Any new venture requires a deep investment of time, resources, energy. The cost of that investment can be high. Sustained focus and applied effort sap the mind. It was time to leave the office. What I sought was relief from pressure. Constant work had me feeling anxious. My practical self was satisfied. My soul was not. It is under such circumstances that I ventured forth on a whim, grabbing my camera and heading out to a local landmark. I had no plan, no theme with which to work. Sun and blue sky conspired with the notion of freedom to cajole me to seek some truth.
In his novel "Absalom, Absalom!" William Faulkner wrote "...a man always falls back upon what he knows best in a crisis." This is what I felt. This what I knew. It was architecture I felt I new best at that moment. I sought solace amongst the stone and shadows holding the memory of war.
A good comparison: I begin my business as a campaign. The objectives are good production, happy clients, and profitable endeavors. Laying my hands on the sculptured figures gives me strength. The solidity, warmth, and grain of the stone are life under my fingers. The energy is palpable. thus begins my journey. A thousand miles? The sun and the stone tell me it will be far more.