Photo:Engage

  “ When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. ”  - Ansel Adams     For whom does the artist work? Of course, they create for themselves. But who is their actual audience? Certainly, if they have any, they work for their patrons, because supporters of this kind value the work enough to pay for it and display it. And an artist will always be grateful for their patrons. But beyond that, what separates the artist from all others with a creative impulse?      The key difference, to my mind, is that the artist puts their work out for others to see, to appreciate, and to criticize. The artist takes a chance on sharing their art knowing it might not work, and they will fail, and if they have purpose, they will improve, and try again, and again. Artists must remember the lesson taught by Thomas Edison...  "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how cl...

  “ Fear is a thing that prohibits a lot of photographers from reaching their full potential. ”  - Collin Pierson     If you've made it this far, how many scary things along the way did you fear that when they arrived, if they ever did, overcame you, bested you, defeated you? None, because you are here now. And even if they did do so, and your feared thing did beat you, how did fear help you other than to warn you to be cautious and prepared? Fear paralyzes, caution actively prepares. And even the cautious can lose, because events are outside our control, but still I ask: how does fear help? It doesn't, but it does rob you of joy and calm at the moment of your greatest test. So put fear aside, for it is useless to you. Because you are here and you feared many things before, most of which never came but were only imagined, and whatever did come, you figured out and were brave. I know this because here you are still are. As I wrote in my post on February 19, ...