Sunday Photo/Art Quote – Sun Tzu
Off down the road again I traipse again in this Sunday Photo/Art quote. This time, I turn to the Orient for inspiration. You wouldn’t think a guy who wrote the Art of War would be able to inspire us in our photographic art. But he can. The Art of war is traditionally ascribed to Sun Tzu. The book presents a philosophy of war for managing conflicts and winning battles.
No greater battle can there be than the ones that can rage within ourselves.
“Can you imagine what I could do if I could do all I can?” Sun Tzu
I sometimes think we hold ourselves back. At the very least I know I sometimes do. We can be our worst enemies when it comes to heading for new horizons and starting or, dare I say, conquering new projects. That little voice inside can be a help or a hindrance in our quest to create new imagery. The voice can be our best cheerleader, or it can be the little nag that is always looking for, and sharing, the worst case scenario should you start to try something that is outside your regular wheelhouse.
I’ll not go into examples here. We all have those times when we’ve been held back by our fears. And, better yet, those times we’ve placed those concerns in the closet and overridden their dire predictions and accomplished so much more than we thought possible. Let’s try to do more of the latter.
It is a constant battle. Hence why I use Sun Tzu in this thought about art and our capabilities. He was one of the greatest strategists in waging war theory that ever lived. We can learn a lot from his words.
I’ll leave you with two last quotes.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” Sun Tzu
“We have met the enemy and he is us.” From the comic strip Pogo
With that, I’ll see you in the battlefields of creativity.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
