In The Gap | ©Brad Mangas
Regardless of age I am a firm believer in the need to grow. Grow in any way necessary to improve what ever it is that needs improvement in ones life. This can and should happen on an on going basis, but the beginning of a new year is traditionally the time we think about changes. Or as many may say, resolutions. I intentionally made sure there were no resolutions set for this coming year. I have sworn off of resolutions. I guess you might say I made a resolution some years back to not have resolutions.
The changing of the calendar year seems to have very little effect on what I do, how I do it, the attitudes I chose to have about everything I do. I very much prefer it that way. It seems like a cop-out to me to use the changing of a year as the reason to make needed adjustments in ones attitude or way of living. Any day of the year should have just as much importance as any other day.
The new calendar year does not go unnoticed. It is very useful as a form of timer, or maybe more appropriate, a reminder. Reminder to take inventory, go through ones check list and make needed changes. Of course this could be done any day of the year, but it does seem suited for this time of year. I try to do this without delay or notification of the calendar date. There are a few things that I have neglected over the previous months. A few things that I will be changing in the coming months. Hopefully with the growth needed to reach goals or at a minimum make improvements to daily life.
On the personal side of making improvements is and has been for the last month or so, a desire to increase my reading. The simple and enjoyable act of reading books. Over the last six months I have accumulated a small stack of books. I get in the mindset that I need to read something and end up buying it. Many times there is no immediate effort to read it, but for some reason I feel an immediate need to buy it. Weird I know. I come across books that I know there is a good chance I will enjoy so I purchase them before I forget about them. Then over some months they accumulate and I end up with a stack of unread books.
I thought I would share my reading adventures here as they progress. As time allows I will share thoughts and opinions on my reading endeavors over the coming months. I will start with a book I finished a few weeks ago.
The main reason for purchasing this book was due to the author, Joe Cornish. I discovered Joe’s work about 5 years ago and immediately was taken by it. I found it exquisitely beautiful in an almost simplistic natural way. I then came across a few videos on you tube with Joe at work and knew right away this guy is an artist in the true sense. I have love his work ever since.
My current reading is a book by Bruce Barnbaum, The Essence of Photography: Seeing and Creativity. I am enjoying it very much. If the past is any indicator of my reading endeavors I may approach this in spurts. But the plan is to take time everyday to do some reading and make it part of my daily life and routine. I don’t necessarily like much of a routine since they seem to create a type of rut over time. But some routines, such as reading enjoyable material on a consistent basis is one that is welcomed and over due.
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