Sunday, July 19, 2009

Return to Simplicity


So, the other day I did a photoshoot with my friend Jae-Mi, it was fun! I mean, no extra lights, no assistants, no preconceived notions,no nothing...it was just simple and fun, like recess at school. I came home and took a look at the photos, and started to remember why I got into photography...because it was fun (it was also therapy, but still nonetheless fun).

That night it hit me like a ton of bricks! God had been calling me to this for sometime now, I just couldn't see it because I had copped an "adult" like attitude towards God and Art.

I mean, seriously, it's that childlike heart that keeps you learning, keeps you excited about life, keeps you wanting to experience different things, keeps you alive you might say. Now, I'm not saying to you put your diapers back on and asking your mom if you can have some milk, that's not what I'm saying at all! I'm saying, and this is my own personal revelation, and it doesn't matter if your a Christian, Mormon, Atheist, Jew...this one goes for everyone.

When your a child, you feel more, your experience of circumstances- weather it be bad or good-is heightened, life is is so much more beautiful and alive when your a child. Now, fast forward 30 years 200lbs into the future. Your overweight, you smell, but the irony in it all is that you think you know it all, you've put everything about life in a little box and then you start spilling all your bullshit onto every family member and friend that will listen...because "your always right and you know everything". Whatever dude! Or, your at the perfect weight, your beauty stuns every onlooker every passerby, you have the perfect job, perfect tits, the husband with all the money, your kids worship the ground you live on...but inside, inside you want to jump off a building. Life has no meaning anymore, but, you insist on letting everyone around you know that "they are imperfect, they are not as good as you, they are not smart as you, and they couldn't do your job better than you...because "they" are idiots, but you love them!

What I'm not saying is this, to change up your fucked up life, be like a child again, all your problems will be solved and life will having new meaning again-NOT WHAT I'm SAYING!

What I am saying is this, I had a revelation, and this might not be yours but I believe for me, somewhere along the line I complicated things I made life harder than it is, I made art more complicated than it should be, I basically took all the joy out of things. I'm not saying that life is all about fun, joy, happiness, cause it's not. But I do believe we can enjoy the process of things, enjoy getting to the goal, instead of being pissed off that we're not there yet. I believe that survival is only a one way road, but living gives you choices!

When your a kid, you enjoy things, everything is an experiment, every morning you wake up is like a gift...and sometimes the greatest gift in life is childlike.

"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whomever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

-Matthew 18: 3-4

2 comments:

Margs said...

You know what kids like? Kids like hugs... :)

ashley laura said...

kids love without reason...like unconditionally

Blog Archive

Willy Branlund   |   willybranlund.com   |   branlundphotography@mac.com   |   702.277.5296