Inertia
Finally home after my tour to Tasmania. An amazing week with warm sunny weather. I only put my heavy down jacket on a few times, where as I would usually be living in it full time down there. We were blessed with some soft gentle rain on the last photographic day, at the best location of the trip. The best location is of course totally subjective. So let’s say my favourite locations. Finishing on a high note is always appreciated.
Having not written for what seems like weeks I am feeling the pangs of inertia. Bowman in ‘Rum Doodle’ calls it ‘base camp lassitude’. A book I had totally forgotten about until talking to ‘Buzz’ about our adventures in the bush. If you love the odd mountaineering tale this great book is a fantastic satirical piece on the genre. About an expedition to climb Rum Doodle. The mythical highest mountain in the world. Derek Lucas used to read it to the staff and teenagers on camp at Chakola. Isn’t it funny how memories are triggered. Buzz is an adventure racer and during our Tasmanian tour we compared notes about locations and adventures. Like rafting the Franklin River. That was such a logistical and intense adventure for me. One of few true expeditions, and hence the trigger to remembering Rum Doodle.
Today I am starring down the barrel of 2000 words for a better photography magazine article on ‘Photographic Style’. I have been talking about the topic for a long time. I simply tell people not to worry about it and to concentrate on thier voice. Style is something that others see in your work. If you are consciously choosing or looking for style I believe you are doing it wrong. It is ‘the essence of you’ that emerges over time. So hard to see ourselves. Defining it can sometimes lead to getting stuck in it. I learnt long ago it is way better to just work on creating art you love, for you, and forgetting about your style.
So I definitely am suffering ‘base camp lassitude’ this morning. Finding it so hard to start. I think I scrolled through photographs for half an hour. Totally unsure what to pick to start writing about today. I felt so lost. So distant from the act. So out of practice. It was even feeling impossible.
It was while I was scrolling photographs I stumbled into a folder called ‘Inertia’.
Seeing the word started the thought. That tiny accident lead me to realise I just needed to start. I had to choose a photograph to start with and just start writing. I knew that by starting it would soon all unfold. I had the first word. I could use it as the title. See, just one little thing to hang onto. Creativity is like that. You only need a tiny little spark of something to start something. Just the tiniest idea to start.
Once I had my spark. That tiny flash of ignition. I could easily settle on a photograph to start this post with. The knot I felt I was in, until that one word, came.
I am firmly convinced that that first little step of starting is the hardest part of creativity. Starting.
Where in the world do I start?
The fear from that stops so many of us. It blocks us up. Paralyses us.
Learning that you only need that tiny idea to start, that by starting, through the act of doing, you will soon be lead to somewhere. Something always comes once you are doing.
This little post is exactly like that. I was blocked up and scared to start. One word started me. It triggered me to realise what was happening. That I just needed to be present with myself and start with where I am at. Once I started it all just flowed out. We get way too caught up on destinations and forget the joys of the journey.
Suffering inertia? Just start….
Apologies for my silence for the last week whilst I was away. I am sure Clair has been keeping you entertained with some lovely photographic art. Clair and I are working on the next issue of Len’s Journal. So exciting.
A few random photographs from the Blue Mountains. I’ll post some new Tarkine ones soon. Photographs and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2021
