Working in the arts can be a magical thing. When my mind is clear from the distractions of the world and the early morning light is measured with the utmost care, I press the shutter button to capture the world as only I see it. Yet, when I lose my focus, my calm, the magic is suspended. I do in these times, look for inspiration and during this past year have found it or shall I say, it has found me in the most interesting, unsuspecting places.
I saw briefly last December, a movie on video called, Man on Wire. I say briefly because it was over the holidays and I was visiting family. One evening the movie was playing in the background. I took note of it and wrote it down so when I got back home I could buy it and study it. Amazingly, this movie set me on a track to plan my first landscape shoots of the year, including a walk into the New Mexico desert where few people wonder due to the desolate nature of the place. But I thought, if Philippe Petit can walk on wire 110 stories in the air between the World Trade Center Towers, I can walk a few miles into the desert by myself. The dream of a young French wire walker lifted me into new hope, new desires, and new inspirations. I spent ten days hiking in Colorado and photographing the New Mexico desert.
As with most adventures when they come to a close, a sense of let down sweeps about and there is a need to find new purpose in one’s work. About this time, I was on my computer and a name was topping the news, Susan Boyle, something about a YouTube video and the dream of this 47 year old woman from Scotland. I sat enthralled with the video. I watched her sing over and over and over. I studied it. I memorized it. I bookmarked it. For weeks, I started my day with it. The elegance in such an exquisite voice filled me with the calm I love to begin each morning with. I headed for Utah to capture my next set of landscape images.
A walk on wire; truly the stunt of the 20th century; a voice from the heavens; inspiration in strange places just may find you when you least expect it.