THE WIDENING STREAM

NAVIGATING THE CURRENTS
A river is formed as water flows in a consistent direction, wearing its pathway into the earth. Fire needs fuel to burn. The raw energy of our passion and the flame of our inspired insights need to be given shape, focused into earthly materials. Winged thoughts may fly free in the mind, but sensitive and skilled use of language provides the articulation of our ideas that allows them to go forth to others.

This is the work of craft, a dedication to the mastery of our medium, a quest for excellence, a living, growing translation of our realizations into physical form, and a disciplined approach to completion and follow through.
The illuminating moments of understanding that we are privileged to receive require attention to a sense of form, through careful yet expansive work with the materials of our medium,another fertile avenue presents itself for fresh discoveries to appear. Moments of inspiration have revealed the shape of the piece, the core of our ideas, and the general direction of the still-to-be-finished work. Now we must bring it to completion. We experiment with our materials and shape the work toward the desired end. We refine, revise,and review our efforts.We follow through with discipline and attention, and we take responsibility for our impassioned understanding by giving it structure, striving to clearly embody our realization in the work itself. We maintain the sharp inner balance, rigorously intent on fulfilling our objectives yet staying open, allowing for successive insights to appear and help guide the process. We move toward perfecting the work, and yet we accept the inevitable imperfections and the organic shape the work is gradually assuming.

It is important at this stage of the process to embrace the attitude that we will do whatever it takes to complete and manifest our developing work. Whether cooking a meal, writing a book, painting a canvas, or producing a play, we are committed, we have willingly yielded to the current. We have left the shore far behind and have no choice but to continue, in spite of not knowing exactly what challenges still lie ahead.

David Ulrich has taught hundreds of classes and workshops on photography, creativity, and visual and visual perception nationwide for over twenty five years. He has served on the faculty of several universities, including fifteen years as Associate Professor and chair of the Photography Department at the Art Institute of Boston. As a photographer and writer , his work has been published in numerous books and journals including Aperture, Parabola, Manoa, and Sierra Club publications.
Ulrich’s photographs have been exhibited internationally in over seventy-five one person and group exhibitions, including the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.
He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii.