Posts tagged Australia

My new friend Trevor graciously put his beautiful Commodore at my disposal last Sunday.

Alright, it’s time for an update. I realize these last weeks have been full of noteworthy experiences, and I’m afraid I’ve continually down-prioritized blogging about them. Life is so exciting, sometimes I forget to slow down, reflect on everything I have. I’m so thankful. 

Although I don’t subscribe to the point of view that blogs are windows into another person’s life (my life is so much MOAR!), I still hope that my experience of moving and adapting to life in Australia can be of some value to others - and so I keep on writing.

As my Twitter followers will know, the first few weeks of my photography course have been pretty darn slow. Apertures and shutter speeds, ISO and focal lengths. Stuff I internalized years ago. I understand that lecturers need to get everyone up to a certain level of understanding before they can get into the advanced stuff, so I choose to see it as a challenge for me to go out and explore. Try new things, new techniques and mindsets. Learn from online videos, blogs and workshops. Organise shoots on the side. 

I had Trev drive in a loop for about 20 minutes, just to get this shot!

An unforeseen consequence of my comfort with the curriculum has been the opportunity to share my knowledge with other students. There is such great value in teaching, I feel myself deeply enjoying it. Also, the philosophy here at the School of Creative Arts is firmly rooted in cooperation between everyone, students and lecturers. We are encouraged to openly discuss and collaborate, the atmosphere is truly inspiring!

Was taking photos of this cool car and these crazy buggers ruined my shot!

A subject that I do find intriguing is one called Introduction to New Media, which focuses on the relationship between society, culture, art and technology. We’re currently looking at the last 150 years, discovering how the four intertwine, reflect and affect each other. If anyone is interested, the textbook we’re using is Technoculture by Debra Shaw. However, a more interesting read, in my opinion, is Jaron Lanier’s You Are Not a Gadget. Here’s a NY Times article on the book.

Speaking of technology and art, I was introduced to PressPausePlay just the other day. AMAZING documentary on the ever-changing and ever-expanding world of the creative arts. Are we entering a new creative golden age, or is art headed towards global mediocrity? Download the full DVD here. Do it now!

Finally, some clouds! Woops, that can only mean one thing…

Rain.
Rain and more rain. At the time of writing this, we’re coming to the end of the 6th day of (virtually) constant downpour. A tornado passed through last night, knocking out the power in several suburbs. I’ve had my first proper tast of the Australian “wet season”, and I’ve come to an important conclusion: Umbrellas are handy.

All in all, pretty exciting times! 

“Why Townsville?”

Well, to answer this question we first have to go back to a broader one;
Why Australia?

Alright, so why even consider Australia as a place to go study?
The key word for me was different. I wanted to go some place different, especially in terms of climate. Not because I hate Norway or its climate, by no means. I love Norway, and I’m grateful to have grown up there - however, a part of me wants to see what the rest of the world’s countries have to offer.

Let me break down the process for you:
There were four main contenders. They all had pros and cons, and I made a calculated decision based on factual factors like welfare system, taxes, university ranking, educational loan opportu…. ah, FINE! I went with my gut, guys! 

I was leafing through a “Study Abroad!” brochure, got to a page that jumped at me and thought: “Australia is the place for me!”
All further investigation and evaluation was fueled by this initial excitement.

So, why go to a small town instead of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Brisbane? Again, I let my instincts play a big part in this decision. I never liked being in big cities for long periods of time. Just a personal preference of mine. It may change in the future, who knows.

Anyway, I discovered that James Cook University offers a Bachelor in Photomedia, at their Townsville campus, so I went for it. 

Even Burj Khalifa looks puny from a distance.

Who says the so-called “big life decisions” have to be based on logic?
I mean, we’re all trained to look at these decisions and go “Oooh, better be careful what I choose!”, as if the consequences would affect our well-being. I am sick and tired of worrying, evaluating, hoping and regretting…

Coming to Dubai, the shift in mentality is so evident. Here, they do stuff because they can and because it’s awesome! The world’s tallest building, the biggest mall ever built, an indoors ski slope, an island shaped like a palm… Why? Because. It’s. Asumm.

And guess what, it works!
People flock to Dubai from all over the world. In 2011, Dubai Mall was the #1 most visited destination on the planet. #2 was New York City. I mean, there’s gotta be some pretty fundamental forces of attraction going on when a mall beats out New York City, right?

So if there’s one thing I take away from my 10 days in the shopping capital, it is that you rarely go wrong by adding awesomeness. When something excites me, it’s probably worth pursuing.

I’m prepared to enjoy life, wherever it takes me!

Cheers,
Erik 

Hello friends!
How are you doing?

Yes, it’s been a long time since I posted something, but what can I say – life happened.

Wait a minute. That’s a horribly vague excuse. Truth is, I haven’t felt the urge to blog for quite some time. It’s weird how some things slip out of my consciousness, seemingly spontaneously. Well, I’ve decided to put my brain out of auto-pilot, floor the accelerator and aim for the skies.

Hopefully, my return will spark a smile on your face and add some joy to your day ;)
If you’re reading this blog for the first time – warmly welcome!
I realize that many of you jumped on board after this post about the creativeLIVE workshop with Matthew Jordan Smith. Thank you all for your wonderful comments, shares and likes on that one! I hope the follow-up will be equally as enjoyable for you and me both.

Now, I’d like to talk a little about life.
It goes up and down, backwards and forwards, speeds ahead and slows down. Kinda hard to predict, right? What I’ve started practicing over the past couple of months is just taking a moment to recognize how miraculously beautiful it is. No matter what is going on, it’s absolutely fabulous, spontaneous and inspiring. I have found this to be a most effective means of relaxation.

In fact, taking a step back from the incessant noise of my everyday life has proven to be extremely helpful. Especially when I’ve gotten to those big milestones in life that seem to throw everything off balance - blurry - nothing makes sense anymore. I no longer recognize myself, because what I took for granted is now precious and what I’ve been longing for feels foreign and threatening. Ever had that experience?

Well, my next milestone is less than two weeks away; I’m moving to Australia to study at James Cook University. What am I studying?
PHOTOGRAPHY - heck yes! That’s right, from Norway to Australia to study photography!

*shameless 90’s disco dance*

As you would expect prior to such a journey, there are tons of thoughts and emotions raging inside of me – a powerful mixture indeed!
(Nothing like a big bottle of fear mixed with two thousand cups of childish excitement) Historically, when I have let this cocktail of confusion dictate my behavior, I’ve come off as somewhat of … well… a goofball.

Examples:

• My first day of school (“Mai teetsher ith mai goddeth!”). 
• First time I drove a car (“I AM INVIIINCIIIIIBLEEE!”). 
• When I moved out from home (“Why have I worn CLOTHES indoors for the past 18 years?! This is so much better!”)

All jokes aside, life can feel completely overwhelming at times, and it sometimes makes me do things I wouldn’t otherwise. Still, it is these most traumatic of circumstances that produce the most memorable of memories. So I’ve decided to treasure every minute.

Also, starting today, I will be uploading a new post every Tuesday and Saturday - NO EXCEPTIONS! This is an amazingly exciting time for me, and I’m so thrilled to share it with you guys. 

Love,
Erik