writing – Richard Schulz

For passion.

A bird sitting on a telephone wire. Foreground is meta loop which forms a frame around the bird and telephone pole. — Lined up.

A stormy afternoon.

Light rain fell down and this turned into a downpour which lasted about an hour; maybe two. The stormy weather rounded off the work week. Between writing I am watching Sicario. Instead of trying to focus on what’s new at the moment I often revisit some older favorites.

I’ve been thinking a lot about photography and writing.

Mostly how I can turn this into additional income. I’ve had a few internal struggles about this. Can a hobby turned job still be fulfilling? Can I handle the jump from the one to the other? Will I still enjoy photography on the days where I’m not taking photos for a client?

These are some of the questions going around my mind.

I concluded that if I am still asking questions perhaps it might not be a bad idea to at least try and see where it will lead me. Am I thinking quit 9-to-5 and hit the streets running?

No. I’m probably going to post a few cautious adverts online and see what sticks. Hand out a few business card here and there. I’ve recently connected with a business which can facilitate payments so selling photos aren’t off the table completely.

But why?

A bird flying in the right hand side of the image. Background is a cloudy sky. — Bird against the cloudy sky.

I thought about this a bit and one things keeps sticking out in my mind.

Photography makes me feel alive. Happy. Grounded in reality. Present in the moment. Feel free to use your own synonym.

Not in the sense that bungee jumping or skydiving would make you feel. It’s not a rush of adrenaline. It’s a strong desire to keep doing something I enjoy. I enjoy the moments behind the camera. What comes after is what I enjoy more: seeing the results, thinking about what I captured. It gets my brain working and thinking about the next time, the next photo. This makes me feel and think about possibilities.

Perhaps life isn’t as difficult as I imagine it to be. It might not be as overwhelming. Would I enjoy making money from the photos I take or being a photographer, even part time? Definitely. Shit, who wouldn’t enjoy their hobby making them money.

Yet the more I think about it – one thing keeps appearing to me as a beacon. Yes, money from photography will help. But at this point in my life I’m looking for some type of purpose. Go to work. Go back home. Sit in front of a computer browsing YouTube. I don’t want this type of routine.

I want to something with purpose. With passion. Something to consume me. I want to do something which matters to me.

Even if there is no financial reward involved.

Thanks for reading : )

Forget the world exists.

Dive deep into the quiet. – Image found on Pinterest.

“Burn down everything.”

I was out for my routine, mind-preparing coffee today. While sipping at the cappuccino and marveling at a variety of things I started thinking about the week ahead and this post.

It’s been a crazy week in the world.

Political assassination. Governments collapsing. If you really had the time you rewrite Billy Joel’s “We didn’t start the fire” with the events going on around us at the moment. A fast browse on YouTube or any social media channel makes you negative fairly quickly, draining the will to create.

While I was busy making some notes I noticed how quiet it got in my mind. Yes, I was in the middle of a slightly busy restaurant / shopping mall but nothing bothered me at this point. While writing and sipping my coffee I lost track of the surrounding distractions. It brought up the following thought:

Find stillness.

As a part-time creative (hobby creative if you will?) we have to navigate wisely. Our time is limited so when we do have an opportunity to be creative we have to focus as much as possible. No, I’m not trying to sell you something to maximize your time. I mean we shouldn’t focus on the things which don’t contribute to our creativity.

It is easy to become despondent and think “Why do I even try?” And in these times we compare ourselves to others, conveniently forgetting each of us have a different set of circumstances resulting in different outcomes.

Finding stillness focuses mostly on a time where you cut away from the excess of the world. The news, the social media channels. The politics of everything.

Find time to create – even if it is something small. The one photo which gives you inspiration. The single paragraph you write which over time completes a newsletter draft or perhaps a novel / short story. Make time for this. It’s vital if you want to somehow escape the rat race. Even if it is only for an hour while sitting in a coffee shop.

Thanks for reading : )

A simple life.

An overcast sky as backdrop against a telecoms tower. — A windy morning.

I sat at a coffee shop earlier this morning.

People walking past, people inside talking about a variety of things. When I find myself in these positions I tend to be very contemplative about life. I’m not the extroverted type personality who will ask people to be quiet. And in this instance I couldn’t even if I wanted to.

It is a public space after all.

So with my easy cappuccino a third of the way finished I thought to myself: how do I drown out this noise? And as these rabbit holes tend to work the more I thought the deeper I went.

How do I tie this in with photography?

I read through a post on Zen Habits. The title From Chaos to Calm: My Journey to a Simple Life.

As a photographer it is easy (sometimes necessary) to take a lot of photos. But if we focused on quality VS quantity how would it benefit our photography?
Is it important to capture literally everything we see?
Capture, edit, post. An endless cycle if we get caught up in the social media current. What if we learned to breathe around our photos? Let them sit and work on getting them shared at a later stage.
If you didn’t capture an image your really wanted is your whole day a failure? Focus on being content with the work you do.
Savor life just as it is. I enjoy this point because I struggle with comparison. Other’s have better areas for street photography thus my photos aren’t good. If I don’t have ___ subscribers it’s not worth writing. These types of things rob us of enjoyment. We hate on others and in the process neglect our own work. You might not have the same circumstance as another writer / photographer but you can make the best of your surroundings.

tl;dr

I still go through these motions today. Disliking my photography & writing because of external motivations.

It’s a natural inclination to compare. It’s how we strive forward and push ourselves to become a better version. But if it starts to make us negative and perceive others’ as “lucky” I think there lies a problem with our thinking.

If you’re reading this on a Sunday I hope it’s a good one for you.

Thanks for reading : )

Sunday Round-up

An apartment block at night in the mist. — Foggy.

It’s been a few days.

Between work, writing and trying to take photos my days seem to blur into one messy things. The funk I found myself in a few weeks ago seems to be slowly going away and my energy levels are getting back to where they were. Perhaps the end of winter has something to do with it.

As I type this I’m working on a new interview, adding the final touches to a finished one and thinking of how I can change or rather improve on my existing writings for the newsletter.

A few thoughts have come across my mind surrounding my newsletter.

The idea of building community. I have less ambition to pursue the goal of getting paid subscribers. It would take away my pleasure I derive from writing. It has always served as an outlet for me, long before the idea of subscribers came into my mind. Switching from an outlet to an income based activity would most likely kill it for me.
Focus on interviews. Not because they get more view but because I find them to be an interesting process. Reading through the newsletters of photographers, looking through their photos. Approaching them and putting together the questions. This whole process is a good thing for me. In learning about other people I tend to discover more about myself. It sounds like a line from a self-help book but it gives me writing a purpose. I think it also fits well into the point above about community building.

Speaking of interviews, I’m leaving links below where you can find the last few I did with photographers on Substack.

Alicia from The Daily Film Project

Edition Fifty Eight by Richard Schulz

An interview with Alicia Paley from The Daily Film Project

Read on Substack

Berkay from Lightgrain

Edition Fifty Seven by Richard Schulz

An interview with Berkay from @lightgrain

Read on Substack

Suzi from Suziinframe

Edition Fifty Five by Richard Schulz

An interview with Suzi from @suziinframe

Read on Substack

Dan from Okayfoto

Edition Fifty Three by Richard Schulz

An interview with @okayfoto

Read on Substack

Steven from Out There

Edition 50 by Richard Schulz

An interview with Steven Thomas from Out There.

Read on Substack

Very talented people doing interesting things with their photography. And more importantly building the community of photographers on Substack.

tl;dr

Often we find ourselves in a place we don’t enjoy.

This can be a life situation, a work situation, a relationship. We want to solve this problem now. As I’ve discovered over the past month, sometimes it is best to let these things sort themselves out. Our propensity to rush towards solutions doesn’t always work out.

Thanks for reading : )

A day off.

Today was one of those great days for me.

A break in routine. A change up of the familiar. I had a day off from work. Initially I wanted to stay in bed. Catch up on as much sleep as possible (which we know isn’t possible). Get up late, spend the day drinking coffee and doing this I usually don’t have the option to do.

After some consideration and the fact that I needed a haircut I decided to head into town. But with a minor set of changes to my standard routine.

Slept until 7:50am. Usually up at 4:40am.
Cycled into town at a leisurely pace. Usually I speed in while dodging people in their steel cages with wheels.

After getting a haircut I went for a cup of coffee. As I left the barbershop I found this cool doormat in front of the business. The owner is from Algeria if I’m not mistaken and has a really chilled vibe to him.

A doormat with the words Hello You Lovely People printed on it. — Hello You Lovely People.

While having my coffee I spent some time scribbling and people watching. Looking at people going about their day-to-day is something I enjoy. As someone who is reserved and not too ‘extroverted’ this helps me understand people.

I have written this elsewhere but if you need to brush up your people skills, want to understand people better or just want to marvel at humanity then go into retail. You will learn quite a lot about yourself as well.

Here are some of the scribbles I made while drinking my coffee.

“The hustle of a coffeeshop. People in and out going about their day. Ambient music in the background designed to make you spend more. This is a far cry from the barbershop where I just spent about 13 minutes. Quiet. Just the noise of the electric trimmer turning me into a presentable human being.”

While I sat down there was a mother and young son having breakfast. He kept taking food from her plate and when he caught my eye I waved to him. He got shy fairly quickly and ducked under the table much to his mother’s delight. After finishing their breakfast they had the remained of the breakfast packed into a doggy bag and left the shop.

“turn
short
splashes
into
longer
pieces”

The piece above is more focused on my writing. Take the short pieces I write and expand them into things which have a bit more meaning. Write more descriptively and write more personally.

As I finish this post the clock says almost 2 pm. It’s been a relaxing day and I hope to take much of these ideas into the weekend as I try to get my writing back on track.

As always, thanks for reading : )

A view from the back seat.

I haven’t had the energy to write for a while.

There has been a slow decline in my “urge” to write. I don’t want to completely stop writing. I do get a measure of satisfaction from it. The scratching and scribbling in notebooks and on blank pieces of paper. Those still happen but as I return to these moments in history I find less and less things of interest.

I don’t know whether it is a type of burnout. Perhaps. I’ve been writing on Substack for more than two years. Then eight months ago I get a website. I’ve had it for a while but didn’t do much with it.

Looking back it’s been a rough year for me when it comes to my mental state. Lost my mother. Lost one of my best friends. Been in a job for a year which I have to do (money and all that). All these things feel as if they are tying my down. They aren’t all I focus on but when it gets quiet and my mind has a second to recover or stand still they are the main antagonists in my story.

A light blue house. In the foreground a sign indicating the two names of the streets. — The pale blue house.

I guess I’m stuck.

Writers’ block. Photographers’ block. How ever I want to phrase it I am at the juncture. The one where I know what I have to do (write and take photos) but I’m not motivated enough to do it. I’m thinking “why?” quite a lot when it comes to my photography and writing these days. Not because I want to stop doing it because it does give me some fulfillment. But does it provide enough? And once I get “enough” will that be enough?

Writing for an audience probably does this. Suddenly you don’t know what the audience wants. You’re uncertain if your writing is still valid or relevant. Like when your photos don’t hit the spots on social media.

I think I’m just uncertain at this point in time. About many things. I’ve put to rest the idea of living of my writing & photography. I haven’t ever considered this is idea to be plausible but at very least I thought “~~I might sell a photo or two~~“. For writing: the bar for entry is pretty much gone but making money from it, a lot more difficult than some hustle bro would like you to believe.

Two traffic signs in the foreground. In the background an orange building. — Turn ahead.

Am I a little bit jealous of those making money from their hobbies? Fuck, it’s difficult to say. The people I follow seem to be doing alright – I might be a little bit jealous. Mostly of the ability to do more of the things which I enjoy while I feel stuck in first gear. It’s almost like Facebook all over again. The highlight reels which turned so many sad people into really depressed people.

To Let. A blurry image of a sign in a shop window. — To Let.

tl;dr

Writing & photography is taking a bit of a back seat in my life at the moment. I’m still here, I’m still on Substack. I’m still taking photos but just not for public consumption. Hopefully I’ll be back to my old self in no time.

Thanks for reading : )

Being frustrated with the status quo.

A close up photo of a cup of coffee. — Afternoon coffee.

I recently moved my desk into a different room and as I type this the winter sun is right on my face. It’s a nice distraction and it helps to warm up the chilly afternoon. Sundays are mostly spent on distraction. YouTube videos, reading Substacks and browsing the internet.

This calms me down and gets me ready for the week ahead.

During the past few weeks the thoughts of taking my photography professional [or at least semi professional] has been on my mind a lot. I’d like to get into food photography. Today as I sat with a steaming bowl of instant noodles and a cup of coffee the urge to take photos of my food made me reconsider. You know the feeling when you get swept up in something? Rush to find a tripod, switching from the kit lens to a 50 mm with an extension tube. The sun light just perfect. No need for the external flash.

It’s the feeling we get when doing something we enjoy. So much we become distracted from everything else around us. For a few minutes or hour or however long we aren’t focused on the present. The problems. The difficulty.

I’m not under any illusions around this. Finding clients, taking photos under different circumstances and for money isn’t a ‘fun’ thing. It wouldn’t be how I normally take photos.

My biggest reason for doing this would be to effect some change in my life. At the moment things are fairly static. I have a routine set up which is strangling my creative side. Not enough creative outlet. Hence the urge to do something creative with my photography. Is this the only creative thing I could do? No. But it is also in part the idea of looking for a challenge. Can I do this? Is it possible for me to go out, find a client, take photos for them.

I’m looking for growth in my photography. Not the static, stagnant photos I capture on my way to work. I’m curious to see how my skills will match up in a ‘real world’ situation.

We’ve all found ourselves at a point like this. The urge to do something different. Being frustrated with the status quo in our lives.

I leave you with two more photos: the first one is a close up of the bowl of noodles which re-awakened this existential crisis and the second is another of the apartment complex which I photograph as part of an ongoing photo project.

A close up photo of a bowl of instant noodles. — Noodles.

A set of apartments in an apartment complex. A light trail runs in front of the buildings. — A motorcycle going by.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your Sunday : )

The importance of perseverance.

A photo of a street lamp in the foreground. In the distance a hazy horizon just before sunrise. The dark sky on top and the pink red and orange of the sun in the bottom third of the image. — Early mornings. Kodak M531 & Snapseed edit.

Another Saturday evening.

At the end of the work week I finally find time to write a little bit. I have not been as focused on writing as I’d like to be. Most of my evenings are spent watching a little bit of YouTube and then going to sleep.

Finding time for a hobby is often one of the more difficult parts of it. You might have more time than myself. Or less. Squeezing in a few paragraphs here and there might be all you have time for. Scribbling down new names for the character with a bio in short hand just so you don’t forget it.

Regardless of how much you do – it’s important to do something. To keep the momentum going. Today one paragraph. Tomorrow two. Or two pages. Put down a few ideas on what you’d like to write about in your next newsletter.

All the small sessions tend to add up. You find an idea in something you wrote earlier during the day. As you look back you discover a gem hidden away in your Keep notes. Or a post-it note stuck on the corner of your computer screen with a cryptic phrase on it.

These tend to keep us going. The bursts of excitement during a long idea drought. It nourishes our attempts. It says “stick with it. keep doing what you’re doing”. Perhaps it is for your latest novel. Or a newsletter. It might be nothing more than a hobby. An attempt to create a career as a writer / photographer / painter.

On consumption

I’ve slowly stopped reading Substack on my computer. Mostly because while the tab is open my mind tends to wander – first YouTube and then Pinterest. Then a myriad of other things which randomly jumps into my mind. I open Substack on my computer only when I write something [comment / note / newsletter].

I’ve cut down on my YouTube watching. The amount of “X things to do to make your Y better” videos I watched was too much. Honestly I didn’t learn as much from the as the creator hoped. All I managed to do was fall into comparison traps.

Reading is one thing I try to do but I curate a whole lot more. What value does this newsletter add? Can I gain some knowledge which I didn’t have before? A different insight into a problem I might be experiencing.

With that said, I think we should [on occasion] read / watch something which has nothing to do with our particular craft. It’s a reset for us. Like putting your camera down and not taking photos for a week. Or not writing. Blasphemy I know but sometimes the lack of something makes you see it with a renewed vigor when returning to it.

Thanks for reading : )

Distractions.

It’s easy to get distracted.

In this world where we have access to tons of information and stimulation how can we not get distracted? YouTube, Instagram. You don’t even need to jump into social media to get distracted. Browse Wikipedia and you’ll see what I mean.

There is nothing wrong with distractions if you take them in small doses. Working for a few hours and then getting distracted for a few minutes. A distraction can help you to reset. The few moments away from the screen or the code / the project / the paperwork.

Like everything in life, distraction without balance is not a good thing. If you’re consistently distracted at work you don’t do the job required from you. If you’re consistently distracted while writing the work tends to suffer. Same for photos.

Battling distractions are difficult.

If we’re not invested in something it is easier to become distracted. Don’t feel like going out – watch Netflix. Don’t feel like writing? Do some ‘research’ and end up scrolling endlessly. Look for something on YouTube on how to beat distraction.

Battling distraction is difficult because it is uncomfortable. It becomes a comfortable zone where we come home after work and instead of reading or doing something constructive we open YouTube, IG or whatever gets your dopamine flowing.

Do this for a few weeks in a row and you have a full blown addiction. It becomes your routine. A new routine dedicated to keep you from doing something you enjoy.

The key part of distraction is to keep a handle on it. Find something which isn’t a distraction which will take your attention away from the important things. If you’re a writer, get distracted by other people’s writing. Subscribe to a newsletter and spend some time on reading the thoughts of people.

I’m not advocating you fill your time with only photography. Or writing.

Sometimes a distraction needs to be nothing. No noise. No music. You and some peace and quiet. Away from the millions of bits of information out there trying to sell you something. Trying to push you to feed an algorithm. Trying to get yourself filled up with dopamine only to crash down a few hours later.

tl;dr

Sometimes, we need distraction.

Long day at work. Tough week at school. Things not going your way. Whatever the reason may be. Perhaps your craft has gotten the best of you. Writer’s block. Photographer’s block.

Here distractions can be good. A few minutes stepping away from the keyboard or the pen & paper. Setting down the camera for a day or two. Let the images on your memory card (or film) rest. Let them breathe.

Then start again with renewed vigor.

Thanks for reading : )

To monetize or not to monetize.

Instant noodles, curry flavor, topped with chili flakes. — Instant noodles and chili flakes.

Professional.

engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.

Professional photographer.

Over the past month, I’ve been considering the idea of moving from hobby photographer to professional photographer. Initially I’d only do this on a Sunday. You know, do it on the side. Part time. My train of thoughts were mostly along the lines of: Keep doing it until it can pay my rent. Then quit my day job and pursue it full time.

As I thought about this more and more I started wondering – is this a wise decision? Once I start doing this it will become a job. Suddenly the pressure to take photos isn’t only me telling myself to do it – now I have a paying client. Or two. I’m on the clock, have to finish this before this time tomorrow or don’t get paid.

Gone are the carefree times when I went out with my camera because I wanted to. Not because I have to. Gone are the walking slowly into to town and capturing misty mornings. Suddenly your hobby, which you enjoyed, is a job you hate. Or at very least dislike.

Vegetable soup with cauliflower, baby marrows, pumpkin and instant noodles. — Something for the winter evenings.

I think this is where it gets tricky.

If you’re eager to escape the rat race, or just move into a different direction, life as a professional photographer might not be as fun as you think. Once you accept money, it’s not friendly anymore. You create expectations. You tell people “I am good enough at this”. You sell yourself. You sell your work. Perhaps you start to corrupt the thing you enjoyed in the beginning.

This happened to me once before.

In another life I worked in IT. Hardware. Fixed printers, did a little bit of network related stuff, set up emails. Basic stuff. I wasn’t really happy with this. It was mundane. It was repetitive. Some months I had to wait for my salary.

Go into software development. It will be fun they said.

At first I was really excited. I would often think about how a teacher in school failed to teach me about programming yet I taught myself how to program within a few months. At first I did it as a hobby. Then I thought why not find some clients? Easy money. This turned into a full time job for a few years.

Today, even after being gently nudged by friends, I don’t want to see a line of code. I don’t hate it but it doesn’t give me the same amount of joy as it did when I only messed around with it.

It’s not the same anymore.

Chuck, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes on a bed of rice, — Dinner.

I think it will be exactly the same if I started taking money for photography. It will be great for a few months. Then the suck will start. Being told by people who have no idea about my craft how to do it. But I can’t tell them to get buggered because then I might not get more work. And if I don’t get more work I start to worry.

I’d end up in the same position I find myself in now. Not enjoying what I’m doing. With one major difference – now I destroyed the thing which helped me escape these bad times. What will the next stop be?

I recently read two newsletters which capture my thoughts much better. If you’re in two minds about whether you should / should not monetize your hobby give these a read. At very least you’ll walk away with a different perspective.

The first one is by Ali ‘O Keefe and you can find it here. If you’re not familiar with the concept of shit sandwich you will be after this. The next piece is by Razlyn Lysaught and you’ll find it here.

tl;dr

Doing a job which doesn’t fit into the idea of normal seems like a fun thing. You take lots of photos. Shoot with models. Travel to cool places. But it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it will suck. Sometimes you’ll have to eat some shit. Perhaps the same type you’d hope to escape when you embarked on this new journey.

If you’re on this journey I hope you don’t start hating your hobby. I’m still on the fence about taking money for photography. After reading two pieces above my thinking is different. Full time photography isn’t something I’d enjoy. I need to do something different. I get distracted easily. I want the photos I take to reflect something other than “I hate this gig”. I might do it for free, perhaps take a coffee as payment. But I want photography to be part of my journey. Just not as a full time paid up photographer.

Thanks for reading : )