William Oldacre Photography

Back to Blog

Spontaneous Living

Light Signatures series, day, colour photograph, art, abstract, abstract expressionism, creative, city street, urban, downtown, cityscape, speed, blur, movement, motion, turquoise, blue, red, muted, swooshes,, pattern

Billowing Red Orange Traversing Blue Green, 2013 – Light Signatures :: (click to see more)

For a long time I’ve noticed a malaise among my friends and associates. I had attributed it to an increased burden of responsibility that comes with acquisition, children and age. But what if it’s something more fundamental?

When we’re young(er) our lives are freer. We need that sheltered nurturing environment in order to develop and blossom into strong adults able to cope with the world and life. But with the gradual assumption of the yoke of life’s responsibilities comes an erosion of spontaneous living. My friend nailed it when they said the problem is a lack of spontaneity in our lives.

I picture it as the regimen we follow in order to complete things on time – meet commitments and responsibilities. Day after day, week after week, month after month we live a similar routine out of necessity that drags our spirits down. We long for the freer past but not at the cost of our hard won acquisitions and achievements.

There has to be a way to balance the seemingly unchanging regimen with spontaneous living – something less soul crushing and more hopeful – or perhaps we have to give up the things that demand a regimen.