Date: 2/25/2005
From: Dan
"I did focus on this to bring it to your attention...not because I thought you didn't understand it, but because it is unusual...at least to my experience, and I wanted to be as clear about why I think its important as I can, for my sake as much as yours. I hesitated to use the term "inner voice"...because these things can have such different meanings to different people, but I think you know what I mean...and I do think that there is a reason what we are sharing is taking place in the realm of the word. (and that the music and images are helping clarity to come about.)
I wasn't sure if this would work, but I entered into it hopefully...and it does seem to be working.
Maybe it would help for me to tell a little story about something that happened last spring...just as I was starting the ballad work. It would be too complicated to explain why I happened to be over in the mountains of eastern KY....way up a remote holler at the edge of night, near a waterfall, but there I was.
And I was very glad to be there...I seldom have time alone out in the woods, so I was relishing the moment. I was actually "on assignment"...I took a freelance job writing a tour guide to the national scenic byways of E. KY...and the design studio that I was working for had equiped me with a digital camera so that I could catch some images, which might be of use in the book, or would give clues as to where we needed to send a professional photographer to. I don't own a still camera (I do work with video at times.)....maybe in part because I have several freinds who are professional photographers....or maybe because its a medium that I like what others do, but have no interest in doing myself. If it comes to making a still image, I'd rather paint it. Anyways, it was very unusual for me to have a camera with me.
And I knew that it was a "smart camera"....all you had to do was point the thing and it would focus, adjust for the light, etc....so you WOULD have a photo of whatever you clicked.
There was a point when I realized this...and immediately thought of bigfoot (that's a whole nother story set out in the Pacific NW.) and of how some people are always trying to catch a picture of something no one has every captured...like a ghost, or the loch ness monster, or bigfoot, etc etc. At that moment the thought came into my head, very clearly,,,what I would call the "inner voice"....its a type of knowing that guides me in making art....usually its something pretty mundane to most people...like "put the line THERE." or "use the dark red now." etc....this time it came in the form of a question and a proposed agreement or promise, which was, "If you were to see something truly amazing while you are wearing that camera around your neck, would you have enough restraint to not attempt to take a photo of it, whatever it might be....because....unless you now agree NOT to attempt to photograph any such amazing thing, it is a CERTAINTY that you will not see it....whatever it might be. Do you agree?" And I did agree. And I did see something incredible....which I cannot talk about.
I know that's sort of a maddening story....but the point is that there are some interchanges that require certain parameters to exisit in. Maybe its just a willingness to practice self-discipline that matters...I don't know. There are some things that we just have to accept.
As to the fear factor, you have to decide that for yourself. Even tho you've told me something about how you got to here, I don't know your vulnerabilities, and that is probably very important to this process. That's why I'm adamant about keeping this on the straight and narrow, at least until I understand something of what's happening. I've missed some great opportunities through haste before....to the point where you'd think no more opportunities would appear to someone so thick-headed (dumb, in a word.)....but I'm still, as of today, lucky...(blessed!)"
From: Dan
"I did focus on this to bring it to your attention...not because I thought you didn't understand it, but because it is unusual...at least to my experience, and I wanted to be as clear about why I think its important as I can, for my sake as much as yours. I hesitated to use the term "inner voice"...because these things can have such different meanings to different people, but I think you know what I mean...and I do think that there is a reason what we are sharing is taking place in the realm of the word. (and that the music and images are helping clarity to come about.)
I wasn't sure if this would work, but I entered into it hopefully...and it does seem to be working.
Maybe it would help for me to tell a little story about something that happened last spring...just as I was starting the ballad work. It would be too complicated to explain why I happened to be over in the mountains of eastern KY....way up a remote holler at the edge of night, near a waterfall, but there I was.
And I was very glad to be there...I seldom have time alone out in the woods, so I was relishing the moment. I was actually "on assignment"...I took a freelance job writing a tour guide to the national scenic byways of E. KY...and the design studio that I was working for had equiped me with a digital camera so that I could catch some images, which might be of use in the book, or would give clues as to where we needed to send a professional photographer to. I don't own a still camera (I do work with video at times.)....maybe in part because I have several freinds who are professional photographers....or maybe because its a medium that I like what others do, but have no interest in doing myself. If it comes to making a still image, I'd rather paint it. Anyways, it was very unusual for me to have a camera with me.
And I knew that it was a "smart camera"....all you had to do was point the thing and it would focus, adjust for the light, etc....so you WOULD have a photo of whatever you clicked.
There was a point when I realized this...and immediately thought of bigfoot (that's a whole nother story set out in the Pacific NW.) and of how some people are always trying to catch a picture of something no one has every captured...like a ghost, or the loch ness monster, or bigfoot, etc etc. At that moment the thought came into my head, very clearly,,,what I would call the "inner voice"....its a type of knowing that guides me in making art....usually its something pretty mundane to most people...like "put the line THERE." or "use the dark red now." etc....this time it came in the form of a question and a proposed agreement or promise, which was, "If you were to see something truly amazing while you are wearing that camera around your neck, would you have enough restraint to not attempt to take a photo of it, whatever it might be....because....unless you now agree NOT to attempt to photograph any such amazing thing, it is a CERTAINTY that you will not see it....whatever it might be. Do you agree?" And I did agree. And I did see something incredible....which I cannot talk about.
I know that's sort of a maddening story....but the point is that there are some interchanges that require certain parameters to exisit in. Maybe its just a willingness to practice self-discipline that matters...I don't know. There are some things that we just have to accept.
As to the fear factor, you have to decide that for yourself. Even tho you've told me something about how you got to here, I don't know your vulnerabilities, and that is probably very important to this process. That's why I'm adamant about keeping this on the straight and narrow, at least until I understand something of what's happening. I've missed some great opportunities through haste before....to the point where you'd think no more opportunities would appear to someone so thick-headed (dumb, in a word.)....but I'm still, as of today, lucky...(blessed!)"
You're welcome but actually thanks should be given to Mr. Dutton for sharing so many stories with me!
ReplyDelete