Reflections on a quiet Monday morning in the Port

Well hello folks! Just a quick post from me today – having taken a step back recently to focus on family and friends, today I find myself reflecting on recent work over coffee, Nick Drake and another rainy morning in Newport. Today’s post is written as an honest acknowledgement of being a young adult working in the arts.

I’m very lucky to be able to work in a field that I love, simply put photography. I am even luckier that I am surrounded by, and even support, a number of inspiring photographers in South Wales (GB). I am luckier still that I live and work in a city, full of character and creativity, which despite it’s at times colourful reputation, has no shortfall of energy, dynamism and stimulating topics of conversation to keep everyone going.

Recently I have been struggling to find a balance between home and work, mainly for the reason that when your passionate about the work you do, it’s hard not to bring that passion home with you (especially if you freelance). I am both reassured and resigned by the fact that I’ve not been able to find anyone who has found the balance to this conundrum to date. I think it’s fair to say at times that we all get this balance wrong; it’s how you move on from it that counts.

Through my links with the University of South Wales, Newport, I have fairly regular contact with students in the city, and have even come to count some of them as friends. Inevitably at this time of year, the topic of conversations have turned to graduation, final hand-ins and what life is like after uni.

I remember final year as a time full of excitement, optimism, ambition and uncertainty. (Each person’s circumstance is different, and if any students are reading this post, I am more than happy to grab a coffee and an informal chat over what you think you want to do post university). Thinking back to that time, conversations I’ve enjoyed and challenges that I see myself and others face within careers in the arts, I keep coming back to these 2 points:

Photograph the things you love, and the things you want to change. 

Do what you can, with what you have, now.

I don’t pretend to be the authors of these points – if anyone can point me in the direction to who to attribute them to I’d be grateful – and whilst photography specific, I’m sure it is easy to relate to many other walks of life. It’s only been 4 years since I graduated from Uni, and by heck it’s been an interesting and busy time. But on Monday mornings, when your sat drinking coffee and focusing on what it is your working so damn hard for, these two little hints aren’t bad in pointing you in the right direction.

Take care for now,

K x