion” is so much in terms of build quality, materials, and innovation in fashion.

Which got me thinking —

Why are luxury goods so much better (and so much more expensive) than basic goods?

Takashi Nakagawa — one of the most talented visual artists I know.

What if all your vices were indeed, your supreme virtues?

A strange thing I’ve noticed:

Many people are more interested in things, objects, fashion-totems, cars, clothes, etc than being interested in other people.

For example– if you’re a (heterosexual) man, what do you find more attractive– a Porsche car or a beautiful woman? Are you more impressed by Rolex watches or human muscles? Are you more impressed with fashion clothing-items, or the actual human individual wearing it?

An experiment —

Try using your phone and devices at the lowest brightness setting for the entire day — and use this as an opportunity to experiment with UI-UX usability, to better judge images and compositions, to improve battery life, and also to spend less mindless time on the phone.

It is evident that to be stronger is better to be weaker, that having more muscles is better than having less muscles. Strength is desirable, and the stronger you are, the better.

A question on my mind:

From a physiological perspective, how does one in-fact become stronger? How does one grow stronger muscles?

Let me explore:

Creating a body-mind-hand connection between ourselves and our technological tools.

Practical thoughts on improving/maximizing/’hacking’ our human metabolism for the better:

A thought:

What if you dedicated all of your physical/metabolic energies towards producing visual artwork– whether they be photographs, illustrations, videos, or any other form of artistic creation?

You got the power to publish yourself in your own hands. Fuck the gatekeepers— you got your own key, to publish yourself oh so freely!

To curate your photos means to create a series of photos that you care about.

Also, the word “curious” is also derived from the word care. Which means, when you’re curious about something it means you care enough/interested enough about it that you’re willing to explore it more, and perhaps take a small risk in order to do so!

Human body — beautiful shapes, forms, arabesque:

Spontaneous — of your own accord.

The artist as somebody with overabundant energy, and has the strength to put forth their vital energies through their artworks. To express their inner strength and power into visual, audio, or any other external forms.

The artist builds an external representation of their own inner reality.

A thought I’ve been thinking about:

Perhaps we can judge things into two categories: things which get BETTER over time, and things which get WORSE over time.

How do we become more prolific? Some thoughts:

The more prolific (creatively productive I am), the happier I am.

You were born to photograph.

Composition is about gesture.

I think it is good to have heroes and people you look up to. However ultimately– shouldn’t we strive to become MORE like ourselves…instead of becoming more like others?

Simple ideas:

HUJI CAM: one of the most interesting innovations for photography.

HYPE IT UP

DOPE YOU UP

Don’t consume what’s lit, make yourself the hit.

Hype is trite

Inner-hype is excite

Keep motivated like a bike

No likes, only greats

Keep running forward, don’t stay in place. No 1-base hit, swing for the fences

Channel that inner tension into something explosive

Shoot for the moon, shoot for the skies

Whatever you do, aim high.

ERIC

We are slaves to fear, and for the most part (unfortunately in modern times), most of our actions and how we live is based on fear.

A point and shoot camera —

Don’t worry about perfection— the importance of just shooting and capturing moments which resonate with you.

Point and shoot cameras as a more “direct” way of shooting photos — with less conscious effort. Shooting more unconsciously as a superior form of photography.

Life is a stream. As artists, we stream artwork, knowledge, and information.

A philosophy:

In life, decide as late as possible.

This notion comes from principles of ‘lean software development‘, generally originating from the Toyota Production System (‘just-in-time manufacturing‘ philosophy).

A thought when at the gym today:

What is our goal with physical fitness and life?

The ultimate stage is for you to make your own art — for you to never stop creating, innovating, and pushing yourself further— to higher heights, and more sublime beauty in your artwork!

A simple process of photography:

1. Shoot photos
2. Select the photos you like
3. Share the photos you consider personally-meaningful

Could we do this into infinity?

Eternal life… in order to do what?

Never placate others to avoid them from hating you
Placate yourself, please yourself, and do it with help from yourself and your own soul’s wealth.

We’ve all been dealt different hands, but we have the power to make our own plans
We got skill, insight, intuition and strength,
We got the power to do anything we want.

So what do you really really want? Not for yourself to vaunt on social or the gram.
What do you really want for you, and for yourself?
Do you really care to placate and appease others who already lack confidence in themselves? Are you doing it for the masses, hoping to make a pact with them, to get them to clap for you?

Clap and applaud yourself, for sticking to your own life goals, and building your own dope world.

Life is short, brutal, and hard — but you’re harder, smarter, and more swole than circumstances.

So take your chances and be bold. Why wait? The world is yours.

ERIC

People make the sucker mistake thinking that money is the ultimate wealth.

What is the real purpose of wealth? We don’t own money for the sake of owning money. If you were starving in a cell, and had a trillion dollars sitting next to you, and you couldn’t trade the money for food– obviously you’re not going to be ‘rich’. The only purpose of money in modern society is to trade money for items, tools, housing, food, experiences, and things.

Then comes the question–

What is the greatest human good?

My belief:

The highest human good is freedom!

Freedom to think what you want to think, the freedom to do what you want to do, the freedom over your time-schedule-mind, and the freedom of self-expression and self-creation.

So once again friends–let us not get suckered and deceived.

Money as a ROAD and a BRIDGE in order to achieve maximal freedom/control in your life.

Never control freedom/control in your life for more money– this is the ultimate trap.

ERIC

It seems in modern times with social media, Netflix, YouTube, video games, phones, etc– we are distracting ourselves to death.

We are so afraid of being with ourselves, and striving towards an Uber-epic goal or aim in life that we endlessly distract ourselves.

Also the other ill:

Modern life is constructed in a way to distract us (often without us even knowing about it).

What environment do you best thrive in?

You are your own authority

Write your own verses, the lyrics to your own story

Never bow down or cower to another,

You’re the superior– cheerier, stronger — never getting wearier.

Never look to another; only look at you, through and through

Look into your own depths, and see yourself reflected clear as day.

I believe I am an optimistic nihilist. A nihilist in the sense that I don’t believe that there is an ultimate ‘truth’ in the world, and that there is no ultimate ‘purpose’ of being alive.

However I am optimistic– optimistic of human potential, optimistic of the future, and optimistic of what we can become!

Simple photographic philosophies to get you going:

Not good or bad …will it make you stronger or weaker?

To be more productive and creative, REMOVE and SUBTRACT the superfluous your life ! 

Rather than thinking what new devices and things you can add to your life to “improve” your productivity, efficiency, effectiveness, or whatever — experiment for a month to constantly subtract (don’t use a phone, don’t use your tablet, don’t use your headphones or listen to music, etc).

Never stop culling!

ERIC

Aesthetics AND Composition are Essential for Photography

Never look back; anti-nostalgia. We must forget in order to dream new, attempt new, and strive for new.

It is our goal to strive for our own personal truth. To discover a deeper level/degree of “truthiness” to our own lives. Deeper and more profound knowledge in ourselves, the optimal conditions for us to thrive (lifestyle, diet, exercise, climate).

I am anti-social media. I believe there are a lot of positive boons (pluses) to social media, but overall for society and the individual– I see social media as a ‘net negative’.

Many of us suffer from not having enough inspiration to shoot photography.

An idea: experiment NOT sharing or uploading photos to social media for a year, and see whether this will inspire you to make new photos for yourself!

The genius of Steve Jobs, Apple, and other great products:

Creating something which is simple, intuitive, and fun to use!

To create things which are a JOY to use, and tools which EMPOWER us!

Better to Set Epic Goals and Fail, than to Accomplish Mediocre Goals

A life philosophy:

Our lives are short — why waste it being normal, average, or mediocre?

Volition is my mission to exercise

To guide me through the path of my life— to fight with all the beautiful strife.

To thrive, to fly higher, to take the hits and punches like Ryu from street fighter

To get lit, lighter — wings spread high, golden glue— they won’t rip or tear, on these golden stairs to the next level, the next frontier.

The future is bright, dare you steer?

ERIC

The photos you decide to shoot and not shoot reflect your own personal aesthetic and philosophical preferences — what you deem as beautiful (and not beautiful).

The subject-matter you photograph reflects your social circle, where you live, and the things which you experience.

Takeaway:

The more subjective your photos to your own personal life, the better.

All his photos are auto-biography — let us not let the silly notion of “objectivity” to cloud or blind our creative insight and genius!

ERIC

We all have gut instincts for our own personal and creative needs , desires, and wants (self-preservative instincts).

We must have the courage to obey our own gut instincts. This means:

Never do anything which is contrary to your gut instincts.

My thought:

We should strive as photographer-artists to make pictures which are beautiful! We optimize our camera, equipment, processing style, composition and form to reflect this.

What is happiness? Is happiness important?

Perhaps the best way to live our lives is to strive to max out everyday.

Why is it that children are so artistically creative, innovative, and productive? Their “tabula rasa” approach to life and artistic creation. Because they don’t have any prior knowledge of the history of art, they can create without constraint, self-judgement, or insecurity!

Matisse as one of the masters of composition and color:

To Be More Creative, Spend More Time in Coffee Shops.

Besides the caffeine, it seems the biggest benefit of doing creative work at a coffee shop is that it makes you more creatively productive! While at the coffee shop, I feel more stimulated and alert, I’m motivated, and have the energy and drive to actually make things!

Why is this? Some theories:

My thought:

Image quality is overrated. We should optimize our cameras and tools to make more beautiful aesthetic images!

For example:

1. Beautiful grit and grain in images (digital cameras that have film filter/grain presets)
2. Ability to turn on random light effects in our cameras (like HUJI cam and Calla Cam). The joy of light leaks, and discoloration.
3. Experiment shooting film, or jpeg on digital cameras with film effects. Or on the smartphone with Huji cam or Calla Cam.

Strive to fulfill your own true needs.

A true need as a need that YOU have deemed is right for yourself, and worthy of yourself.

Let us make this our own personal imperative in life:

To obey ourselves, our own inclinations, to follow our own instincts, and when our gut says something is bad for us — to listen to our gut!

To become more self-focused. To obey our own selfish needs and desires (not to see “selfishness” as a vice, but our ultimate creative virtue!)

Zen not as a meek mentality — zen as simple, strong, concentrated, powerful— without superfluous distractions, superfluous weight.

“I photograph to see what the world looks like photographed.”

Garry Winogrand

Whenever you see anything, just photograph it; you can never predict 100% what the final photo will look like!

Photograph it because you’re curious what the scene will look like as a photograph.

Use your life, your personality, your ego, and experiences in order to create art!

The photographer as the currently most evolved form of artist-cyborg, embracing technological tools to create artwork. 

The most satisfying part of existence is to be an artist … to disappear into your artwork … and to keep making art.

Artist as the apex individual in society — artist-philosopher-king, tyrant ?

Reality looks more fun and interesting with photography!

Southwest flight to Honolulu. Gonna be here for a month for Cindy’s work; traveling light with just my Xiaomi 9 SE phone, iPhone 6S Plus and 13 inch MacBook Pro.

Change, bust out the range
Ride out the bills– do it for real.

You cannot change yourself without pain
No gain without insane faith in your potential
Gravity isn’t holding you down; so why stay on the ground?

Loud out your sound–sonic boom it
Take opportunities in life with no Guile
If you live to be 120 in great health, you’ll be here for a while

So stay strong, stay woke.
Keep your mind swole, and you’ll never go broke.

ERIC