Thriving in the Mundane Loop of Everyday Life
Snowfall. What’s poppin, people? It’s Dante. Beautiful morning.
Check it out. Beautiful, beautiful. Got all this lovely snow.
Got my Ricoh GR3X. You already know. Snapshotting my way through life.
Always set the camera to snap focus, infinity, P mode, point and shoot. So look at the moon. Wow.
The Eternal Return of Everyday Life
Thinking today about thriving in the mundane loop of everyday life. The monotony and the boredom.
Is it just me, or does every day feel like a loop sometimes? Repeating the same thing over and over and over again, eternally returning to that moment, that feeling.
“For me, the power of photography lies in the ability for it to provide meaning in those mundane, monotonous, and boring moments.”
Through the camera, the seemingly banal and uninteresting become extraordinary. By photographing these moments and observing the impermanent nature of things—how everything is in flux and constantly changing—I can retrace my steps through making a photograph and reviewing the images.
Creating Something from Nothing
For me, photography is a powerful medium because when I’m out here in the world observing life, and there’s nothing really going on, I can create something from that nothingness.
- I can thrive in those feelings of monotonous boredom.
- I can find meaning in the mundane.
This is the name of the game. It’s about going out there each and every day and thriving in that loop, thriving in that eternal return of everyday life.
Photography is my superpower. It makes me eager every morning to wake up, catch the sunrise, and eternally return.
“Like each day is new. How every day when I wake up and I open my eyes, I’m just so eager.”
Observing the Soul Through Photography
I’m always surprised by the results of the photographs I make. Because when I observe life around me, it’s no longer about the moments—
“It’s about observing my soul.”
The photographs I make these days are much more personal. They’re about the journey of life, the impermanent nature of it all, and finding myself eternally returning over and over again, on a monotonous walk each and every day.
But through the spirit of play and the observations I make, I thrive.
The Beauty of the Present Moment
Observing the details in life. Looking around intensely. Focusing on the beauty of the present moment.
We have a past. We have a future. But these things aren’t of our concern.
When you’re outside moving your physical body, the days feel long, and you exist outside the passage of time. But when you’re inside, it feels like your soul slowly dies.
“If I’m on standby, time just flies by.”
Get Out and Explore
I encourage you to:
- Get out there.
- Explore.
- Walk wherever you may be.
No matter how seemingly boring or banal things may seem, there’s always something to see, to do, to explore.
Don’t let monotony and the mundane bog you down. Take your camera with you, and inevitably:
- Your frown will turn upside down.
- You’ll smile.
- You’ll explore like a kid again.
Go out with no preconceived notions of what a “great photograph” is or what you’ll find.
Thriving Through Creation
At the end of the day, when you return home and look back at your work:
“Hopefully, you’ll feel surprised. Hopefully, you’ll learn and grow.”
Through snapshots and everyday photography, you can thrive in the loop of mundane life. The monotonous routine of doing the same thing over and over again can feel like a drain.
But through the power of creation, movement, and exploration, we can affirm our lives and give it meaning.
So I encourage you: Thrive in the mundane. Don’t just survive. Treat your walk, your place, like a canvas and draw upon it through photography.