Arizona Treks

 As it happens, life frequently interferes with our plans and directions.  One of my businesses occasionally needs intense effort and focus.  Everything else in my life must yield to this emergency.  This is my vocation and I guess one would say that photography is my avocation.  Although photography is where my passion lies, it does not provide a significant portion of my income.  That is to some degree by choice, I have no desire to make photography a job at this time on my life. 

The difference between writing software and photography is not as large as one might think.  Both are creative pursuits, both require work and concentration to do well.  In other words, both are "thought work".  Having spent a lifetime doing "thought work" there are many similarities to the different types of work.  There is a flow that happens.  This is easier in some cases to find doing things like software than with photography.  But both are done much better when this flow is there.  Your mind is there and nowhere else, your focus is intense and you can be easily surprised by someone walking up to you and speaking to you.  You are surrounded by your thoughts and activities.  That is one reason you must be proficient with the tools you use, to reach that state you can not be concentrating on the tools so their use must be instinctive.  

When switching between tasks some time is required to get the flow.  going from one project to another usually takes a few days to get going at peak efficiency.  Switching between software and photography requires even more time.  After completing the software project a few days ago, I am still struggling to find the photography place again.  And when the emergency first happened, it took several days to find that place.  

I have never found a way to get this change to happen more quickly, just accept that it takes time and do the switch.  For a while it seems as if you are wandering around in a maze or a forest where all the trees look alike.  But with steady effort, you finally get there again.