Non-striving is a concept that many Western adults will have to struggle with to fully understand. Everything we undertake, we do for a particular purpose. Generally we are always trying to get something or somewhere. In mindfulness training, striving towards a goal can be a real obstacle. Mindfulness is unique from all other human activities in that it is a form of non-doing rather than doing. If we sit down to a mindfulness or meditation practice with a specific goal – to reach enlightenment, or to be more relaxed, then we have introduced an idea into the mind about where we should be. Mindfulness practice is about observing and accepting where we are right now.
When taking photos we can use the concept of non-striving to deepen our experience of seeing the world as it is, rather than imposing on it what they want to see. How often can we miss the beauty or significance of what we are actually experiencing in any given moment, because we are so focused on looking for something else? I especially love when I am able to be calm and present in the moment. When I’m in this state of mind it is much easier for me to notice the relevance of what I am actually seeing, instead of searching for what is not presently available.
The above photo was taken early one morning on the southern coast of Oregon. I was on a road trip, and had just crawled out of the back of my vehicle where I had slept the night. I remember walking down the beach, just drinking in the colors and the light. I had almost forgotten that I was carrying my camera. Then after I passed the sign, I remembered my camera and turned around, just as the surf was pounding up the beach. I instantly loved the mysteriousness created by not knowing what the sign said. I also loved the way the colors, and the light, and the lines converged to create an overall effect that was greater than the sum of its parts.
I snapped this photo and carried on. It was the only picture I took on the beach that morning. I think the reason why centers around my state of mind that morning. I felt more committed to being fully present and alive, and less interested in looking for something specific. For me that morning embodies non-striving in photography. There have been other times since then that I have felt the same. I cherish those moments as they seem poignant somehow. These moments are not always in stunning scenic locations. Sometimes they are in more mundane places, which makes them all the more special and powerful.
No matter where you are, be there and no where else, and see what happens?
Twenty Four Seven 