Sara Hollabaugh, Arts &Entertainment Editor
It’s ’s typically easy for people to be inspired by others.
Whether it’s an influential piece of writing in the form of a book, play or movie, or an athlete overcoming major injuries, watching other people succeed gives hope to the rest of us that we can do it, too.
But there’s a difference between being inspired to do something and actually doing something.
For me, it’s hard to stick to what initially inspires me. I obsessively plan out how to accomplish something, but the amount of times I don’t follow through (in the long-run) is embarrassing.
Yes, most of the time these changes can be sticking to a weight loss program or other resolution-based ideas, but my biggest challenge is continuing to do what I love.
Photography.
Since I was young, I was drawn to it. It started with my dad’s old Pentax k1000 film camera and progressed to many other cameras. I observed influential figures as the years passed.
For a while, my technical skills were limited as I hadn’t undergone real training, but I taught myself the basics and managed to get by with results that weren’t blurry (a success in my mind).
I loved exploring outside to find intriguing photographic opportunities.
What really inspired me to continue photography in high school, though, was taking candid portraits of my younger brother. I was enamored by my experiences with a kid whom I held 10 years over and determined to continue capturing his growth through my lens.
I eventually came here and didn’t have my brother with me.
I lost my muse, or at least the unlimited access to it. I lost my inspiration.
It’s not as depressing as it sounds, though. I am a very happy person. I have many other activities in my life that inspire me every day, but I tucked away the one that sometimes means the most to me.
The reason I have recently realized how much I miss that part of me is Peter Turnley, the talented photojournalist who received an honorary degree at Ohio Wesleyan on March 31.
I had dinner with Turnley and other students and listened to him speak very passionately about his photographs and experiences over his career.
I was immediately and quite easily inspired again.
This discovery of what I usually recall as my favorite past time is probably going to make a major appearance in my daily life.
It’s not to say that my inspiration will transform into eternal action, but I’m happy feel that urge to go out and do what I love again.