Keep trying.

One of the key reasons which saw me immigrate to the United States over three decades ago was Americans’ work ethic. I had worked with them in London and was amazed at how much harder working and more driven they were than their English counterparts.

I share that work ethic to this day and when it comes to taking pictures I’m a strong believer that ‘a little and often’ is far more likely to result in consistently good results than occasional bursts of activity interspersed with long layoffs.

The artist and photographer Chuck Close, even though confined to a wheelchair for many years now, puts it well:

“Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work. And the belief that things will grow out of the activity itself and that you will — through work — bump into other possibilities and kick open other doors that you would never have dreamt of if you were just sitting around looking for a great ‘art idea.’ And the belief that process, in a sense, is liberating and that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every day. Today, you know what you’ll do, you could be doing what you were doing yesterday, and tomorrow you are gonna do what you did today, and at least for a certain period of time you can just work. If you hang in there, you will get somewhere.”

The work ethic at work. This is me, happy as a clam.

I have published hundreds of my snaps here over the past year and when I look back it is with mixed feelings. Dismay that I could not do better and renewed hope that I will. I hope you have enjoyed accompanying me on the journey.