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Aug 11
in Photography Teachings

Fourth “P” ….. PRACTICE !

“The Artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” Emile Zola

 

 

Every day I am a little different to who I was yesterday. Every experience I have…. everything I see.. everything I do… everything I hear… or touch in some way creates a new perspective…. a new way of looking at things… a new understanding…. a new ability…  a new idea to investigate.

During this evolution I need to strengthen the new skills and deepen my understanding of new ideas and competencies and to do this I must PRACTISE.

It is only when I have committed myself to PRACTICE, that I can develop a certain level of mastery with something…. and it is through this mastery of something which provides the strong platform for further exploration of something else.

 

“Often I have lamented how many hours I’ve labored, the frustrations I have felt as I practiced, practiced, measured, measured, squinted, squinted, compared, compared. How rewarding it is to assimilate it all and feel the resulting joy.” (Ann Manry Kenyon)

 

I found myself often in amazing environments; excited about what I was feeling and what I wanted to capture through my images. Often I would come back and look at my images and they did not portray the sense I thought they might – purely because I did not have mastery of my own equipment.

 

 

I decided to get out my manual… dive into the internet…. learn and experiment and PRACTISE using the different settings and environments and conditions…. and how wonderful it is now to go to different situations and environments and know competently how to use my tools… so that I can have the freedom to use them without being hindered by incompetency.

 

 

I decided I needed to PRACTISE using Photoshop, and Lightroom. I practised processing and developing images and compared versions to see the different resultant effects.

I PRACTISED printing using different printer settings and different papers. I PRACTISED using my pastels…. my watercolours …. sewing my books …. pasting my covers. I PRACTISED drawing in my sketch book. I PRACTISED writing words and thoughts whilst I was on location before I took any images.  I PRACTISED to develop my skills and my mastery of them.

 

 

The most important thing however was that I recognised the importance of MINDFUL PRACTICE…. and I needed to be PRESENT while I was practising. I  committed myself to PRACTISING being PRESENT. I made a conscious decision to commit to witnessing myself and practised focussed attention… through dedicated daily practices as well as during the things I did.

 

“As a mindfulness practice, become the conscious observer of your thoughts, feelings and actions today. Notice how much of your energy is being stolen from you by the time-bandits of the past and the future. Make a conscious choice to step into the Now, and do so by breathing consciously.” (Dennis Merritt Jones)

 

I committed myself to PRACTISING being PLAYFUL. Although this was a much easier one…I still committed to practising and trying out new things. I PRACTISED pushing the boundaries. I PRACTISED experimenting.

 

“You can’t hire someone to practice for you.”                    (H. Jackson Brown. Jnr.)

 

I had to do the work. My gift of creativity, expression and intuition is nothing without the work.

 

What PRACTICES can you implement to develop your own mastery?

 

Next post… the 5th “P”…. PATIENCE

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About the Author: Julie
I am a Journeywoman. I live my life as an explorer. An adventurer. An Observer. An Artist. There is no differentiation between how I live my life and the art that is an expression of it. It is through my experience adventuring the unknown, that I learn more about myself. My aim through this connection is to live where my expression is fully in alignment with the essence of who I am. “In the field of Fine-Art Photography, Julie stands apart from others with the way she sees the world and expresses her connection within it. Julie Stephenson’s photographs are sublime. Her work is an expression of her deep connection; and a gift to the world.”

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Instagram post 2181901153613465477_7573063145 Indigo blue; cotton thread; sewing and laughter. In Dali in South-Western China I sewed, wrapped thread and dipped my cotton into liquid blue; under the instruction of the local Bai women in a small village on the outskirts of Dali; and together with Max and our Guides, had the best day. 
This traditional practice of dyeing has survived for over a thousand years surviving the Cultural Revolution, when many other Dong traditions such as Shamanism, were stamped out by Communist ideology.
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This process of botanical dyeing uses plants such as indigo, woad and mugwort which are native to the nearby mountains of Cangshan. These plants are not only used for dye, but for food, medicine and ornaments.

Historically in this region it is the men who harvest and prepare the dyes, whilst the women weave, prepare the cloth and do the stitching and washing of the dyed fabric.

A couple of dozen plants were used for dyeing. I learned that both acid and alkaline mordants were used to modify the colours.

I also learned of the sense of ritual involved in the dyeing process. Dyeing within the lives of the villagers was only performed on goat days in the lunar calendar from June to October. 
Through our interpreter the ladies shared that they were trying to hold on to their tradition, but were fearful that their traditions were being lost as the young people moved away to the cities and their culture was being wiped out. 
I’m so grateful to have learned this unique and special technique from these fabulous ladies. I had the best day. Swipe for pics and more on my website - link in profile.
. . #liveboldly#traveller #roadtrip #momentsofmine #dali #adventurer #journeywoman #indigo #travelmore #instatravelling #travelgram #explore #explorer #traveldiaries #livingthedream #travelawesome #traveldeeper #livefully #livecreatively #inspired #travelmore #wonderfulplaces #openmyworld #lovetotravel #seekmoments #botanicaldyeing #bai #handcrafts
Instagram post 2175476617724628608_7573063145 There is something quite lovely about wearing items which are crafted using one’s hands; and there has been time, quality materials, and one’s heart and soul embedded within them. My skirt; my jumpers and scarves that I knitted myself.. and my jewellery which was made by artisans I’ve met along our journeys over the years; all hold the essence of human creativity and soul. 
Most days on our journey I wore, the most exquisite piece of woven silk fabric I purchased from @ockpoptok in Luang Prabang in Laos… and held it up using the belt I wove with @theweavingsisters . 
Luang Prabang in Laos was a dyers and weavers heaven. At Ock Pop Toc  there was a beautiful display of weaving using silk. I learned so much about the different styles of weaving techniques… and had a really great time with the weavers there.  I’ve always loved weaving and after my fabulous day weaving my belt with @theweavingsisters, I was hungry to learn more… and considering purchasing a loom when we returned home so I could weave at home. 
What was wonderful about wearing an exquisite piece of fabric, was that I could adapt the tying style according to the country and when I was in Tibet, I realised that the fold was in the back instead of at the side as in Laos… so…. just an adjustment in the fold and my skirt was much admired by the local ladies… but for me, more importantly was that there was something quite wonderful about wearing items which had taken time, heart and soul to create and that I could let them live as I walked and travelled across land. 
Swipe to see more photos and more stories and photographs in my Journal on my website – link in my profile. ..
Pic at Everest Base Camp in Tibet, with Chomolungma )Mt Everest) reaching skyward behind me. .
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Samen Shawl by @westknits 
My motifs in Astrid by @junkookamoto212 .
.#liveboldly #Laos #traveller #roadtrip #weaving #momentsofmine #laostravel #adventurer #journeywoman #instatravel #instatravelling #himalayas #travelgram #explore #explorer #traveldiaries #livingthedream #travelawesome #traveldeeper #livefully #livecreatively #inspired #adventureseeker #travelmore #goexplore #wonderfulplaces #openmyworld #lovetotravel #seekmoments
Instagram post 2139205226465755348_7573063145 Road trip in a vintage car from Bangkok to London is filled with rich experiences. Last week I learned from @theweavingsisters how to weave using the back-strap technique and I had the BEST time! I wove this belt .. which was dyed using locally grown indigo! 
Us sista’s laughed so much and had a beautiful sharing time together and I learned so much.
My class was in Luang Prabang in Laos. 
We’re in China right now and having a fabulous time. Long hot days. Rough roads.... and so many experiences to share! I’ll share when I can. Internet is random here in China, and often at night we just need to get to sleep ready for our next big day. I’m updating my website with journal posts when I can, so pop there if you want more stories and photographs. 
Link in profile. .
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#roadtrip #happydays #weaving #indigo #laos #generous #funtimes #traveladdict #journeywoman #vintagecar #laos
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2017 All photographs created by and property of Julie Stephenson.
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