On Mastery Motivation - Drew Ginn (Fri 7 Jun 2013)

Water - St Agnes / Cornwall (09 Sep 2009)
Drew Ginn (*) writes On Mastery Motivation (*):

Deep down I always wanted a greater connection and loved to explore. This happened in many areas.

Exploring thought process, movement patterns, biases, relationships, failure and obvious exploring success.

I really stuffed up more than I care to remember. Many mistake were made and the surprise is that I kept at it when many others gave up, left, changed their plans.

I stayed the course, and in one sense it was just the course, which probably was unclear to others yet, I knew I was seeking a better way, greater, intending (*) and learning (*).

Mastery (*) then is key I think as its takes the performance from simply doing and achieving or not to becoming more aware, intending (*), taking action, making mistakes (*) and making it count, and reviews (*).

Mastery (*) dare I say it is a journey and never the destination.

It’s the joy in striving for perfection, the working towards the best, to be the best and yet the result is not just best but a newer version or a reshaping of things.

Strange how I can see all that striving was the best part and when I watch other not full enjoying the striving I find myself wondering how I can assist in the unearthing of the mind shift from result to mastery seeking.

Sure I get the need to get the results and after having a few results fall my way its easier to state these words.

What I realise is that some time ago just learning (*) become the many motive

via A Wanderers Update (*) by Drew Ginn (*).

People ask me why I keep paddling? Why put myself through it all, over and over again. I've been fortunate and have experienced it all - the highs and the lows. Maybe it is like Alex with his photography (*), but maybe it is what Drew writes about so well here?

Ponte dell'Accademia Grey (Water) - Grand Canal / Venice (Wed 16 Sep 2009)

Ponte dell'Accademia (w) Grey (Water) - Grand Canal (w) / Venice (Wed 16 Sep 2009)

Cambridge Green - Cambridge / UK (Thu 03 Sep 2009)

Cambridge Green (Water) - Cambridge / UK (Thu 03 Sep 2009)

Tesco Blue - Truro / Cornwall (Sun 06 Sep 2009)

Tesco Blue - Truro (Sun 06 Sep 2009)
I like the abstract and it would come as no surprise that I love Jackson Pollock's painting, Blue Poles which is owned by the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra (more here).

I remember as a kid, the 1973 controversy of Gough Whitlam's (the then Prime Minister of Australia) support of the $1.3 million purchase of a painting, that some said only took a couple of hours to drip, not brush. Also remember seeing the movie, Pollock when it was released in 2000.

When I am travelling, often look for abstract photos. This is one that I took on the day we arrived by train in Truro (on the Cornwall Coast), from London. It had been painted on the wall of the local Tesco that sided a path along the river we had just walked.

Like Bloody Gum, the photo Tesco Blue is a tribute to Jackson Pollock, Gough Whitlam (my Grandmother and Father would have been horrified to read my admission) and the amazingly fabulous Blue Poles.

You must be somewhere in London (Fri 04 Sep 2009)

A Seat - Grosvenor Square / Mayfair / London (Fri 04 Sep 2009)
The seat has the following inscription:

"To Blton M. Hyder Jr., my father, who first brought me to London,
and for Lewis P. Grimman Jr., a dear friend, who allowed me to appreciate London."

It all seems to fit together [see Grosvenor Square reference in the recent Ceremony post and a future post (coming soon)].

The Minds Eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson (Extract)

For photographers, there are two kinds of selection to be made, and either of them can lead to eventual regrets.

There is the selection we make when we look through the view-finder at the subject; and there is the one we make after the films have been developed and printed.

After developing and printing, you must go about separating the pictures which, though they are all right, aren’t the strongest.

When it’s too late, then you know with a terrible clarity exactly where you failed; and at this point you often recall the telltale feeling you had while you were actually making the pictures.

Was it a feeling of hesitation due to uncertainty?

Was it because of some physical gulf between yourself and the unfolding event?

Was it simply that you did not take into account a certain detail in relation to the whole setup?

Or was it (and this is more frequent) that your glance became vague, your eyes wandered off?

The Picture Story in The Minds Eye by Henri Cartier-Bresson.

What struck about this passage was not the regret that is felt at losing an opportunity to have a great photo, but what we have learnt from why the photo is not as strong as we would like. I have felt this in not only in my photography, but also in my paddling. If you know you have made a mistake and know why, then you have learnt a valuable lesson and you will become better at your chosen activity.

Graffiti - Brick Lane/London - Wed 2 Sep 2009
Window and Books - St Ives/Cornwall - Tue 8 Sep 2009