Do You Live Like An Evergreen Or A Deciduous?

​photography, nature, spring, wellbeing, humanity

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I recently started my own production company in order to spend more time doing the things that I truly love and that really inspire me. I moved away from the rigour (and reliability) of an office job / M25 commute in exchange for the fun (and fear) of running my own business.

Luckily for me I timed it just right; the week I left was the very same week that Spring decided to punch through in the UK and I was reminded why I love photography so much.
Living in a part of the world that enjoys proper seasons is a spectacular thing; Spring is one of my favourite times of the year because of what it represents; a complete refresh, reinvigoration, transformation, new birth but also rebirth that builds on a layered foundation of evolution and learning by stimulus.

MAGIC MOMENTS
Huge changes occur and being able to take the time to capture those moments has been a huge pleasure these past weeks. And for me, this is why I love photography so much. Capturing and being able to share moments that last for such a short period of time… moments that many people will miss because of their hectic lifestyles.

​Ironically, these days many of us are forced into working like evergreen trees. We’re required to work all day, every day, relentlessly, no matter what business we’re in. We never stop and our dynamic is pretty flat. It’s almost impossible to ever do something truly outstanding because we’re so busy trying to spin all the plates. It isn’t very often that we can put our hands up and say “that really represents me at my best”.

EAT, SLEEP, WORK, REPEAT
Now, in my garden I have a Holly bush. I can rely on it to always have shiny green leaves and to always be there. It's strong, sturdy and stays standing no matter what conditions you throw at it. However, it’s so busy trying to find the energy to maintain itself all year long that it can only produce berries and show its full potential once every 3-4 years.
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AND BREATHE...
As I look around me I’m inspired to take a leaf (sorry!) out of a deciduous tree’s book. In the very same garden I have a Cherry tree. It lies dormant from October to March but for 6 months of the year it goes through a series of extraordinary changes; a glorious display of blossom in April, a sumptuous blanket of vibrant green leaves in May-June and hundreds of sweet fruits in August. It has the energy to be so dazzling and fruitful because it takes the time to stop, rest and restore.

The Holly doesn't fulfil its potential very often.

The Cherry goes through so much overt change.

​Now, as analogies go this isn’t a particularly succinct one. I am not suggesting we take 6 months off because it’s simply not realistic (though it would make for a fantastic social experiment). But the principle of stopping for long enough to enjoy the world around you and give your body and soul a moment to breath and restore is an important one.
 
Perspective, energy, mindfulness, inspiration and creativity are all things in short supply when you act like an evergreen. You simply can't get the perspective you need when you're always on. Try to be a little bit more deciduous and I guarantee every part of your life will benefit.