The Inner Path of Photography

We yearn for the taste of the sacred…and through our cameras discover it, the world, and ourselves.

Tag: creativity

January 8, 2010

We all start somewhere…David Bowie’s demo recording, 1969

I was listening to mvyradio this morning as I was working, and a cut by David Bowie caught my attention. It was a version of “Space Oddity” I had never heard before…acoustic…and very personal. Before he even started playing, you heard him quietly say “I’m a little nervous.”

What? David Bowie nervous?

Turns out it was a demo from 1969, when he was first recording. Having to convince radio stations to play his music.

The DJ commented on the song after playing it. She, too was touched by the vulnerability in his voice, and shared my thoughts:

We forget that all talented people have to start somewhere….

That we all have our moments (often more or longer than we’d like) of vulnerability, insecurity, nervousness about our art.

I need to hear about other artist’s challenges, struggles, insecurity…as well as seeing how they persevere, trust their talent, and carry on with their work.

It gives me support in doing the same.

Too often we’re shown the obvious successes, and led to believe that that’s the only story…while in reality, we know that’s only part of the story. We want the highs, of course, but we also want to know that others know the lows are a part of it too. And then the successes become even more thrilling.

There’s a beauty in David Bowie’s vulnerabilty, and in the sound of his voice as he shares that he’s nervous. It makes his singing and talent even more beautiful to me.

Coincidentally, I also found this article today about David Bowie’s first fan fan letter and his response. Same beginner’s vulnerability.

May we all retain that pure innocence of simply enjoying our art, and appreciating someone else’s recognition and pleasure in it too.

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August 26, 2009

The Inner Path of Photography – intensive seminar, starts September 8th

Hi…well, the intro class is over, and now it’s time for the big stuff!

4  Tuesdays in September…nine  hours of learning, exploring, and becoming even more adept at listening to your inner voice, matching it with your outer vision, and creating the images and life that bring you joy and satisfaction.

I’m really enjoying sharing my expertise that integrates my background in photography, psychotherapy, and meditative and healing arts; let me share the magic with you.

SEPTEMBER, 2009

“THE INNER PATH OF PHOTOGRAPHY”
Intensive Seminar

September 8, 15, 22, 29, 2009 (4 Tuesdays), 6:15 pm – 8:30 pm
Houston, TX (Montrose area, location upon registration)
Fee: $150.00

“Each artist going in his own direction at some time walks on water.”

– Minor White, Photographer

What is the inner experience of photography? Deep, spiritual, rarely discussed…it is what seduces us and send us out to shoot again and again. We yearn for the taste of the sacred…and through our cameras discover it, the world, and ourselves.

This class is for those who want to explore more deeply the intuitive, mystical part of their photography practice, work with personal blocks to full creative expression, as well as learn more about themselves and life challenges and choices.

Drawing on the tradition of the photographer Minor White, and using techniques and philosophies from Zen, psychology, and other contemplative and healing practices, we’ll come to understand more fully this silent experience, apply it to our art, and enhance the quality of both our photography and life.

Attention, resonance, the “still point”…choices, perfectionism, the “click,”…openness to experience, making art vs. being in the flow, embracing the creative process: these are some of the tools that we’ll explore as you build your inner photography practice and improve your outer resulting images.

As you more deeply understand and work with your inner artistic process, you’ll also see how life parallels art, and through this increased awareness,  learn how to more easily dance with  your own life challenges and decisions.

Class includes lecture, exposure to diverse photographic expressions & philosophy, meditative and other experiential,  outside applications (homework), shooting and sharing of photographs.

***Click here to register  online ****

OR

Contact Heidi at heidi@straubephoto.com or 713.521.1676


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August 23, 2009

I love teaching Inner Path Photography!

Hey, thanks to all who participated in the “Introduction to the Inner Path of Photography” workshop yesterday…We really covered a lot, didn’t we? Inside and out, spiritually and tangibly.

Good insights, good photographs too…and some nice perspectives to apply to our lives, whether shooting photographs or not.

I remembered how much I love to teach what I believe in and that inspires me…and also how much I learn from participants at the same time.

Loved affirming that we all share similar challenges as photographers:  wanting  perfectionism, finding our own muse, avoiding the “shoulds” of others; recognizing the “shoulds” of our own inner slave driver and allowing ourselves to play!

And beginning the discussion of how to work with those challenges, and get back to the joy we felt when we first discovered our new love affair.

“M”: thanks for the “I want to go to bed with my camera again!” sentiment…It captures so beautifully what we’re all yearning for and love to feel when the that photographic/inner spirit passion connects.

Yesterday was inspiring, supportive, and full of camaraderie. That’s what I love about photographers…most are grooving on the joy of life, and enjoy sharing their discoveries and feeling.

Now I’ll get ready for the September intensive….So many ideas, so little time!

(See “Inner Path classes” tab on this blog; also you can find description here on my transformational life counseling site.)

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August 18, 2009

Photographer’s Anxiety: Making choices

Today I finally have a whole afternoon that I can print photos. I scheduled it that way, and have been looking forward to it, particularly because a group of my photographer friends are coming over tonight to share our work.

“This will be great!” I thought, “I’ll have so many (wonderful, of course) images to show!”

Well.

I’ve been sitting here for the last 45 minutes, browsing through photo shoots with hundreds of images, trying to decide which ones to print.

And feeling totally anxious, truly,  physically anxious…my chest tight, hard to breathe, body tense.

What’s that about?! This is supposed to be fun!

I’m looking…looking…trying to choose…

I have photos from Martha’s Vineyard in June, photos from my brother’s visit and our trip to Galveston in July, photos from my niece and family’s visit to my mother’s in Connecticut. Photos from my latest move, images of my latest storage home :), images from the first day I moved into this beautiful housesit, squirrel images, rain images……aaaack!!

And I want to print them all…RIGHT NOW.

But I can’t print them all this afternoon. Why not? Because I’m not just printing snapshots, I’m printing fine art prints. Which involves making light and color decisions, choosing the best image among similar ones, making paper decisions, trying out prints, seeing what works best, coming up with the ultimate version that makes me happy.

And that takes time. And now I’m already running out of it. And I feel like I have to choose “the most important” images in order to use my time well. Plus, ok, honestly, I want to have something wonderful to show my friends tonight.

What else? Ahem…a little deeper: There’s a whole emotional piece here,  the proverbial elephant in the room.

I  can’t decide whether I want to go the family portraits route and get into that emotional connection, go the landscape direction and be in expanded ocean feeling, or go play with artsy documentation of the moving transition I’ve been making.

They all sound good! They’re all different feelings! I want them all! Now!

And any one of those directions also has the potential to make me feel…conflicted. Not as talented as I’d like to be. Bored. Wishing my life were different.

Crazy-making, right? No wonder artists get such a reputation for being neurotic! I guess we are 🙂

But “neurotic” in a good way.

I like my standards of excellence. I like seeing that I have many choices of artistic direction.

I like the feeling of creation and finally getting into the flow and seeing magic happen as the photos emerge on paper.

And I realize that there’s also the flip side of the creative process: the resistance, the fear of failure, the feeling that it must come out right as soon as possible, the not wanting to “waste” time even though you know that “wasting” time is actually part of the process.

The wanting to have it all, express it all, share the urgency of feeling/seeing all of this beauty and spirit with others, yet knowing that others may not appreciate it.

Hmm, another life theme  as well as a creative challenge. Wanting to do it all, resisting making choices, wanting to know the “right” one, afraid of wasting time. Wanting others to appreciate my efforts. Forgetting that my life’s path is not a rational, straight line, and that any choice will make things unfold, and the adventure will continue.

Enough! Here’s what I’m going to do.

Stop writing this blog.

Embrace my anxiety and delight in my artist’s dilemma (this anxiety must mean I’m a true artist, right? 🙂

Go in the kitchen and eat lunch.

And return ready…

…to be an amazing photographer, in the flow, listening to my inner knowing.

Ready to make some choices, let go of perfectionism,  see what my spirit finds to play with, find the magic, and enjoy the process.

Ready to share the outcome, whatever it may be, with others.

Stay tuned…

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