Time

Jet and Road

Do you notice how fast time goes? Blink and years have gone by. It must be an age thing. I was talking to a colleague about my past life in the computer industry--something that happened more than 20 years ago.

Someone once said to me that time continues to speed up as you age. It makes sense when you think about it. When you are 5, one year is 1/5th of your consciousness. When you are in your fifties it’s 1/50th. I guess I shouldn’t complain. I’m glad I’m still here; there is so much more to do. Sometimes though, I want to slow it down. I want to savour it more. It’s hard to really see anything when it is speeding past you.

Sambaa Deh Falls, NWT

I try to do “time management”. I make “to do” lists. It helps but when we go at full speed you tend to feel frazzled at the best of times.

Speeding Locomotive

I have started to think about what comes next. Not that I’m that close to retiring. I still have years to go. With the accelerated pace of my life, that day seems just around the corner. I could do this for a lot longer. But maybe I should start to think of other things I want to accomplish. Other things that require slowing down and savoring the moment.

Brown Bear

Curiosity

Integrity, honesty, confidence and dedication are all great qualities. However, it’s curiosity that I feel is the most important quality for an artist. What if -- ? That question alone will take you so many different directions. It’s curiosity that leads to learning something new. It leads to discovery and growth. It leads me to my creative universe. Without curiosity, I wouldn’t push so hard. I wouldn’t question what I’m doing or analyze the world around me.

Olivia

I remember long ago, sitting in the kitchen when I was about 8 years old. My dad was taking apart a cardboard box that some product he had bought came in.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

“I’m taking it apart to see how it was made,” he said.

“Why?” I asked.

He looked puzzled at me and said, “Aren’t you curious about how stuff is made?” I really hadn’t thought about it before. I wasn’t really conscious of my curiosity.

Sequence Poster

Now I look at a photo and analyze the lighting and the composition. I take it apart and look at how it was made. For a visual person, reverse engineering is a wonderful way to learn something new or take your work in a new direction. I look at inspirational images and wonder, how did they do that? How can I apply this to my work?

Star Trails

I love it when I get bored. I start to look for things to take apart and see how they are made. Sometimes it leads me to new places. Sometimes I end up at the same place but with a better understanding and a new point of view.