One year
Winter sunlight over Loch Restil
It’s been a year since I started jotting down my thoughts on this site. Writing a couple of short articles each month encourages a degree of discipline and routine, somewhat inspired by Nick Cave, who treats his songwriting like a normal job, dressing in a suit before shutting himself away in his home office with his typewriter for a day’s work. Aside from my photography exploits, being otherwise retired means I can choose to take things a little easier. But at some point each month, I do like to sit at my desk and write this online journal. Thankfully, I no longer need to wear a suit, so read this blog comfortable in the knowledge that I too am comfortable in my joggers.
I’m not completely sure why I write a blog, nor do I know whether anyone actually reads it. There are, of course, ways to find out — engagement metrics, traffic stats, age, location, and the like. I could create a mailing list and send notifications to kind subscribers, but I don’t really want to be another source of inbox spam. Besides, I’m not sure I want to know the numbers - I could be mumbling into the void for all I know. For now at least, I’ll just keep plodding along, letting my photography do as much of the talking as possible.
That said, writing a blog is certainly a creative outlet in its own right; a way to help me frame my photographs with words in the hope that they might spark a connection, or at least a moment of curiosity.
What is clear is what prompted me to start writing in the first place...
Exactly one year ago, I found myself dazed and recovering from a round of brutal and painful surgery to rid me of Melanoma - a cancer that might otherwise have finished me for good. Photography, writing, and making this site have helped to pass the long recovery hours and have provided distraction from physical discomfort. Whilst I'm now locked into several more years of being poked, prodded and tested, and despite my battle scars, I can truly look forward to a new year of possibility and creativity.
Everyone’s got something going on, but I hope you too can look ahead to a bright New Year.
