TAO - SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY
Personally, as a photographer, "SEEING THINGS DIFFERENTLY" begins with being open to the possibility that interesting, beautiful, or compelling images may be all around me at any point in time. The key is to clear my mind of preconceived notions about what constitutes a "worthy" subject to photograph. This freedom often allows me to see, to receive the subject, rather than to search for, or attempt to create a visual manifestation of a conceptualized ideal.
Tao Te Ching, or The Tao, as this book is often called, time and time again, attempts to show us how we might see things differently if we could spend more time in awareness, and less in naming. "The unnamable is the eternally real. Naming is the origin of all particular things."
The Taoist approach is one of many ways to prepare for a visual journey through photography. Certainly there are circumstances that require a different, perhaps a more methodical approach, and those different approaches may require different skill-sets and technical training. I find the Taoist approach most helpful when I'm stuck creatively or between exhibitions.
I’ve found that by listening to the wisdom of the Taoist sage, a surprisingly rich and vivid reimagining is revealed in what we typically see as ordinary.