String Theory

I mentioned in a post last month that I had some exciting news from Charleston Magazine, and today it came through. The photo above was selected for “The Last Page” in the November issue. The Last Page is a feature that showcases artwork from a local artist.

Charleston MagI’m especially excited to be involved in this month’s issue because it is Charleston Magazine’s first ever music issue. Music is a big part of my life, and if it weren’t for music, I wouldn’t have met my wife or enjoy the life I have today. It inspires me most out of all of the art forms, and it’s a big part of what drives me every day. To be included in this special issue as a photographer is a real wake-up call to my ambition as an artist.

Just last night, I was watching this video from the keynote of the 2010 PDN Photo Plus Expo by Chase Jarvis. He brought out a group of creative leaders connected to the world of photography and their stories of how they got to where they are in their careers made me realize that I’ve been somewhat blindly meandering down a path that sounds very similar to these very people that I admire. At some point, I’m going to have to make a choice to either grab the bull by the horns, or sit out on the sidelines.

It’s quite a difficult thing to even consider. I like my current career, but it leaves little room for a right-brained soul like me to breathe. I got into photography as a creative outlet. I walked away from my career in music because it was becoming a job and it was losing its ability to be that outlet (and the pay sucked). I don’t want that to happen with photography. I also don’t want to think that I could have done something that I consider meaningful and let it go because I was too chickenshit to pursue it. The most depressing thought in the world is of how many great ideas, paintings, songs, or photographs weren’t released to the world because somebody didn’t have the balls to see it through.

Over the next couple of days, I’m going to explore some of the themes that drive me artistically, so please check back soon to join me on this journey.