TheAppWhisperer

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 10 November 2019

2019-11-152019-11-10 by Joanne Carter

Many people write to me each week and I love it. Sometimes, I am asked for advice, sometimes I’m asked about me. This week a few times, it was mostly the latter. I was asked, ‘how do you keep coming up with ideas?’, ‘where do they generate from?‘ and then ‘how do you deal with a creative rut?‘. I think the latter was the hardest because the first two I answered with ‘I’m constantly gathering ideas, things that I see each day, people I meet, observations that I make, judgements (I hate to say), but they all encapsulate and become the images and ideas that I’ve been having for the past ten years and I amalgamate them’. To answer, ‘how do you deal with a creative rut?‘, was a lot tougher. I love writing but sometimes I get stuck, as I am with one project now, that has pained me for too many tortuous months. I don’t have a solid process, sometimes I surprise myself that anything gets written at all. But sometimes, I get an idea and find the angle I need and write the whole thing up in no time, wtf. When I get stuck, when I hit a creative rut, I have to take myself out of all of the usual things that I do. So, I’ll pick up a book for example, that might have absolutely nothing to do with creativity, if I can say that, because the fact that it’s been written is a sign of creativity isn’t it? – yes, I frequently argue with myself. Anyway, if you haven’t read Naomi Wolf’s book, Vagina, then you should, specifically the paragraph on the creative power of the orgasm, it really helped me to formulate my next project and reminded me of a quote within the main tome that I am currently re-reading, Sontag by Benjamin Moser, chapter 12, when Sontag has an affair with ‘Irene’ who was by all accounts totally luscious and Sontag was quoted as saying ‘she could make a rock come‘, how glorious! Writing can be a lonely occupation but sometimes ideas flow out of me like a goddam fountain climaxing. I would say, as I have often repeated, resilience is key, and remember when you were 20 and looking forward, never back? As you get older, when the going gets tough, people look back, why do that? I don’t do that. Life is still in front of you and it’s that that needs to be treasured. Keep going…

I hope you all love this weeks mobile photography and art showcase as much as I do. Thank you to all the talented artists for submitting your works to our showcase this week. If you would like your work to be considered for entry in to our weekly Mobile Photography and Art Flickr Group, please submit it to our dedicated group, here. You can also submit images to our Instagram tag for this section #theappwhisperer.

rain.is.poetry – Paul Suciu, _soulkitchen_ – Valaria Cammari, @iameirkabrown – Erika Brown, @eslieber – Erik Lieber, @ilemusi – Ile Mont, Nichole Christophe, Jana Curcio, @chalktiger, Eliza Badoiu, @jorgeolaveriveros, @ja_graham, @accidental_artist, Rosalie Heller, @thelma.penteado, @josephineduson, @marshadraws – Marsha Estes, @iphotami – Karen Axelrad, pause.and.breathe – Susan Latty, @luison_street – Lrh A, @patragraphy, @mitrydate, @velvet_iris_photography, Peter Wilkin, @schwitter.li, Laila, Jun Yamaguchi, woltarise, Yasuo Furue, Clint Cline, Hanni K, Rita Colantonio, Linda Hollier, Gianluca Ricoveri, Susan Rennie, Sheldon Serkin, Judy Wahlberg, Andy Alexandre, @nini_nini-, Allyson Marie, @before.1st.light – Jane Schultz,

Music this week is Nina Simone – Feeling Good (Avicii Remix)

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 6 October 2019

2019-10-182019-10-06 by Joanne Carter

One of the treatments I have commenced at hospital this week, is to take part in a six week course of Chi Kung and I’ve been practising it at home ever since, much to the amusement of those who I share my life with. Chi is considered to be the flow of energy through the universe. It is said to flow through channels in the human body and if blocked can lead to poor health. Chi kung involves performing movements that stimulate the flow of chi through the body. As such, it is often referred to as “meditation in motion”. You don’t need to be fit or athletic to do it, it can be adapted to your physical prowess. Chi Kung is very gentle on the body and arguably the most important thing to do when practising this ancient Chinese art is to relax, physically and mentally. To relax, you need to hold a position and take some deep breaths through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. In today’s society where we check our phones every 12 minutes, the lost art of concentration and relaxation is a concern. We need to switch off, as creatives, in order to create, make love, at least I do. When overwhelmed with mental stimulation, I have a few techniques up my sleeve, that I can call upon, these include, music – especially the music of Sade and I have included one of her tracks in this weeks showcase, this song speaks for me, another is photography, of course, I also read avidly, and particularly, when overwhelmed with physical pain, I love to descend into a very warm solitary bath and now I also have Chi Kung.

Whilst creating this weeks showcase, I have viewed all of the art through a Chi Kung lens and with each and every inspiring image, I have created a meditation, of your art. Feel the rhythm, the surging uplift, as we fall into mutual devoted freedom….

Thank you to all the talented artists for submitting your works to our showcase this week. If you would like your work to be considered for entry in to our weekly Mobile Photography and Art Flickr Group, please submit it to our dedicated group, here. You can also submit images to our Instagram tag for this section #theappwhisperer.

@pause.and.breathe – Susan Latty, Eliza Eliza Tsitsimeaua-Badoiu, clau_clara, Nicole Christophe, @mitrydate, Kerry Mitchell, @dunga_brook, @rejanerubino, @sandralbmartins – Violet Martins, @impro_visions, sunflowerof21_365 – Elaine Taylor, @patragraphy, @marymodale – Dale Bradshaw Botha, @marianne.rieter Marianne Rieter, Jane Schultz, @marian.rubin – Marian Said Marian Seid Rubin, @ilemusi – Ile Mont, @janisbrandenburg Janis Brandenburg Lee, accidental_artist3 – Ransom Candice, @fichristian – Fiona Christian, @clarisse_debout – Clarisse Debout, @schwitter.li – Liliana Schwitter, @ange_ombre – Ro Lannes, @klimtt – M. Cecilia Sao M. Cecilia São Thiago, ja_graham – Jennifer Graham, @peterwilkin1 – Peter Wilkin, @remintrusions – Damian De Souza, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Jill Lian, Karen Axelrad, Yasuo Furue, Rita Colantonio, Gianluca Ricoveri, Catherine Catherine Schell Caddigan, Clint Cline, p.a.hamel, Susan Rennie, TheiPhoneArtGirl – Meri Walker, Lorenka Campos, Rob Pearson-Wright, Paul Yan, Mark Walton1.

Music this week, another of my favourites – Sade with ‘Somebody already broke my heart’ (lovers live)

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 22 September 2019

2019-09-222019-09-22 by Joanne Carter

The three of us, our bodies sharing a common goal and process, the same level of exhaustion reached – potentially. Coming together, tearing apart. Despite the degradation of our bodies, we pushed through. Toll was the point, haggard breaths, sweating foreheads, shaking thighs, pushed to the limits, exhaustion was the symptom but not the goal. The late night service station off the motorway, still somewhere far up North, was stark. But contained pockets of human existence joined by essential basic common needs, in the dead of the night. A millennial loved up couple, cuddled in the queue, ecstatic with the elation of food quashing their hunger, the woman pirouette’s around her man, rocking her ample breasts simultaneously, he yawns. A family, wife/mother (45) hunched and dressed in a hoodie, texting frantically, the husband/father (49) repeating loudly ‘I am so angry’ , the boy (12) expressing ‘she’s only going to live in the car for a year, Dad’. The sister (13) staring blankly into space. Another couple, man (65) woman (25) wander slowly into view, heads down, the woman I notice with heinous black inflamed eye, as they share an order booth. She selects (with difficulty) their food, her elongated manicured white nails, not fit for a touch screen. Another couple, man (29), woman (70) attempt to select their food in the booth with coupon codes, it takes 25 minutes for them to choose, as they finalise the order, the woman cries, she wanted to add a hot chocolate, they begin again. And now it’s the two of us, having left our middle son, miles and miles up the motorway, at university, we drive home, semi autonomously. Sometimes I feel I can do without the present, the past is more than enough, I silently weep, a job well done. Homeward bound…we change gear.

clau_clara, marshadraws, _soulkitchen_, dayindigo, wstairs, ja_graham, joe.legrand61, klimtt – M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, ilemusi – Ile Mont, clizit2020 – Clint Cline, mitrydate, thelma.penteado, cooksbay, alisasmithwilliams, laurence_bouchard, coeiphoneart – Gerry Coe, rejanerubino, berleyart, lillorizzo, ritaipunina, dinalf – Dina Alfasi, eva.peopleoflondon, imaco57 – Isabel Alfonso, csernusphotography, kein_grund, Lee Atwell, p.a. hamel, Susan Rennie, Gianluca Ricoveri, Andy Alexandre, Jennifer Bracewell, Cintia, Sebastian Burczyk, Jun Yamaguchi, Damian De Souza, Tomaso Belloni, Lorenka Campos, Deborah McMillion, Christine O Sobczak.

Music this week is by Freya Ridings entitled ‘Lost Without You’

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 28 July 2019

2019-07-282019-07-28 by Joanne Carter

‘Would you like a cappuccino?‘ the early morning shadow, prickly with dark stubble, leans over, breathes into my ear bushing my lips. I am asked the same question in the same way, every single morning and still I tingle. The answer is always the same, ‘yes, please, x 3‘ . And so the narrative begins, bringing together two lives, in an emotional and intense drama. We have been in love for many years and each day we develop new neural pathways to ensure we keep meandering along in the present, not only with passion and compassion but also with love and humanity. We are promiscuous observers of photography and art, there’s not a day that goes by without our minds deeply conjoined within imagery. I think in pictures and when I play back yesterday, before rising, sometimes I am insouciant but the relief of being loved so intensely is ultimately fulfilling, what’s not to love about passionate love? Fortunately, love is abundant and grows and extends to others. When I view the stunning mobile photography and art that has been contributed to our Flickr and Instagram groups my heart grows. Take a look this weeks showcase, yours will too. Enjoy.

jagraham, Laurence Bouchard, Eliza Badoiu, Marshadraws- Marsha Estes, Oola Cristina, ilemusi – Ile Mont, Fleur Schim, Fichristian – Fiona Christian, wmson2000_art – J Williamson, @badgrowshop, @lorenka – Lorenka Campos, @jormain – Jormain Cady, @vadqcooper – Vicki Cooper, @hipstanitaelle – Anita Ellis, @rejanerubino – Rejane Rubino, @ricardas.jarmalavicius – Ricardas Jarmalavicius, @elizabadoiu – Eliza Badoiu, Jane Schultz – before.1st.light, Susan Rennie, Paul Toussaint, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Tomaso Belloni, Jill Lian – jilllian2, Karen Axelrad, Jon Arne Foss, Laila, Catherine Caddigan, Clint Cline, Robi Gallardo, Qingxian Guo, Rita Colantonio, Sergiy Beliayev, Mark Walton1, Rita Colantonio, Kathy Clay, Erik Viggh, Larry Lefever, David DeNagel, Deborah McMillion, Anandamoy Chatterji, la Takalandze, Joseph Cyr, Jun Yamaguchi, p.a. hamel, Gianluca Ricoveri, Giancarlo Beltrame.