Inspiration
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Painted shoes are used to let you know where the artists are displaying.

For the last 9 years, James Bay (a subdivision of Victoria) has had an art walk. Basically, a number of artists who live in the James Bay area open up their homes and studios so people can see their work. They produce a map and the idea is you walk from one gallery to the next.

Birgit Piskor Sculpture in her garden
Birgit Piskor Sculpture in her garden

My Meetup Art group{{1}} organized a get together around this walk today. The rain held off enough so we didn’t get too wet. The walk was most definitely worth it. Not only was there some very exceptional art, the gardens and venues were pretty amazing in their own right. One of the meetup group members saw this sunflower and convinced me to shoot it…

There are no “morals” to this story, but maybe a couple of points of advice. Always bring your camera, you never know when you will be inspired. But there is a caveat. Don’t get so involved in your photography that you miss all the beauty. Be inspired, but don’t look at life exclusively through a lens.

And possibly the most important advice for getting better as a photographer (other than shooting, of course) Go out and enjoy art. Go to gallerys, art shows, or art walks like this one. There are some amazing artists out there who may inspire you, challenge you, or even just enable you to see some fantastic images. Even if you are not interested in learning to paint{{2}}, learning composition, colour, and even subject matter from other mediums can help you in your photography. After the art walk, our meetup group met for a drink, a bite and a discussion. There is nothing like talking to other artists and art appreciators to get your energy up.

The second “moral” is to

[[1]]Please feel free to join this group if you are a creator, or if you just enjoy art. We have lots of fun, and get into some deep (and not so deep) conversations. The annual fee is inexpensive (and optional)[[1]]

[[2]]or sculpt, or draw, or even take photographs. One of the discussions we had later revolved around what is art. Art can be anything, and can be different for each person. Enjoy life…[[2]]

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