Iterations

I was texting with one of my oldest friends recently after she got back from a trip to Italy and at one point in the conversation, she asked whether I was happy. “I’m grateful, but I don’t think I’m happy,” I responded. “And maybe that’s just the way I’m wired. I’m not generally unhappy either, although there are moments of each. It’s just not consistent.” There were a few moments of onscreen sile...

After receiving an email from my web host informing me that they would be closing down and I was to remove my files and secure hosting elsewhere “ASAP” (no closure date was given), I went into a bit of a panic. QUESTION Are there recurring distractions—creative or otherwise—that you can easily resolve or take out of your path that might give you more time or better focus? A FEW EXAMPLES 1. Remove...

I think one of the things that made Father Bill Moore so important to me was the fact that he was one of a small group of non-family members and non-friends to say that I had talent as a painter and that I had something to say with my work and he was one of an even smaller group of people who I would consider a mentor in my life. This is probably something for another time, but I don’t think you c...

If you’re listening to this show, or any of my shows really, chances are you are a maker of some sort. And if you are, I bet on at least a few occasions over the past several months, you’ve had one of those days. The days where at best it’s hard to stay focused on the making and at worst you’re asking yourself why the fuck you should even get out of bed. And you know what? Either way, it’s okay. I...

If you’ve listened to any of my shows before, you know that I spend a fair bit of time talking about creativity, both in the literal and in the abstract. I’m fascinated by how and why we create. Why for some, the need to express who they — we — are is as important to the human experience as taking a breath. Questions around creativity inform many of the conversations I have — whether or not I’m ro...

What happens next? That’s the question isn’t it? It’s something I get asked a lot, especially lately, both from friends and from strangers. I wish I had an answer but honestly I’m still spending a fair bit of time struggling to answer “what now?” I’m sure most of you are thinking about it too and maybe you even have an answer. Eventually, we’ll all have to think about it. What happens when we can...

Do you know the Serenity prayer? Even if you don’t know it by name, you’ve likely heard it. It goes: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.” Originally written as part of a sermon in the 1930s by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, the Serenity prayer has been adopted by a number of twelve-step programs, mos...

In the last Iteration I talked about the importance of giving yourself little victories in the work that you do — tiny wins that you can finish in a day or two that can often re-energize you or jumpstart your creative momentum on larger, more time-consuming projects. In this episode, I want to share a couple of examples of little wins that I’ve given myself in the last week. You may have noticed —...

We’re getting close to the end of the year and if you’re like me, you’re already looking ahead to 2020 – maybe you have been for a while – trying to come up with some great new project or maybe multiple projects that will make the next year better than this one. I love the idea of big projects and in fact I’ve already started laying the groundwork for what’s looking more and more like the biggest...

My dad and I never really did a lot together when I was growing up. I mean, yes I spent summers with him and my stepmother Linda in Arizona but it was always with a group of people – and don’t get me wrong, it was a terrific way to spend the summer. But rarely was it ever just the two of us. LINKS Charmolipi: joy making sorrow – Full FIlm An Intimate Look Inside The Art Studio Of Scott Avett Color...

Earlier this week, Adrianne and I watched the first episode of the new season of Abstract on the Netflix . For those of you who haven’t seen it, Abstract is a fantastic show about art and design. It follows roughly the same format as something like Chef’s Table — which is also an excellent show — where each episode profiles a specific artist or designer. Last season included Tinker Hatfield, Paula...

Adrianne and I were in the car the other day — I don’t remember where we were going but I do remember that we were listening to Classic Vinyl on XM because we both really dig Meg Griffin. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys by Traffic came on and whatever conversation we were in the middle of stopped and we just listened to this incredible song written by Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi. If you’ve nev...

A couple weeks ago, I had a terrific conversation with an artist whose work I’ve admired for years. And while it was a treat to get to talk to someone who has inspired me for decades, the work was only a small part of the conversation. Instead, we just talked. We connected straight away and what was meant to be a quick phone call just to say hello ahead of a potential episode of Process Driven end...

Not too long ago, I was having a conversation with David duChemin about subject as it relates to photography — specifically, some of the differences between photographs of a subject, versus photographs about a subject. It can feel like a tricky distinction but moving from one to the other can really elevate the work that you produce. LINKS Daniel Rozin is an artist and professor at NYU who builds...

I had something else planned for this episode, but I got a little surprise in the mail and decided to go in a different direction. On Wednesday of last week, as I went to take Cooper on his ten o’ clock walk, I noticed a big padded envelope on the front porch with the words “UNSOLICITED GIFT” written on the outside. Now, I can be a little strange about gifts, even the ones I know are coming, so wh...

As many of you know, three weeks ago today I had surgery on my eyes to correct a muscle imbalance and while the physical recovery has been fairly uneventful, the emotional and existential healing has been incredibly profound. The condition is called Strabismus and basically what happens is that the eyes don’t focus or track together. Let me explain…In the center of the retina, there’s an area call...

Let’s talk about inspiration-specifically what to do when you can’t seem to find any. Generally, there seems to be two schools of thought around it. In one camp are those who more or less wait for inspiration to strike, which is sort of in line with the Greeks who believed that inspiration was basically an unconscious blast of creativity, either from the muses or directly from the Gods. To be fair...

Lately, I’ve been thinking about our connection to objects and how, at least for some of us, certain objects can represent a specific time in our lives or evoke a particular state of mind or, in the case of artists, inform the type of work we are able to produce. Painters often have a favorite brush or two — I still use a couple that I’ve had since 1988. Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt used the...

I’ve been frustrated with my own photography for quite a while, and I think that frustration played a big part in the whole “which camera should I buy?” saga. Look, I think I am a good photographer — sometimes maybe even really good — but lately I’ve been having a hard time connecting with the photographs I make. Many of them are interesting from a technical perspective, and I love the experience...

The other day, a friend of mine sent me a text message asking why I haven’t set up a Patreon for my podcasts. “Why would I do that?” I asked. “Asks the person who has wondered how he can get paid for the podcast he puts out,” he replied. There were a few more exchanges after this, but you get the idea. This was being asked by one of my closest friends and I know that it was absolutely from a space...

A number of you have asked why I am selling what review after review calls the best APS-C camera on the market today to buy a two-year old Micro 4/3 camera that I’ve already bought and returned once before? Well, it’s complicated, but if you’ll give me a little bit of rope, I’ll promise to try and wrap it up without hanging myself. What camera should I buy? It’s a question I get asked a lot. And I...

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Arthur Ward I have been drawing as far back as I can remember. My mom used to tell me that I could draw before I could talk. I’ve spoken on previous Iterations about my childhood love of art supply stores, which is still kind of true. All I ever wanted to be as a kid wa...

Over the weekend, I took a workshop in encaustic painting. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, it’s basically painting with hot wax and it’s a process that’s been around for literally thousands of years. The are records of the Greeks using it as far back as the 5th century BC. The process involves heating beeswax with damar resin crystals which forms what’s known as “medium.” From there, yo...

Earlier this week I put up an image on Instagram with the caption “Time for a reboot.” It’s basically a “glitchy” version of my signature logo that I use as my avatar on Instagram and Twitter. I posted it because I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how I use—or in some cases misuse—social media and I’ve come to the conclusion that now is a great time to redefine what I want to get from...

Last week, we were in New Hampshire celebrating Christmas with family. Now, I’ve got to tell you that I love handmade gifts and this year my eleven-year-old niece Anya made me a gift that I absolutely love. It’s a canvas board which, for those of you who may bot know is basically a piece of mat board wrapped in canvas. This particular piece measures 3×9 inches and on it she painted the phrase “My...