Visions of Hawai‘iWhen I look out the window of my home, towards Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean, I see infinity. I can see as far as the distant horizon allows. Often, the ocean and sky blend together into a featureless, luminous field of color and light. I see this daily and it enters my consciousness deeply. It changes me in ways I cannot quite identify. I am constantly reminded […]
Creativity
Observations of the Hawai‘i Landscape
A guest essay by Franco SalmoiraghiThese images are selections from forty-five years of photographing in Hawai’i. Expeditions, wanderings and assignments for books and magazines have given me opportunities to observe the mysterious and mythical nature of the ‘aina (land) that has been revered for centuries through ritual oli, hula and mele (chant, dance and song). These photographs are quiet observations. My intent has been to document remnants of primeval nature […]
Can This Kill That?
Digital Technology and the Search for MeaningI admit it. I love electronics. I am one of those that frequent the Apple store during the launch day of new products, as I did with the new iPhone and iPad. I prefer writing on a keyboard and monitor, watching the words flow across the screen seamlessly tethered to my brain. I love working with images on the computer; the speed, flexibility and […]
Into the Heart of Vision
I recently completed a memoir/essay, Longing for Light: Into the Heart of Vision, about learning to see, a process necessitated by losing my right dominant eye to an impact injury in 1983. As a photographer, the experience was painful and traumatic — like nothing else I have experienced — and a profound learning experience. Many years of inner work preceded the injury allowing me to treat the suffering as part […]
The Seven Stages of Creativity
An Experiential OutlineI will be giving an audio interview on Navigating the Seven Stages of Creativity for the International Association of Conscious and Creative Writers on Thursday, August 8 at 11 am EST. If you would like to listen to the live interview or receive access to the live recording, your may join IACCW as a free or full member. One of the hallmarks of the creative process is readily distinguishable […]
Art and Consciousness
The Search for Clarity and WisdomIn the last five minutes of a free public critique of photographs, a person asked me about whether we can trust the responses of others. We come (especially in Hawai‘i) from differing cultural backgrounds, experiences, and circumstances. Don’t we bring our own baggage to a response, any response? Can we actually believe that someone is talking about the work, or merely themselves? I answered him […]
In Defense of Books
I recently visited my local library, for the first time since its expansion and renovation, during which it was transformed into an adequately sized, aesthetically pleasing space. However, I was disturbed to find there were few books on the shelves and even fewer people browsing. The books now only fill 25% of the available shelves. I was told by a staff member that the library has “room to grow.” Good… […]
Deep Perception
Cultivating the Art of SeeingWhy must we learn to see? Can we learn to open the gates of perception? We have lost something very special: the ability to engage life richly and fully through a concentrated, directed awareness. I believe that the one of the most dangerous elements of modern life and of our contemporary educational system is found in the rapidly decreasing attention span in our selves and our […]