Journal

Just Do It

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“We learn by doing.”

This is the way you master your hobby, by getting on and doing it. Learn, practice, re-learn and practice some more. This goes for writing, sketching, photography, painting, or everything else. You don’t get good without practice, keep your head down and move onward.

There are no shortcuts to becoming a good photographer. Just go out and take photos. You don’t need a specific lens or a new camera because you cannot buy skill. It does not matter whether you share images to your website or Instagram because all the “likes” will not help you improve. If you want to take good photos, you have to take numerous photos first. The majority will be crap, and that’s okay. I’ve come back home with maybe 5 usable images and been happy.

With your writing, it does not matter what software application you use, what blogging platform or newsletter publisher or what type of personal computing device you do it on. If the goal is to become a better writer, then just write. A lot of it will be crap, and that’s okay too. I’ve cranked out possibly 5 good articles a month and been happy.

Consistency and constantly. If it isn’t worth the time and effort to put into it, then perhaps it isn’t relevant for you.

You cannot buy in and expect dramatic results with your new gear. The gear doesn’t make you better. Only you can make yourself look good by trusting the process. It’s time to go out there and get it.

Returned

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I just returned three e-books back to the library because they didn’t live up to the hype.

”The Plot”, whereas a creative writing professor steals a student’s submitted novel and takes the best-selling credit.

“Less” Won the Pulitzer Prize but was told by a narrator: ”Imagine if you will, dear reader…” No thanks.

”Ghost Fleet” A novel about the next world war, I didn’t make it past the lead up to the upcoming war.

A reminder that just because you start a book, you don’t have to finish it if there is no perceived value to you.

Use What You Got

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Poor grammar in the title aside, I have some nice things. I’m fortunate and have more things than I could ever want. But somehow I’ve acquired more stuff this past year. I tinker and play with my toys and I like to try new things whether it be hardware, software, cameras, film, and other assorted thingamajigs. I like to see what is different or even better that what I have and use. I enjoy shiny things.

I need this on a sticky note or a pop up anytime I start looking for more things

After years of finding workarounds with inexpensive, cheaply made incompatible hardware or software, I’ve been fortunate enough to have everything I want and need. I have systems that talk to each other and give me joy. I have more cameras that I need and rarely use. I’m good on upgrading now because I made sure my things were the best I could afford and future-proofed them intentionally.

Now when I start looking for something new to allegedly assist me do something, I will remind myself, “Use what you got!” Only the essentials or something I do not have already. This includes cameras, computers, or insert new shiny thing here.

I have these things already and they work.

Amateur Pleasure

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“What is more pure than an amateur love? What is better than listening to a friend with a newly found hobby? It is not about buying and selling. It is not about prestige, or mastery, or status. Being an amateur is about pleasure.”

– Someone

Yeah, that title is misleading from the quote, but maybe this post will get more hits from someone’s misguided search engine query lol

Beginner’s Mind

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“It often happens that two students can solve difficulties in their work for one another better than the master can. The fellow-pupil can help because he knows less. The difficulty we want him to explain is one he has recently met. The expert met it so long ago he has forgotten.”

C.S. Lewis

When I was supervising a team of engineers, I would often train new hires but also bring in a recent “graduate” from a previous training session to sit in with these new hires. The concepts were still fresh in their minds, while I may have taken for granted what should be common knowledge because it was “basic.”

While learning how to sketch and paint here recently, I grabbed a couple of books such as “Beginning Watercoloring” or “Learn to Draw” that was absolutely worthless. I am drawing stick figures but the examples shown in the book were full on portraits in pencil that would take years to master.

If I were to ask an artist right now how do you do this or that, they may not be able to convey properly what I need to learn. No, I need someone who is at the same level to learn with and challenge each other to become better. I am ignorant and sometimes don’t know what to ask, so how can I effectively learn from a “master?”

This is a great time to document what you are doing and learning right now because eventually you can look back on it and see your progress. As opposed to making something crap, then posting for everyone to see and offer fake kudos or “likes.” This doesn’t help. The expert takes for granted all of the fundamental concepts needed because they’ve moved on. They’ve built their knowledge and their foundation and have put their own flair on it.

This applies to utility engineering, to drawing, to photography or everything else. Innate talent will only take you so far. Embrace your beginner status and learn to have fun. Document your progress and appreciate the journey.

Health App

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For some reason this morning I wondered if Apple Health app could track weight as opposed to me using the invasive MyFitnessPal app and eureka! It felt great to not only add my new weight, (down from previous) but to also delete the MFPal app from my device forever. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?