Personal File: Study

In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned
find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no
longer exists. - Eric Hoffer

I love to study. It's really a matter of my hunger for knowledge. I
learn what I need to know or whatever I have a passion for. And once
it becomes my passion, I can't stop until I get the answers I am looking
for. Learning itself has become my passion. If you are one of those
who trundle through life with no ambition to learn, I truely feel sorry
for you.

What follows is a cross-section of my studies, as of this writing.

Music:

I have always just dabbled in music. However, 2001 saw a turn of events.
I sang and played harmonica live on stage (once as a guest and once
as the lead attraction of an event). 2002 been a musical year for me,
both for study and rehearsal. And that's on top of my already busy schedule.
My goal is to get my practice on a par with my theory. Practice means
practice!

I have an electronic piano (Yamaha Clavinova), a trumpet, and a growing
number of harmonicas (13, at last count).

I am interested in both blues and traditional Irish (Celtic) music
on the harmonica, and jazz, and rock on the piano. As for vocals...
well anything goes but jazz is my favorite.

Languages

On moving to Japan I became constantly exposed to new linguistic challenges.
I still have to make an active effort to acquire new vocabulary. This
is needed to fulfil the communication needs of certain projects. This
will continue, I suppose, as long as I stay in Japan and perhaps beyond.

But we also need little diversion from the routine. For me, it is the
Thai language. I have been to Thailand several times and it is refreshing
to explore other Asian perspectives than just Japan. I sense a kind
of exuberance in Bangkok--like they are primed to be the next Asian
miracle. Well, that came and went but the people are wonderful and the
food is about the best that Asia has to offer. So now I find myself
on another long road--of learning a new writing system, sound system
and grammar.

Health

As with everything else, I apply my principle of taking
things apart and what I discovered is that we've been lead down
the path to bad health through misinformation. It doesn't have to be
that way! But it is going to take some serious debunking to help people
find the path that gets them out of their rut. This all started out
as a simple weight-loss diet but lead to an understanding of why we
don't live to be a healthy 120 years old. I am the healthiest, trimmest
member of my family now (10% body fat), and I have my applied knowledge
to thank for that. Everyone has commented on how much better I look
and I constantly get asked how I did it. Well, I decided to answer that.
Want to know? Go here.

By the way, I did it without exercise, but recently I've taken up dancing.
(More on that in a future instalment).

Visual Arts

When I grow up I want to be an artist. I have painted and drawn sinse
I was about ten and I still do only now it's with the computer, but
photography has been my artistic medium of choice since my early teens.
You can find out more about me in this regard at PhotonGraphics.
As with any other medium of expression, has its aesthetic,
stylistic and technical elements. Great
photography excels in all three. I think that a lot of would-be artists
fail to consider this.

I am on an ongoing quest to define the boundaries of photography as
a medium of expression and in terms aesthetics, style and technique.
So how can I accomplish this? Well I do study art history but I think
there is a lot of new ground to be covered in these areas too. You can't
just read books. I explore these realms thematically with my exhibitions.
Peer review is immensely valuable as is just doing it. I shoot
professionally, but the real challenges come from exploring themes and
techniques and then putting on exhibitions.
I usually do about three shows a year.

I am also concerned with getting the most from my materials and equipment.
This means both pushing the limits of the medium and preservation of
the final print.