Don the Photographer · by D.H Keats

This is an email I was forwarded, written by a family friend whom we lost a few years back. He had an unbelievable magnetic personality, which was uplifting, inspiring, and genuine.  The essence of this letter is doing what you want to do, and not just for anyone, doing it for yourself ~ which is, in most cases, the most important person in your life.

Helen,

The act of writing on it’s own is reward enough. By all means, start to write for your pleasure. At least you know what it is that wants to get out. 

I believe we are all artists, some of us let the art out by creating, and some of us let the art out by being inspiring. Art is not for the viewer, listener, reader, toucher, but for the artist.

Where would we be otherwise.

Art only for public acclaim would only last for its generation and would not encourage improvement, we would have been destined to still be tracing our hands on cave walls, banging a stick on a tree trunk, reproducing only bird sounds and carving spear and arrow heads.

So, write for yourself and no one else, write what you know, write what is inside, your stories. It doesn’t have to be good for anyone other than you. Give yourself pleasure, create.  

For example, have you ever seen one of my photographs? Does anyone refer to me as Don the Photographer? Does it matter to me? Have I stopped doing it because I need my photographs to be good? Well of course not, because I am doing it for me. It gives me immeasurable pleasure. Not only do I not need recognition, praise, or acceptance by my peers, I don’t seek it. My photographs are part of my life and my world, come on in.

Being part of my world is the only way to get to see my photographs, both the good and the bad. So, write!

Don