Definition of the Monad, the most primal aspect of god.

Photography is to me about capturing the essence of a person. One could say that an essence is all encompassing, but I think that it is the hidden aspect, that resides underneath all emotionality. Feeling is a profound thing, but I think that it often times diminishes or magnifies the ego so greatly that one could say feeling is the mask we wear around other fellow actors. People are easily sucked into a whirlwind of emotion, that when I get the chance to photograph them with a neutral expression it is like a breath of fresh air. I like the stillness, I like the possibility that I see, the sudden attention that is focused on such things as shoulders [that would normally droop or be raised apprehensively], or that one particular corner of the person's mouth that when not engaged in a smile or frown appears to be the most delicate and endearing thing that I have seen yet. Serenity appears.

Some people would argue that emotionality is humanness, and that to lose a sense of emotionality, is to lose all sense of a person. I would argue that emotionality is not what makes humans human, it is morality, the sense of right and wrong. Emotionality is amazing in the sense that once a person has delved into an emotional existence, metaphors begin to blossom around them, and they are thrust into a world of tantamount meaning and bold symbolism. To be emotional is to live an artist's existence. The funny thing is that what to artists do? They create new ways to express and synthesize meaning, on the occasion they will create a completely new symbol, but for the most part they are just rehashing archetypal images to suit their needs, or just plainly romanticizing their own neurosis. On a macro level they are putting together images in an order, on a micro level they are pinpointing the smallest detail of pain, love, intrinsic beauty. I will always see truth in art, the subconscious, the defense mechanisms, the layers of color. But I want to go beyond that. I want to see what happens when people transcend emotionality, with thoughtful action in it's stead. And when I say people, I also mean myself.

To live in a world of symbolism is what we do every day. Every action, every word is symbolic. I am calling out for artistic existence. Where one step is the equivalent of a brush stroke, where valor is the hue of a mother's cheek. Composition and ideas are to me what represent the essence of a piece, the way that the idea is expressed on paper, the complexity, the ability to transcend time and become timeless.

I would challenge you and myself, to make our actions into art, to create the most breathtaking compositions, to reclaim the role of the hero.

For this balance is a necessity, with emotions in check, we can stand tall for a picture that will capture something more than the mundane [what is] and go beyond into the infinite realm. An emotion is a reaction to what is, a thought transcends what is.


The two quotes below have been a source of constant inspiration to me.

"When we surrender ourselves to being refined, we give ourselves the opportunity to express vitality and compassion. If we refuse, then we choose stagnation, and it will show up in a deadened, lusterless body."



Actualization of an undifferentiated human self is not a developmental outcome in Dabrowski's terms. Dabrowski applied a multilevel (vertical) approach to self and saw the need to become aware of and to inhibit and reject the lower instinctual aspects of the intrinsic human self (aspects that Maslow would have us "embrace without guilt") and to actively choose and assemble higher elements into a new unique self - this process is what differentiates Man from the Animals. Dabrowski would have us differentiate the initial self into higher and lower aspects, as we define them, and to reject the lower and actualize the higher in creating our unique personality.


It seems pointless to me to think that we were merely put here to only act out one path of existence our whole lives, accepting the actuality of who we are and nothing more. The funny thing is that many "self actualized" people do as much bad as good, and really end up mired in grey. I feel like our purpose is to transcend the idea of ourselves, and reach beyond, into our imagination of what could be.