Bon Appetite!

This morning I had a fabulous time downloading and watching a movie online. Click, clack--it was that simple. Not only did I enjoy the movie, becoming inspired beyond my dreams, but I also learned how to fix my headphones (which decided not to reduce noise because the batteries died) by Googling the maker's name and clicking on the correct instruction manual. Hooray! I can no longer hear "noise."

Okay, back to the inspiration. JULIE AND JULIA is a most enjoyable movie and I was sent to remembering how and why this journal/blog was started in the first place...five years ago...on AOL...(back when AOL had journals). The purpose was to write every day about photography and/or art and to share photos, drawings, paintings and whatever as they were completed. But more than the sharing of images was the desire to encourage you out there to jump in and be creative. Perhaps by jumping in, an ember might begin to glow and you would want to become better at what you love to do.

Somehow I may have digressed from the original plan. I'm not sure about that, but I do know I still want to share and grow along with you. So here we are five years later beginning anew with ideas and instructions on how to be a better artist, photographer or ______.

Let's start with the basics shall we? Desire ranks right up there at the top of the list. Do you love writing, art, photography or ______? How much do you want to be good--really, really, really good at what you love doing? It isn't enough to want it, you have to earn that right. You have to pay your dues. And...how do you do that? Here's how:

1. Do something related to what you love every day. Practice, practice, practice.
2. Look at the work of the Masters (with a capital M).
3. Read everything you can get your hands on. Through reading you will hone your interest and get more specific about subject matter.
4. Determine what you like to shoot, draw, or write about and get busy exploring that genre.
5. Start a journal and keep track of your progress. (If interested in photography, find a chart for exposures and memorize settings, then experiment. Record your findings.)

Seeing is believing so, if at all possible, TAKE A CLASS from an instructor whose work you admire. The reason I stress learning from someone whose work you admire is because you as a student will absorb some of your instructor's techniques and lordy you don't want to be absorbing junk. Right?

Okay, I have given you a few things to think about. Now...go and get busy. Oh, by the way, it doesn't matter what camera you have...what matters is what you do with it. I must admit though having a Hasselblad years ago did propel me to be the best that I could be, then strive to be better. I, do suggest (no matter what camera you use) that you read your manual and reread it every year. Amazing how much is missed during the first sitting.

So, have fun on the journey. Bon Jour!!!