Books are a window to an unlimited amount of knowledge. They hold the lessons of our past, the truth of our present and the key to our future.
I’ve always struggled with reading though, for a variety of reasons. I am incredibly inquisitive and curious by nature, so this can lead to a short attention span. I’ll find a quote or a piece of information in a book and then pause my journey to go and dive down a rabbit hole or two. I guess self-control could come into it, but why ruin the whirlwind of curiosity in a time when I’m free to do as I please? I can also get obsessed by the finer details and re-read bits to make sure I haven’t missed a thing. Or I fall asleep. Not through boredom, just pure comfort and being content. It’s usually warm and cosy when you settle down with a book, which incidentally provides the perfect environment for a dad nap.
That said, I own a library of works from fiction to non fiction worlds and no matter what happens, they’ve been with me in every house move or room shift since I moved out of my parents some 15 years ago. Some have never been opened, but they’ll come to me when the time is right, and I can never bring myself to get rid of them, just in case.
From my own perspective, this is the creative version of me taking charge. I hold a deep respect for the time and effort put in by an author, to create something so valuable in their own eyes and the courage required to release it to the world. Before even looking at page one, the care and acknowledgement is first and foremost.
Whether it’s a physical book or an audio version, there are many that have had a huge impact on my life.
I read the Godfather as a teenager, learning about a world so different from the one I lived in, but fascinating.
Autobiographies have played a major part, learning mostly about other creatives, seeing their process and feeling the strong battles they have fought between success and passion but the negativity and loss of path that can come with it.
I’ve become increasingly interested in the criminal mind and the darkest corners of society, how minds are different and what can motivate a killer. However uncomfortable to read sometimes, I feel it’s important to go there and feel the suffering, to further enhance our empathy and gain a realistic perspective on our environment.
Furthermore, I am in love with history and all the alternative perspectives and interpretations that come with it. Or the philosophical narratives created on human consciousness, our ancestors and the hidden possibilities in the messages they left through their art, writing and architecture.
Learning and enjoying books unlocks potential. They can inspire us to be brave, or help us really capture human emotion in our own work where it’s really needed.
Books teach us that as human beings we should constantly be developing and expanding our knowledge, but they also teach us humility, they make us feel, they make us more human, or should I say, they bring us back.
In a world where we are bombarded with information we don’t always want or need, books can be our escape. Choosing to read is on our own terms, without distraction, to really engage in the thing we’ve decided is important for our journey at that very moment in time.
Of course, as a photographer, I tell stories in a different way. I have a book in me for sure, but that will also come when the time is right.
To every author, biographer and creator, I personally thank you. Your work gives us permission to reconnect with our soul, and that’s more valuable than anything.
