a reboot

Spending a long time not feeling up to doing much more than collapsing on the couch at every opportunity and the subsequent break down in my typical posting patterns has led to some introspection and nostalgia.

While I don't really miss being a student per say (if only because some of my favorite things in life now are things that wouldn't have fit well into the things I loved about university) I do miss the push and drive and creative flow that my art classes led to. I miss being practically forced to pull all nighters playing with studio lighting and friends. I miss creeping back into them in the breaking dawn to photograph candy. The list could go on and on, but the thing about school is that it is never supposed to be a purpose in and of itself - it was supposed to be equipping.

For a while I remembered that and I used it, but I have gotten away from that. I have gotten away from the push and drive to create and to make (not just with photography but also with food and textiles as well) and I don't like that. I have been at a loss for how to reclaim it. Life presses in and excuses flow like wine at an ancient harvest festival (not that I am all that familiar with such shenanigans).

Lacking great new ideas I have decided that at least for today I will go back to an old idea that served me well - the hours project. The bulk of my favorite post-grad work was born out of this project so it seems like a good place to start. I need structure, I need rules (even when they are just manufactured). Maybe this is a lack of maturity or artistic genius - but I can't bring myself to care overmuch, I am at a point where I would rather do something foolish to fix a problem than ride to momentum train to nowhereland.

All of that being said - I started today. I don't know if I will be doing it everyday but I am doing it today and I am committing to posting one day of hours every week through March 23rd.

If you are craving some imagery now, this was one of my favorite days from the original project.