Can You See the Wind?

I’m a firm believer that there is a spiritual component, for lack of a better term, in almost everything we do. Now I’m not necessarily talking about church or organized religion, but rather the idea that there is a world around us that’s invisible to the natural eye. Sometimes, that invisible world can manifest very much like the wind in that even though you can’t see it, you can see its effects. In its absence, leaves don’t flutter and flags don’t ripple and fly.

I guess the best way to explain where I’m going with this — and the parallel I’m trying to draw — is to tell you a story from my own experience.

In 2006, I was creating a website for a client who was a musician. Eventually, I’d be creating some artwork for CDs and marketing materials as well, so I commissioned a photo shoot. The client had done a number of shoots before, and came into this one with his own ideas of what to expect and how it was going to proceed. Bottom line though, was that I wasn’t getting the shots I wanted.

Then it occured to me that he wasn’t really playing his instrument during the shoot. He was pretending to play, striking poses that seemed dramatic and full of energy, but really weren’t. Why? Because they weren’t real. I called a stop to the shoot and asked the client to play his horn for real. And not just scales or random riffs. I asked him to play something that he really liked to play; something that meant something to him.

As soon as he actually began to play, everything changed. He looked completely different. The energy was there. The passion for his art was there. It was like the wind blew through that studio. I couldn’t see it, and neither could the photographer, but we could both see the effect. He wasn’t striking poses meant to imitate the passion and energy, he was legitimately feeling it, and the difference was evident.

I believe that everyone has something they do that they’re passionate about. Call it a talent, a gift, or what have you, but when they engage in that activity, they can tap into that invisible world and let that wind blow through them. It can’t be seen, but it’s effect can be very evident indeed.

Give it a try when you do your next photo shoot.