Flow Week, Time, and directions

May 10

I’m filled with more questions than answers these days, and last week’s “break” only served to emphasize that fact. It was probably inevitable, given the birthday marker and the weight that stems from absorbing the passage of time. A change of seasons in the air too—both real and metaphorical.

I read The Bullet Journal Method, to coincide with my new bright orange notebook. I know, I know: that’s a glitter-pen-stencil-filled slippery slope of a rabbit hole. I’m not going there. I was just curious about it. The basic concept is actually pretty straightforward and the book highlights some tried and true methods for brainstorming, problem-solving and organization. So it’s not a bad resource if you skip over the “life-changing” overtones. I like the logging components, mostly. And in terms of ideation, there’s a clear advantage to having a physical connection to ideas—ink, paper, friction. A clarity that digital can’t seem to replicate, despite its power.

I also started Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. I’m reading the translation included in the seven-volume Complete Harvard Classics, and it’s a little…dense. A lot of thou and thy and thence and very long sentences. But beyond language, I’m struck by how little humans have changed, how thoroughly relevant most of the observations still are today. At times, it’s almost like the author is commenting on recent events. It’s also clear, however, that Marcus Aurelius was a child of privilege, which brings a certain rigidity of principle, and an aloofness regarding “minor” concerns. Kind of like Thoreau preaching exile while his mom did his laundry. But again, this is more curiosity on my part than a search for any kind of Truth or Meaning. Plus, I tend to consider passion and emotion as more god-like than bestial, so the crux of stoicism is mostly lost on me. Ok, god-like is a bit strong...let’s go with profoundly human—which can actually be a very good thing when we bother to stop and think for a second or two. Thinking helps, usually.

I dusted off the KAGE Assignment Generator, which I’m in the process of updating:
- Guidance: Make a blank valuable by putting it in an exquisite frame (Brian Eno)
- Assignment: Today you must shoot any subject at 1/250s, f11 and lowest ISO, using your longest focal length and your worst camera.
- Time limit: 10 minutes.

I’m going to change worst to oldest I think. I don’t like the implication. In this instance I went with the X-Pro1 (which is most definitely not worst) and the XF 55-200 at 200 mm. Not sure I nailed the “exquisite frame” part…