No, don’t worry, there aren’t any dragons there.
Of course, now that I’ve announced that I’m going on some big giant trip to wonderful points afar, Utata announces their “big” project. And what is the theme of this big project, you might ask? Why, it would be “Where I Live.” Great. Ducky, just ducky. (You know I’m a sucker for Big Utata projects, so I’m going to do this one anyway, but I’m not going to let this pass without my formal complaint. Grumble, grumble, there you have it. I’ve officially grumbled and now it’s time to get on with it.)
While this wasn’t the official big project I was looking for, it’s one that I’m going to do anyway. Big projects, or projects of any size really, don’t always have to be what you want them to be. We don’t always get lucky and get to shoot what we want to shoot when we want to shoot it. Sometimes, we have clients who demand certain things, other times it’s galleries that want stuff, and now, in my life at this moment, the Utata folks are pushing me to do something I wouldn’t otherwise do.
When you’re faced with a situation like this-when your artistically prodded to go off and do something new, something different, my philosophy has been (and probably always will be) make the most of it. Do something you wouldn’t otherwise do, try something new, have fun with it, but make the best of it. Use it as an excuse to grow. Think of it as that time when you were a little kid and you tried on Mom’s (or Dad’s) lipstick (or shoes) without her (or him) knowing about it. Think of it as a test drive for a new car. Think of it as that big “tester” bottle on the perfume counter-you can try on a new stink if only for a little while. Think of it as finding, no discovering really, a new side of yourself. There’s a whole new you, maybe just another side of you really, we haven’t seen yet. Now is your time to unearth it and show us. Show us what you got.
In this great life, we are all who we want to be. One of the best things about being an artist is that we get to define things. We get to be who we want to be, and, along with that, we get to grow into who we want to become. So, go ahead, shoot something you wouldn’t shoot otherwise. Draw what you’ve never drawn, see what you’ve never seen. Isn’t that what art is all about anyway? Maybe this is nature’s way of telling you it’s time to flex those artistic muscles a bit, to venture off into new territory, to try on something new and see if it fits?
While I can’t sit here and tell you how I absolutely *love* this new topic, I have to admit it’s a good one. It’s a great topic for me because it will force me to go off into different directions. I’m going to grow. I’m going to stretch. I’m going to places uncharted. It’s an exploration of sorts.
Isn’t that what life’s about anyway? Aren’t we all just on some grand adventure, exploring points unknown all the time anyway? Wouldn’t it be boring and dull if we always got to do what was expected, or even what we always wanted to, all the time anyway?
If you’re so-inclined, since the project was just announced, there’s plenty of time to jump on the “Big Project” bandwagon. Here’s a link to the Big Project announcement and Here’s a link to the FAQ if you are interested in contributing to the project. Of course, the general rules apply-you must be member of Utata (not too late to sign up and it’s free, just have to be in the Flickr group and register with the website) and you must follow the project rules, including submitting your work on or before the submission deadline.
Even though this is not the project I would have picked at this time, I hope you’ll take time out to explore “Where I Live” or even join me as part of this project of self-reflection and introspection.
Until next time…
