been uncomfortable lately? why not?

a handful of times recently i’ve bumped into language + it’s ability to shape our mind + it got me thinking about one’s professional vocabulary. not literally in terms of the words that we use in regards to work but rather the tools at our disposal or at least those incorporated into one’s arsenal.

the argument with language is that since we think with words, different languages or lack thereof, shape one’s thoughts. the old czech proverb, “learn a new language, get a new soul” highlights this. so to does the story told by susan schaller in her book “a man without words” + the radiolab edition. + if that’s not enough delve into scientific american’s take on it in their piece “how language shapes thought – the languages we speak affect our perceptions of the world” by lera boroditsky in the current issue.

i remember being aware of this as a high school + college student but it really wasn’t until i was on a train in malaysia talking with two swedish girls who had been sitting on the rough wodden bench seats longer then i had. after far too long on the train we all became fast friends + they explained the idea of tracemakk (guessing on that spelling as can’t find the word) which they told me was “the feeling of your ass having the taste of wood (from sitting so long)”. there’s no way to really say that in english + definitely not a way that’s so elegant.

personally, as a student + speaker of japanese i find this to be true though not to the extent i would hope. in other words, it’s not a wide open soul shaking revelation that comes with language but rather a nuanced view of things through another lens. but that in fact is life, right. i’ve always maintained that it’s the interpreters of the world that control everything spinning one president’s remarks softer + one dictator’s words smoother + one queen’s speech harsher.

in terms of visual media + design i’ve experienced this not so much with language but more in terms of technique. it’s the rare individual that continual forges ahead with mistakes in learning new ways to communicate rather then stalling after getting comfortable with a handful of methods. not only is this stall dangerous but it completely defeats the very work of creativity. if you rely on x number of tools then undoubtedly your confined to a relatively small window of view.

in order to better express oneself i think that learning various mediums of communication or essential whether it’s more lighting styles in photography, additional design programs or simply exposing oneself to styles that aren’t inherently compelling to you. whatever it takes, to remain comfortable is to risk stagnation.

make mistakes, learn new ways to communicate + see if your thought process is altered + eventually expanded in the process. do it today before you experience torschlusspanik, the stoic German term, meaning “the fear of diminishing opportunities as one gets older”.

if you haven’t had your reflective new year’s walk, now’s the time. a great opportunity to take stock of your personal evolution, your work, your direction + the business you are running. start your copyright registration this year (quarterly), refresh your promo efforts, dive into that wicked project that’s been floating in your head, pull off that adventure you’ve been dreaming of.

here in portland, the chinese garden “the most authentic outside of china” is free this week if that’s your style. i prefer the cover of darkness myself but have recently taken to a new moleskine that pushes me into the light occasionally.

really like the way technology is developing in visual fields including search, capture + nearly every other area where it wasn’t a dominating method previously.

oSkope is an interesting search tool that needs some muscle but might come in useful.

flud is looking to be a dominating force in ’11 + i’m on board. still waiting for flipboard on iphone but in flud just might be the cure i’m looking for.

way into camera+ now too. for a mere $.99 tap tap has put together a powerful camera app for iphone that i’m spending too much time with already.

for variation of visual on your phone drop a few dimes on typedrawing + get busy. check out the best of the month for inspiration.

of course it’s all speculation but the soon to be released (april?) ipad 2 will undoubtedly continue apple’s success streak. never one to jump on first generations products i’m stoked to hear about this second generation market changer – front + rear facing cameras, smaller, lighter – everything a visual artist needs to put together a brilliant experience.

+ to really inspire, drop in on french director paul mignot’s mood collection, labeled by brain pickings as, “part photographic research project, part cultural anthropology of urban tenderness.”

don’t let a tiny little viewfinder limit your vision.

don’t let a smaller piece of work limit your ideas.

don’t let a lack of one thing limit your abundance of another.

don’t let anyone tell you any different.

seattle, wa

even the grey days have something to offer. may not always be what you’re after or what you had in mind. hell, it might be something completely out of your realm of thinking. maybe just a nudge towards something smaller but different.

whatever it is, i’ve always found something in even the grey days, even the most mundane reading, even the slow times. this last weekend i had the privledge of shooting the 39th annual portland marathon for runner’s world. it started in the dark + the rain + only the dark part of that equation changed for the better. needless to say, we were after a very specific look + the conditions weren’t helping.

along comes this fine gent merrily making the most of his day…. + his bicep. had to laugh at the time but looking back i think it was the break i needed to snap me back to attention. bring the focus out of the grey + into what i was really doing. which is what i’m passionate about. you can’t have the good days, the great shots, the peak moments without the grey ones. even if you don’t live in the great pacific nw.