Inside Out

It's interesting that many things are the opposite of what you'd think.

On my bike, for example, low gear is actually the big sprocket at the top of the gear cassette. High gear is down at the bottom. (I'm squinting my eyes and shaking my head as I process this.) Same with cameras. A high number, f/16, is actually a small aperture opening. But a low number, f/4, lets in more light. I know it's a math thing, but really?

I've learned that the lighter I travel, the more capable I become. How does that make sense? But the way it works is that I have more energy, think better, and approach challenges with expanded creativity... instead of digging through a bunch of stuff for an answer.

This is why judging things and people can be a waste of energy. What we see on the surface may be exactly the opposite behind the scenes. We're constantly amazed by plot twists in murder mysteries. But in reality, the clever author knows the sort of conclusions we typically jump to, then plays off those to surprise us.

In the Pixar movie, Inside Out, it's Sadness who saves the day. Yes, Joy was the driving force who never gave up on young Riley. But in the end her salvation was the opposite of what we'd expect. The family was reunited through their shared pain of missing their home, and their life, in the Midwest. It's a happy ending with tears.

We can bring these lessons to our artistic expressions. We can be the clever author who surprises the reader. If you go out with your camera today, photograph something that you've never attempted before.

And while doing so, if you encounter someone whom you'd normally judge harshly, just for a moment, consider them your peer.

You just never know how these things are going to work out.

-Derrick