Photography: Robert Buelteman
Today, I took a look at a blog my mom posted on her facebook page (sidebar: yes, my mom is on facebook. Your mom probably is, too. lol weeeiiiirrrrd awkwaaaarrrd. But at the same time kinda dope because my mom lives back in Atlanta). Anyhoo, so this blog was about photography which I'm really into and working on getting better. The guy the article was about (one of his photographs is above), Robert Buelteman who at 51 decided to change up his game a bit. He'd already seen success, his work published countless times over, a staple in Yale University Art Museum and so on. If he's winning in his career, why the change?
"It isn’t that I was running from dissatisfaction so much as I was seeking new possibilities for myself and for my art,” he stated.
That's the thing, "seeking new possibilities". When I feel complacent, I feel like I'm dying. Much in the same way Natalie Portman's character felt so compelled to do something unique in "Garden State", I HAVE to do something...anything. I love the people I consort with because they inspire me. My friends are so dope and I feel so fortunate. Diesel(Shak) and I can come up with a trillion ideas without even trying just over our phone convos. I try to fill my life with more people, more books, more websites, movies, etc that really inspire me. Even if that inspiration is just to laugh, you know? As a creative, sometimes I feel stuck. Where will my next treatment come from? Are my thoughts becoming too predictable or gen pop-ish? The worry starts to creep in... did I lose it? The fear is all too real even though I always come out of it. Will I ever have another idea? It sounds crazy when I think about it now, in times of boundless creativity because I know that well is endless. As long as I keep creation in my mind and not competition my creativity will forever be bountiful.
As Buelteman stated, "Dancing is its own reward, and once you try to do it right, you’ve lost the rhythm."
Once you try to create for your audience's sake soley then you've lost your authenticity and with that your audience. People think that artists of any genre sell out when they start to make money. Money is not the "root of all evil." In fact not making that doe-ray-me(tm Shak) off of your natural talent is a "sin". What else is it for if not for you to live from and help others? The real is that when people lose themselves and start making their art to fit a mold instead of constantly growing in the way that is natural for them because of that fear of losing the success, they've already started to falter. It's hard, I'm sure, to stay on the path. That's where that inspiration comes in. I want people to tell me if my ish sucks. Not on some hater type situation but people that are truly for me will tell me the real because that's what I do for them. I have to keep honest people around me who are also working on bettering themselves so that we all grow. No one grows from tons of "yes men", no one.
100.
Bright
Authenticity - Persevere - Inspire
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