Como’s own Julia Robinson speaks some ever-so-relatable words in her blog, Columbian Epoch. I feel the muddle.
i’ve been trying to use my days off to actually relax for a change. it’s been a hard thing to do. after the first four hours, i get bored and anxious that my story is suffering and wish i was at work. if i work though, i feel burned out and wish i could just stare at a wall for four hours. a frustrating place to be. i’ll figure out the balance eventually.
Yes, it’s easy to get bored when you’re off — you think about pictures and what you’re missing and the sense of urgency to get back in the field. However, it’s crucial that you take plenty of time to slow down and relax. Plus, make sure to sleep enough. The combination of sleep deprivation from activities like late-night blogging (uh, wait, that’s what I’m doing right now) and the constant “on” attitude can really get us into trouble when shooting during the day. In more extreme cases, try to shut out anything photo for awhile and find a new topic to munch on when you’re keeping the couch held down to the floor. It works surprisingly well for me and I generally head back to work feeling refreshed and excited for the day’s activities. What are some other ways in which we all find that perfect balance?
Comments 2
Hey Erik –
Before i was a photographer I was a jazz musician and electronica dj. Long story short – I broke my hand and ended up a few years later as a photojournalist. For the longest time, I couldn’t get back into music because all of my creative and intellectual drive was consumed by photography and journalism.
Over the course of the past few months, I’ve really been searching for the balance that Julia and you are talking about. I’ve been trying to put down the camera and relax in hopes that it will somehow inform my photography. Or maybe I’ve just been slowly realizing, as David Simon says, that “your paper can’t love you back.”
Enter music. Now i am playing and writing and listening seriously for the first time in several years, and it provides a creative and intellectual release that I honestly think, any photographer/journalist could truly benefit from. I find that it occupies my mind completely. Like photography, it is practice and project oriented, so when I am focused on it I rarely find myself thinking about other things.
All this is to say that I think, any person of any age can benefit greatly from picking up that instrument that they’ve always wanted to learn and start jammin’ away.
Hope all is well and thanks for the thoughtful post.
Chris Jordan
Posted 13 Nov 2008 at 12:48 pm ¶Very well spoken Chris, thank you for writing.
Warmly,
Erik
Posted 16 Nov 2008 at 9:14 am ¶Post a Comment