Get outside. make something.

It’s Sunday morning, a little after 06:30, and the house, for the moment, is relatively quiet. The kids are, surprisingly, still sleeping. A rarity on the weekends, but for some reason not on a weekday. I am sitting down at my desk, enjoying a nice cold cup of coffee, my first of the day, though definitely not my last. I’m listening to some Leon Bridges while waiting for the caffeine, and a little mental clarity, to hit so that I can hopefully string together a slightly coherent post. No promises.

I am in somewhat of a rush, working with a small amount of time before I have to head outside, get on the tractor, and start moving some stuff around on the property. Hooray for adulting, but yay for tractors.

So, with that being said, and as I have previously stated, some of my adventures and outings call for a lengthy story, while others, thanks to their random or brief nature, are better suited for a quick blurb. This post, for a multitude of reasons, definitely falls into the latter.

Honestly, I do not think my intent was ever to share this series outside of Instagram, but things change. As I was combing through Lightroom and reviewing these images, I was hit with an idea and opted to act on said idea. The gist being that no matter how busy I get, no matter what is on my agenda, I need to always make it a point to get out and create.

The series of images below is, for me, a good reminder of that, as they were taken on a Sunday as well. I was busy, there was a lot going on, but I opted to take a pause, hop in the truck, and just get outside. I hiked for an hour or so. It was later in the afternoon, the light was harsh, but I set out to make the best of it and just enjoy hitting the proverbial mental reset button.

I could have made several excuses to not grab my camera and go outside, as that would have been easy, and it was a habit that I had fallen into. However, that didn’t happen, and I just went for it. I pushed past my comfort zone, and I am glad that I did, as I not only had fun, but also managed to get some images that I was pretty pleased with overall.

I have really made it a point, ever since calling myself out, to just shoot. I may have only ten minutes to shoot, or the location may not be the best, but I’d rather end up with a product that is semi-decent than no product at all and a bunch of regret.

So far this year, I have created more than I have in an exceptionally long time, and I have way more planned trips, interviews, and concepts than I have had in probably a decade. I would not have the bulk of that if I had not held myself accountable, pushed through, and just chased an idea.

Until next time!

Enjoy!

-Tyler