Rise at Dawn
Birds sing their songs
The people yawn
I move my body along
This empty street
It’s just you and me
A hazy red sky
Eternity
This passage of time does not disturb me
For I’m always outside, filled with glee
This exuberance for life
That I have found
It’s so profound
I wish this upon my worst enemies
So that they may see life’s true beauty
If you peel beyond the veil, and follow the light
You’ll notice the patterns that bring you delight—
Symbolic gestures, moving feet
The people and nature, in harmony
It’s quite the privilege to live in Philly
Where there’s so much to do, and so much to see
I remind myself of that fact every single day
This notion sets me in motion, in the spirit of play
Light glimmering upon Logan Square
Clock tower of City Hall, illuminated with glare
Variety of hues now rise in the sky
As I look beyond and photograph, wondering why—
Why am I here? What is the goal?
What if there is none? What if you just let go?
What if there is no goal?
What if there is no goal? What if you just stop trying? What if you just let go?
This is the question I asked myself this morning, as everything was in motion—the sun rising, the cars hustling and bustling with commotion, birds chirping, and colors blooming in the sky. The water in the Logan Square fountain shimmered. The clock tower at City Hall glowed with a soft yellow hue. There were bikers, dog walkers… and the day had just begun.
It was around 5:30 AM, and I felt like I had already won.
I’ve won?
I’ve reached the goal?
I think so…
To me, the ultimate goal in life—the ultimate privilege and luxury—is to simply be eager for the day. To wake up with vitality and enthusiasm, excited to watch the sunrise crest the horizon. Success isn’t something external. It’s this:
to be in love with life.
My goal is to continuously move throughout the day.
My goal is to become the ultimate creator I can be.
To experience life in all its complexity.
To keep wondering why.
That’s the true goal of photography.
Not followers, not fame.
Just the ability to keep pressing the shutter.
To keep increasing your curiosity—even by 1% each day.
And that’s simple.
Walk.
Observe.
Affirm life.
To affirm life is to say “yes.”
That “yes” is everything to an artist.
Because the moment you deny life, you die creatively.
When the artist stops moving, thinking, and creating—that’s the real death.
But if you just keep moving—eager for the sunrise each day—and snapshot your way through life itself,
everything begins to feel light.
Everything becomes effortless when you’re filled with this exuberance. This love for life.
That, to me, is the goal:
To feel whole.
To feel complete.
To know myself.
To know my ability.
To know why I move my body each day.
But also—
To simply let go.
To embrace flow.
To thrive.
Because when you detach from the outcome—whatever your goals may be—then you can finally live.
Then you can just be.
That’s where I seek to stay:
In the flow state.
Perpetually.
Outside the passage of time.
Just moving my two feet—
Photographing, walking, seeing…
Endlessly.