As motherhood, work, and life pare my days down to small windows in which to accomplish my goals and to-do list, I have sought out creative ways to help me manage my time.

My recent favourite is a book called “Essentialism:  The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown.  A colleague at a workshop introduced me to the simple concept of using extreme criteria when navigating quickfire decisions throughout the day, as well as bigger life choices.  Basically?  Be more selective when saying yes or no.  When a decision is necessary I say HELL YEAH if I feel total and utter conviction, and a simple NO if not.

Simple yes, but I’ve found it invaluable.  My days flow better, I feel more in control, and there is fun and joy to be had instead of overwhelm and exhaustion.

The jump to essentialism in my photography felt obvious.  In Maite’s recent post about coming out as a film shooter, I loved her words “I believe in a communion between your camera and you. I believe in getting it right the first time. Not wasting a gazillion photos …”.

I shoot digital and I shoot RAW.  That adds up to a ton of data that could potentially clutter up not only my hard drive, but my mind as well.  As I’ve grown as a photographer, I’ve realized that this art requires discipline, it requires setting boundaries, it requires the ability to CHOOSE carefully in order to take great photos.  The discernment that I’ve learned in curating my photos after I’ve taken them is something I now apply to the moment when I raise the camera and press the shutter.  If I don’t look at a subject or a view and have it say YES, I don’t shoot.  And when I do press the shutter, I take my time and click once or twice, rather than firing off a dozen in the vague hope that one of those frames will be the right one.

Using extreme criteria in my choices has produced an ease in my days and is contributing to life flowing with more grace.  And as a photographer, I’m regaining some of the joy I had in my early days as a budding enthusiast when I would take the time to search out and carefully choose my subject and focal point.  It feels right and lets the “decisive moment” that Henri Cartier-Bresson defined happen more naturally for me.

Happy selective shooting!

cheers,
kim

All floral arrangements created by the talented Sara Marshall of Sara Florals.