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Saturday, January 25, 2014

Big Mark and The Holding Company on Light, Shadow, and Composition



While "on hold," the Universe has bestowed upon me the perfect opportunity to write. Only problem is, I don't feel like writing; maybe if it was just the flu…

The "adjustment" to new and dis-improved realities is proving to be mentally challenging. But I'll soon shake the "Why Me's?" and get back on the "horse," maybe not the one that "threw" me, but a horse nonetheless. Life is a lot like football, its all about adjustments at halftime…or, as with most of us, the forth quarter. 

We are told there is always a light at the end of "tunnels," and most of the time it's daylight rather than a train. My eyes don't deal with darkness very well, but I'll fumble a way through the shadows one way or another and see where I come out. It's not like I haven't been here before and won't be again if I live long enough. Defective genes and bad habits seem to catch up to us in our 60's…the so called "Golden Years." 

I really appreciate all the kind comments and emails, not to mention literary gifts that keep finding their way to our PO Box (you know who you are). Thank you, really. It brightens the sun on my face and steadies a listing ship. The stack of books is about to outgrow my bedside window sill. I don't believe large quantities of reading is conducive to prolific writing, be it blogs or the great American novel. Not a word gets written while reading; too bad. I did the "math," a few days ago, and although most accomplished and successful writers take years or more to produce a worthy book, it is physically possible to do it in three months, which is my inactive time frame. Yep, 90,000 words in 90 days…a thousand words per day. I'm sure there is an inverse relationship between Faster and Better, however. 

Don't hold your breath, for it's editing and revising that chomps away at the calendar. Perhaps I should make a link to a page where I could post occasional "teasers" along the way. I've always found that putting Intentions "out there" holds one accountable. Accountability keeps you honest, without it the world would be nothing but a bunch of "slackers." If you have a secret dream or desire or goal, then the singular best and most productive thing you can do is tell everybody! That alone holds one's feet to the fire and helps keep the ball rolling. Nothing like a few, "Hey, how's the book coming along?" to renew one's focus on their composition, eh?

Now a few photos from the Big Bend area of Texas...then New Mexico and Aridzona.
Head up, and Onward...




























8 comments:

  1. Reading travel books/blogs has the opposite effect on me. They inspire me to want to write. Wish the same was true for you. ;-)

    I am headed for Big Bend in March. A (reluctant) native Texan, yet I have never been. Would love some recommendations.

    Wishing you and your Holding Company a swift trip through those ole "Kosmic Blues," Big Mark!

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  2. First photo is a magnificent sky. Very cool! When were you at The Field Lab? Thanks for continuing to put up the postcards.

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  3. Big Bend is really something. Your photography is so brilliant to look at ... each I look at one of your shots, I see something different....

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  4. Hey- How:s the book coming along?? finally some good pictures! take care buddie! walden creek rv steve

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  5. Dear Mark Johnson,
    Your extraordinary color photographs of western skies and roads stretching to the horizon make me dream of past and future journeys! You are a master of color and composition, and I love your work! In a former lifetime I was a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, but please don't hold this against me. Now in my 60s, I'm following my passion -- to publish a novel I wrote in my youth. It sat in a drawer for 30 plus years, and I spent the last year revising it. It's called Benjamin East, and one of the most exciting passages takes place on a Greyhound bus trip to Moab. The spirit of the story is captured, for me, in a particular photo I found on your blog. A two lane road plows toward distant snowy peaks under a blue sky with billowy clouds. It's labeled as image 3754. Here is the web link from your blog: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8x12oUpGXNE/UlqkiNZRu-I/AAAAAAAAOxI/TE4tdELb-To/s1600/IMG_3754.JPG. From reading your blog, I see you are an avid traveler and writer. It would be a privilege for me to make contact directly with you with the possibility of your requesting your permission to use your photograph on the book cover. My email is Jonathanfreedman755@gmail.com. My website is JonathanInWords.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
    Cheers,
    Jonathan Freedman

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  6. wow-- former Pulitzer writers wanting to use your photos what does that tell you??? Walden creek Rv steve

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  7. Hmm, do we see a silver lining in this cloud?

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  8. A great shot.

    Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

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