Rehabilitating Art.
I saw this man in Ethiopia 4 years ago. Kneeling on one leg, missing the other, letting nothing stand in the way of doing what he was there to do. Not the strongest photograph I’ve ever made, but man do I like this guy’s style. I can’t begin to properly tell you how my time in physical rehab is affecting …
Surrounded
Winston Churchill, by Yousuf Karsh. I love his determination and defiance. The Rehab Centre in Ottawa, in which I am currently imprisoned – I mean, ahem, a resident – has hanging on its walls an amazing collection of large prints by Yousuf Karsh. Karsh has long been one of my favourite photographers, and his influence was one of those that …
Grateful
It’s my second full day in physical rehab. Monday was spent doing intake and assessment. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent kicking my ass. I went to bed Tuesday exhausted, but having walked 16 lengths of the gym. Today I did 20. Tomorrow I’ll do more. Before bed this evening I went for a walk around the ward, made the photograph …
OFF TO REHAB.
Just a quick note to let you know an unexpected spot has opened for me at The Rehab Centre in Ottawa. It’s a residential thing, so tomorrow I’m moving back to the hospital for the month of August. There they will kick my ass for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Then they’ll let me go home for …
August Updates & Wallpapers.
Rio Grande, NM. 2011. Size: 1920×1200 Click the image to access the larger file. What an amazing 3 months. It’s now almost 15 weeks since my accident, and there have been times I didn’t think I was ever going to walk again. I’m still nervous. But I have hope. My casts are off, I’ve been off the sleeping pills and …
Don’t Stop.
Agra Fort. Agra, India. 2008. I rediscovered this sequence of photographs while putting together Photographically Speaking. In the book I discuss one of these images and explore the elements and decisions that make the photograph what it is. But looking at the 3 together I think there’s a lesson along the lines of the stuff I’ve been talking about lately, …
45 Days.
This is a pragmatic post, and I hope it doesn’t sound too preachy. But one of the things creatives struggle with is finding time to create. We all do. I get emails all the time asking how I cram it all in, how I “find the time to do everything I do.” I posted a longer, different response to that …
Creativity: Find Your Rhythm
Finding my own rhythm again hasn’t been easy, but it’s still there. Sometimes the waves just seem to take longer to crest, but they do. This was the first time I really picked up a camera since the accident. It took me two months to get there. Photo: Cynthia Haynes. Every creative person I know goes through ups and downs, …
Originality Part II
A week ago I left what might have been my shortest post ever: Originality is Overrated. It generated some good discussion, and from the comments it seemed to really resonate and get some thoughts going. My own thinking has been stirring too, but before I tell you where those thoughts have -for now – settled, I wanted some ghosts to …
Do The Work
“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” ~Emile Zola Lately I’ve had nothing but time. My feet are still weak and the closest I come to walking is fearful crutch-work across the kitchen floor as I put more and more weight on the feet. I have visions of the screws and plates popping …