Tangled

It’s easy to get wrapped up in things in a way we never intended. When that happens, it can be difficult (and sometimes impossible) to break free from the entanglement.

It could be a job that devours our time. It could be an addiction to food, drugs or gambling. It could be anything that takes hold of us like a creeping vine and refuses to let go. 

There were many days when my former jobs as an advertising agency creative director consumed more hours and life energy than I wanted to sacrifice. “Work is a jealous mistress,” company owner Joe Crowley told me.

I found social media to be a creeping entanglement, too — which is why I cut my ties with Instagram, Facebook and other social media years ago.

So what about photography? There's no question that serious camera work is a demanding path, whether you’re a professional or a passionate enthusiast. It can tax your time, your budget and your fortitude if you want to stay on top of new technologies, continually improve your skills, and devote many patient hours to image processing like the great photography masters did.

In the final analysis, I believe the questions we need to ask ourselves are these: Do the things we’re tangled up in bring us joy? Do they fill a deeper purpose? Do they leave us feeling better for being involved with them?

If the answer is no, then perhaps we should consider moving on (or getting the help we need to move on.) If the answer is yes, then we can take comfort in knowing our time is well spent.

For me, photography has always checked all those boxes in a positive way. It’s one entanglement I’m happy to surrender to.

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