This week, it wasn’t the camera but the pen that demanded my attention. Much like photography, writing requires patience and practice—a willingness to show up even when the muse seems to have taken the night off. I’m no expert—far from it—but as they say, a writer writes. So, I set myself a simple goal: 15 minutes daily (a goal a friend shared). Some days, like that one, stretched into 30, and someone who chases squirrels as often as I do will know that this is a feat.
But let’s set the scene properly:
"The night was moist." – one of the best opening lines ever
Fans of Throw Momma from the Train will recognize the struggle of finding the perfect opening line—a task that feels Sisyphean until it clicks. That day, my pen felt as dry as that infamous draft. And yet, I kept going. Writing—even lousy writing—is still writing. Slowly, the effort began to pay off.
As I sat in the discomfort, the ideas started bubbling up. My mind became, in the immortal words of Hedley Lamarr from Blazing Saddles, “a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.”
Sure, it wasn’t that pretty. But it reminded me of the feeling I get behind the lens when things click. Writing is a different beast to me—stubborn and slippery—but it holds the same promise. Stay with it long enough, and you’ll find yourself somewhere unexpected.
So, while the night was moist and my pen ran dry, I was reminded that creativity is messy. It doesn’t always arrive with grace or grandeur. Sometimes, it shows up late, awkward, and wrapped in clichés. But stick with it—whether in words or images—you might capture something worth keeping.
Here are some images from last year that I want to share.
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