I bought a copy of J.D. Salinger's Nine Stories during one of my last weeks in New York and started reading it on my subway commute to and from work. A lot of Salinger's stories are set in Manhattan, so at the time, it felt like a fitting read. I finished it towards the end of last year, unsure of what direction I wanted to take my career as well as my life in general. I laughed out loud when I read this line: "The worst thing that being an artist could do to you would be that it would make you slightly unhappy constantly." I think I might frame that and put it in my workspace someday. Not because I don't like what I do, but because it's a good reminder that it's easy to be dissatisfied, rather than satisfied, with your own work.
My grandpa passed away in February. I miss his humor and the way he'd kiss my forehead as we said goodbye, his cheshire cat grin and his famous double-handed wave. So often when I think about the frustrations of being an artist, I think back to Christmas time halfway through my photography degree. I had just finished a mentally taxing semester, and my grandpa asked me how photography was going. My response was less than positive. "You know what I would do?" he said, "I would look for what brings you joy in photography and focus on that."
This year I focused on what brings me joy in photography. I traveled, experimented, collaborated with friends, shot more film, and taught other people photography skills. In 2018, I hope to do more of all of those things.
Pentax 645n, Nikon F100, and Yashica Mat 124G on Kodak, Fuji, and Ilford film.
