As we age, if we are doing this life thing right we grow and we change, hopefully for the better, over the years. Our interests, beliefs, and values might change. The things we enjoy change. We develop new passions and some things maybe fall aside.

When I was in college I thought my real interest was in psychology. But that interest could only thrive in an academic setting. Then I discovered photography and that passion bloomed and grew for years. Photography began to encompass everything else I loved as well. Nature, hiking, dogs, wildlife, and even running once I found that sport.

Over the last few years I had begun to think that my true passion had shifted from photography to running. There was a lot I loved about running. And one of those things I loved about it is it felt like something that I was in complete control over. I could pursue it as hard or as softly as I liked. Choose big goals and go for it. And I could make those things happen. Whereas it felt like to a large degree the bigger the goals I chose to pursue in photography the more of it was out of my control. And that was just a drain.

I don’t love running simply for running’s sake. There are a lot of qualifiers that really make the act of running connect for me. For example getting on a treadmill and running does nothing for me and I kind of hate it.

But just focusing on the simple act of creating photography with nothing else in mind. That energizes me.

To Be Or Not To Be, In A Funk

I have been in a funk. I don’t usually have any seasonal affective disorder issues but with the brutally cold weather we have been having in January I have been struggling. I don’t know if it is the weather or the dark times we are currently living in, but something has clearly been affecting me.

I have not been motivated to get outside to run in this cold weather where high temps are 15 degree F.

I have really gotten to actually enjoy running in the winter, but this extreme and long lasting cold has worn me down. I will go out for one or two days of abnormally cold weather, but weeks on end has me cooped up in my house and it has sapped my desire to even exercise much at all, because running is the catalyst for everything else I do for fitness.

Take The Day

But I took a day to get outside and do something I can enjoy in the cold weather. And that is to create art. I went to several State Parks and a couple other locations.

So much simpler than going for a run. I didn’t have to think too hard about what to where. Not having to consider how much clothing will make me too hot and how little will leave me too cold. Just bundle up enough to stay warm. No consideration of how far or for how long do I want to run for. Just go outside to a place you love and take photos. When you get bored move on to someplace else that excites you.

Creating art. That excites me. Looking through a camera lens. That moves me. Looking at nature that invigorates me. I think how can I create an interesting photo from this scene.

Photography engages me on a whole different level. I just needed to commit to doing it. And that is hard when you have a bunch of other hobbies you enjoy like running, biking, and reading all with different goals you would like to accomplish. Train for and finish a hard ultra marathon. Enter your first triathlon. Settle in for a good long read and enjoy a variety of books. Create come digital art. And the one that stated it all, photography.

But photography required more than the others, especially because it is the one I have the most experience with photography. I expect to get something out of photography. Not just the act of creating a good photo, but thinking and engaging with ideas about how to create images in general.

What It Takes To Create

What kind of photography do I want to create today? What will it require of me to create the images I want to create? How much time, travel, physical effort? And maybe I am spread too thin to do all those things that allow me to create the art that feeds my souls and gives me the energy to do everything else in life that helps to give me meaning.

I think that I need to schedule dedicated time for serious photography. That will help keep the fire lit and burning inside. Photography will provide the fuel for everything else. I just need to allow for it. Take time from other endeavors so that I can pursue the one thing that everything else feeds off.

It is really hard to take time off from running when it feels like I need all I can get to train for hard events. Or to train for new events like duathlon or triathlon. But if I end up drowning in my own depths and give up on it all then what is it even for.

Even now, one day of photography has inspired me to do more writing to accompany my photography than I have done in a long time. I have now written two blog posts including this one in two days. And I started a draft for the next one I will write.

I think I am seeing the light and developing a plan to navigate this challenging world. Let’s do this.

If you enjoyed this article you can click the link below to support the work I do here or subscribe to my email so you don’t miss out in anything I share.