curiosity
Ever since we moved to this house, just a week and a half short of two years ago, I have wanted to do a photography project on the family housing residence on campus. Until January, I walked by it every day, and I speculated about the families behind each window, thought about the clues that gave them away: the mother’s day cards between the pink curtains and the window, the chalk letters on the cinder blocks, another window with ripped curtains that I could almost peek through, the laundry hanging across the small balcony, the other balcony with the prayer flags, the tropical plants filling another window… I once tried to pretend that I wasn’t a voyeur, but I totally am. I suspect that all photographers are, except perhaps for wilderness photographers?
Anyways, today I walked to work/daycare and I walked by there again, and was once again overwhelmed with a desire to meet and photograph some of the people who live here. I haven’t been walking much lately, and I’ve also been coming close to depression, I think. Apart from the opportunities to work on my derby girls project, I haven’t really been making any pictures. This morning makes me think that I need to walk, that that’s what inspires me and keeps me curious about the world around me and the people in it.
I need to set up my life so I can walk more. A resolution, perhaps?
And in the meantime, I will keep wondering about the man who was eating a bowl of cereal in the door of his balcony, mostly hidden by the hanging laundry.
August 11th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
The one thing that bothers me about L’s intense work schedule is that I am, in effect, under house arrest in the evenings. This bothers me so much in summer b/c I love to walk on summer evenings after 9. If I could walk from 9-11pm every day, I would always feel amazing. I hope you find the time you need.
BTW, L writes his plays in his head on his 2 hour runs. Creativity is very much so caught up in the solitude of exercise.
August 11th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
I know how you feel about walking. I started walking TO photograph… i did this little “within walking distance” project. it wasn’t anything serious or art worthy, just more for me, but it made me find new things in my city…. and I’ve been missing it. so maybe I’ll resolve to walk more too!