I find myself scanning through websites, mostly photography related blogs reading snippets here and there always looking for something that strikes my fancy in some unique way. I feel it important to promote fellow artists who’s interests and talents help to inspire my own endeavors. I will be the first to say the work by these fellow photographers be it their images, experiences, writings and a combination of all these and more does influence how I approach my own photography and how I learn to except not only what inspires me but my outlook in general on a daily basis.
Ones artistic creations be they photographs, paintings, drawings, sculptures and the multitude of other popular crafts is a highly personal and self fulfilling experience brought forth from those experiences of life. Happy, joyful times as opposed to times of despair, pain and anguish. These human emotions we all share are foundations of growth and direction never to be taken lightly or passed by and forgotten. I find the pursuit of my own art to be a struggle, not some of the time, but most of the time. To create visually what one feels emotionally can be close to if not impossible. It is this challenge that draws me in the direction of those trying times, to never give up just because success seems to fleeting. It is only when we stop trying we have lost. Decades of personal struggles is part of how I see the world around me. More recent years of personal joy and happiness interwoven with the daily challenges we all face brings to light the nature of why I choose to create. Create something that is bigger than myself, has more meaning than my individual presence and to be able to see aspects of life that are so easily missed.
The visual artist must be able to see with passion and humility as well as with the eyes. To try, work and be willing to place themselves in situations that are not at all comfortable. When I step outside my comfort zone are the times that passion and humility is at it’s highest. The thought of failure should never be a bad thing, it must be a driving motivation to work harder to do more to be willing to place yourself in those places you don’t want to be and then, most importantly learn from the experience. Many people chose to have their daily routine and work very hard at keeping things the same as to be comfortable and less distracted, how boring. I refuse to reach the end of my days and the word boring be anywhere close to an explanation of the years spent walking this earth. To create art of any meaning is a life long process and has no time for comfort, the comfort I seek must come in the ability to create with meaning that is not only seen but felt.
© Brad Mangas
