Photographer's block
I have a confession, I actually love to write. I say confession because writing is not an activity that engineers often profess to enjoy. In fact, there was a time I wrote every day, then writer's block settled in and writing became very sporadic. I also love to read; fiction and non-fiction. The last book I read was Malcolm Gladwell's Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know and Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Just like writing, I used to read every day until apathy set in and for the last 4 or so months, I've stopped reading real books. I don't count news articles as reading, especially since the news has devolved into a state of reality TV, or WWE type junk in this current political climate. Everything is vitriolic and divisive, no substance, very little to inform and educate with any attempts to do so being summarily trashed as "fake news".
Like reading and writing, photography has also been a lifelong passion. I was 11 years old when I started seriously using my dad's Nikkormat FTN, shooting with different ISO films and the three lenses my dad had (50mm f/1.4, 35mm f/2.8, and a Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm zoom) to take pictures of just about anything I could; all color negative or color slide film. I didn't really catch the monochrome bug until much later in life. Taking pictures and most recently, developing film is a great outlet for me but like reading and writing, I've hit a wall, "photographer's block". Suddenly, 36 exposures is too much; adding to that is the lack of things to photograph, so even 15 exposures with Mamiya is harder. The pandemic induced apathy has now carried over into photography and my beautiful analog cameras aren't being utilized as much as I'd like...
Adding to the "photographer's block" are the feeling that images I take aren't "artistic" enough, and because "everyday" drudgery isn't "artistic", it would be a waste time, effort and film to take the picture. Totally contradicts the 10 golden rules of lomography... not sure if it's because of my innate desire to maximize "value" for each roll of film, or if there's something deeper, maybe pandemic depression? I bring a camera, sometimes two with me on every walk and I just can't seem to find any inspiration to find new images, everything is the same... over and over again. Add the pressure of expiring mixed chemistry and I end up taking pictures of things like our deck furniture covered in water.
I'm hoping to get my writing, reading, and photographic mojo back soon. Maybe I start with a sentence a day, maybe I read a paragraph a day, maybe going back to black and white film will ease the pressure of expiring chemistry and getting "value" from film? After all, I have plenty of HC-110, Ilfosol-3, and Kodak TMax developer left, all with plenty of shelf life. Now to just make progress, one small step at a time.
Thinking about following curiosity through everyday information, I find the smaller practical questions more interesting than a quick conclusion. A clear question can turn a casual interest into something easier to explore. It is the kind of question I would keep in mind when thinking about 2welve and 2welve learning ideas. I would rather explore one useful example carefully than pretend that the whole subject is already clear. How do you decide which detail deserves a closer look before moving on?
I keep coming back to the everyday side of exploring scientific questions through clear examples, where a simple detail can lead to a wider question. A useful explanation shows how an observation connects with the question being investigated. That practical perspective helps me frame science learning ideas as a theme for Stemcellwanglab. It leaves me curious about the steps between understanding an idea and putting it into practice. What simple comparison would help someone understand why a result matters?
I like thinking about communicating ideas to the right audience through small observations rather than trying to reach a conclusion immediately. A clear explanation of a practical benefit can be more useful than a string of enthusiastic claims. I would connect Seamonstermarketing with digital marketing ideas through an ordinary example rather than a broad claim. That is the part I would keep thinking about after moving on to something else. What would make a short message feel relevant rather than intrusive?
The idea of understanding the basics of solar energy gives me a reason to slow down and consider the details. Following the path from sunlight to electricity makes an unfamiliar system easier to picture. That practical perspective helps me frame solar energy education as a theme for Pro Solar. I am still thinking through the practical side, because the context can change what seems useful. Which questions would help a beginner understand the role of each part of the system?
What interests me about building confidence through manageable learning goals is how a broad idea becomes part of an ordinary day. A clear first step can make a difficult subject feel more approachable. It is the kind of question I would keep in mind when thinking about Practicalresources and practical learning skills. That is the part I would keep thinking about after moving on to something else. How do you decide what to practise when a topic initially seems too broad?