Recollect is a newsletter designed to consolidate a month’s worth of creative endeavors, art enjoyed, and the general state of my life abroad into one easily digestible piece. At worst, these will be simple updates, but, at best, they will be enjoyable and inspiring. Let’s recollect on April.

April was a big month for me on the creative front. Most of my energy went into experimenting with design, but I also wrote a few essays and shot a couple of photosets. Over on my Patreon (if you’re not already a member, you’re missing 90% of what I make), I’ve been trying to focus my energy on creating projects that take advantage of more than one art form. Photography is the primary focus, but the longer I put these things together, the more I realize how powerful the other mediums can be, especially in tandem. I’m happy to be starting this newsletter now because, in many ways, I think that April was representative of how I want my work to look going forward.

Some problems that arose this month were my design-knowledge limitations (it’s all trial and error) and an underlying apathy regarding photography. The design problem takes a lot of time, but I enjoy it from start to finish. The photography problem is something I run into a few times per year. It’s often born out of daily routines that don’t prioritize shooting, later evolving into an overall lack of motivation. Temporarily, the entire photography world becomes uninteresting to me, and it sometimes takes a week or two to get things back to normal. Creative hurdles don’t go away, but I think that discussing them can help. I seldom shoot every day like I used to, but that’s ok. These things come in waves.

Reading is a major priority in my life, so I’m excited to be including this section. In future issues of this newsletter, I’ll make sure to dive deeper into the books, but since one of my projects does just that, I’ll leave you with the quote that inspired me to make it:

“The writer and the reader stand at either end of a pond. The writer drops a pebble in and the ripples reach the reader. The writer stands there, imagining the way the reader is receiving those ripples, by way of deciding which pebble to drop in next.”

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
George Saunders

Photo: Brody Kuhar

I host a monthly photography assignment for members of my Patreon. Each month comes with a different prompt. Some examples of past prompts are Silhouette, Motion, Symmetry, and April’s prompt was Abstract. Members have a couple of weeks to think about the prompt, shoot and edit, and ultimately submit their photos to our Community Exhibition at the end of every month. April’s exhibition was yesterday. I started these assignments to motivate creativity and encourage a sense of community, and sometimes, a submission will stand out as something special. This month, Brody’s abstract photo caught my eye. I think the setting adds something surreal to an already odd and intriguing photograph. Also, the sweeping light leak/trail at the bottom adds just enough much-desired warmth to a seemingly cold environment. The colors are weird, and the location is ambiguous. As far as abstract goes, I think Brody got it just right.

I’ve been in Sevilla, Spain, since the first of January. Allie and I decided it was time to jump into the language-learning deep-end, so we’ve had Spanish classes, Monday through Friday, three hours per day since January. It’s taken up a lot of time. I enjoy the process, but sometimes it feels like running in a dream. Every new step forward feels more sluggish than the last. Language is dense. But don’t let me fool you. I am happy here in Spain, and it’s nice to be able to communicate, however rudimentary. Our visas run out in July, and, as of writing this, we don’t know where we’re off to next. Ideally, we’d like to go somewhere else that’s Spanish-speaking, but that only slightly narrows it down. Maybe I’ll have more information next month.

Feedback is not only appreciated but desired, so if you’ve enjoyed this little recap, make sure to tell me. To do so, tap the black button below. Thank you, and I’ll see you next month.