No Happiness in GAS
Get GAS relief now.
Mo Chara,
We all struggle to find our way, to move along our life path. It is made heavier by the belongings we bring with us. We are weighed down, slowed and almost always distracted from reaching our full potential. We fail to see what is around us, life, because the stuff we own starts to own us.
Do you suffer from GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)? I think we all suffer from GAS, particularly over the holiday season and not just from Brussel Sprouts. We get gifts from others or we treat ourselves for all the hard work we have done over the year and buy ourselves that piece of tech that we believe will make our lives better or maybe just for social status.
It has long been the sole right of photographers to have GAS, but our culture is based on hedonic treadmill, where we desire something new as we perceive it to be better than what we already have. So, GAS is here for everyone and admit it or not we all have it, and most of us also have way too much stuff.
Maybe, if you follow the logic of these questions below, you will see that you have too much stuff.
· How many pairs of shoes do you have? How many feet do you have?
· How many hats do you have? How many heads do you have?
· How many jackets do you have? How many of you are there?
· How many bikes do you have? How many can you ride at once?
· How many connected devices do you have? How many do the same thing?
The skill of marketing and social media persuades us to require more and better. For me, social media is a good and is essentially not a bad thing, in fact, social media is a super way to learn, keep up with the news or stay connected to your friends and family. However, it can make you feel inadequate if you let it. Marketing and social media can offer to fill the void created by lack of self-worth easily, if we choose the fill the hole with a desire for new items. GAS is like a virus that takes over and the symptoms only disappear during the first few hours or days following a newly acquired piece of gear.
But will filling this void with products and purchases really fill the gap in our lives?
To be honest, some things are good and have a positive impact on what we do to make life better for us. Say the humble bicycle, but do we need 7 of them? Yes, I own 7 bikes. My excuse, I used to race but only one at a time. So, why do still have 7 bikes. In my mind I like to think I might return to racing one day, but in my heart I know I probably will not.
I will be the first to freely admit I have far too much shite in my life. Do I really need 6 watches? Last time I checked I still only have two wrists, and correct me if I am wrong but it’s socially acceptable to wear just one watch? So, why so many watches? A multitude of answers from ‘I like the gold one and the silver one, I need one for work, one for nights out and one for sport’. I am sure one watch exists that does everything I need. I am also positive, I could have got that one watch for half the cumulative price of the 6 watches I have and it would last a lifetime.
As a photographer, I have amassed a shed load of gear over the last 15 years; SLR’s, DSLRs, Instant, and action camera’s. I love all my gear, but with too many options, I miss the opportunity, miss the shot and waist time choosing what gear to take out when I could actually be out shooting. I never started photography or bicycle racing to amass more stuff but because I love the feeling of making photographs or racing a bike. When you break it down, you do the things you love because you get to discover things about the world and yourself, you gain knowledge and you get to escape the mundane. Just like any pastime, the joy of doing it is what it is all about.
However, once we get comfortable and confident at a skill or sport we look to acquiring new shiny things to make the experience better that in the end slow us down and create roadblocks to joy. You can hardly bring a shed full of gear with you every time you go out to shoot? Some photographers I know are like this, you have seen them on the streets and might even know some of them as friends or family; the ones with bags of gear hanging out of them, multiple lenses, tripods and backpacks ready for all situations. I guarantee 9 out 10 times they miss the shot or don’t get the shot they imagined. Why? Too many options and too much gear in the way of being in the moment? You can hardly capture a decisive moment if you are not in the moment and aware of what is happening inside and outside of the frame.
Joel Meyerowitz said “What you put in the frame determines the photograph”
As an extension of this, what you have and how you use it determines the photograph too. So, do I need to have 5 cameras? No. I need maybe two at the most. But one will do.
The smartphone is often bedraggled as the negative affect on mankind. In the wrong hands, anything can become a weapon and cause damage to others. However, I see the smartphone as fundamentally a positive invention for mankind. A Swiss army knife of a device that has multiple uses for a variety of functions.
The camera of choice for me for the last 5 years has been my iPhone. I am proud to say I am still rocking an iPhone 5 for the over 2 years now. I shoot almost every day with this. I am in the moment when I shoot with it. No fiddling around with settings just shooting. I don’t use the flash. I zoom with my feet and never on the device. I focus on one thing each time I go out, say reflections or red shoes or older people; it gives me focus and you would be surprise how you just start to see you focus throughout the time you are shooting. I work with the limitations of the iPhone 5 and it forces me to be a better photographer.
Can you do more with less? This will sharpen your focus and help you enjoy what is important to you in your life.
I am not just writing this, I am in the process of decluttering and focusing on the important experiences life can bring well beyond amassing a tonne of junk for the landfill. Go out and fill your life with meaningful moments rather than rubbish for the dump. Make your mark in memories and leave a trace in the hearts & minds of others.
Do more with less = be more creative, and more focused.
Slán go fóill,
Dave
Declutter and free yourself from your stuff. Useful links:
