TheAppWhisperer

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 29 March 2020

2020-03-292020-03-29 by Joanne Carter

It is a glorious spring day outside, there was a beautiful dawn chorus emitting from the garden birds this morning, the flowering bushes are starting to blossom. There’s a cold east wind but the piercing sun heats up our glass roofed conservatory, where I am writing this column with so much warmth, I envisage I am basking on a warm coastline, cocktail in hand. Of course, the realisation that Coronovirus was going to be a very serious problem came to me several weeks ago. My husband was interviewing a photographer in Northern Italy, before the lockdown, but after the schools had closed. He spoke about all the teenagers hanging around, everywhere and how closing the schools had only pushed all the kids out into the streets, none were staying home. Our schools were still open at this stage, my daughter attending daily assemblies with hundreds of other children. I am on immunosuppressant drugs for a chronic disease and in the high risk category. I took my daughter out of school before they closed, I explained that she needed to socially distance and of course, my popularity ratings hit rock bottom. Now all the schools are closed and new measures will be implemented next week to restrict our movements further. The supermarket shelves are empty, I have seen the photos online, hunter-gatherers we maybe but with the support of freezers and fridges we will reach a point where we run out of storage space. I’ve had one or two tearful days this week, much like all of us, none of us can know what’s next but we can try to reduce our anxiety. What we must do, is respect the measures to keep us all safe and healthly, to respect our healthcare workers and most of all, to continue, to create beautiful art. Stay safe.

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 #mobilephotographyandimagery.

Mimi Svanberg @imagomimago, Paul Yan @cresting_wave, Anita Elle @hipstanitaelle, Jenny Pieters @sodium_light22, Cintia Malhotra, p.a. hamel, Diane Neubauer, @luison_street, Sabine Gromek, @nadvodnuk – Nadvodnuk Galina, @povaliaeva – Povaliaeva Tatl, @pause.and.breathe – Susan Latty, @_jenbeezy_ – Jennifer Bracewell, @klimtt M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, @roberamitchell9675 – Roberta Mitchell, Lorenka Campos. @sunflowerof21_365 – Elaine Taylor, Eliza Badoiu, Manuela Matos Monteiro, @ebuka__michael, @remintrusions – Damian De Souza, @lizanderson48, @guryanova_phone, @coeiphoneart – Gerry Coe, @ja_graham – Jennifer Graham, Deborah Morbeto, @artistunveiled – Margot, @wphotonick, @marshadraws – Marsha Estes, @salwa_afef Salwa Afef, @honingdruppels, Christine Mignon, Robin Cohen @psychephoto, Jane Schultz, Jon Arne Foss, Jun Yamaguchi, Clint Cline, Rita Colantonio, TheiPhoneArtGirl – Meri Walker, Catherine Caddigan, Andy Alexandre, Gianluca Ricoveri, Peter Wilkin, Judy Wahlberg, Karen Axelrad, Hanni K, borisbschulz2009, Candice Railton.

Music this week is ‘Utopia’ by Goldfrapp

Mobile Photography & Art Showcase – 23 February 2020

2020-02-232020-02-23 by Joanne Carter

Sally Brampton (founding editor of Elle magazine, UK – who killed herself after health professionals ‘missed opportunities to offer her help’, in 2016) said in her memoir on depression: “We are simply defeated by the long, hard struggle to stay alive. When somebody dies after a long illness, people are apt to say, with a note of approval: ‘He fought so hard.’ And they are inclined to think, about a suicide, that no fight was involved, that somebody simply gave up. This is quite wrong.” And so, this week, my thoughts have been with the local family of a 15 year old boy from my daughters school who killed himself. Of course, a well known British celebritiy also did this last Saturday, even with the same method. Except I’m not ‘allowed‘ to discuss the method as The Smaritans warn of the dangers of ‘imitational sucicidal behaviour‘ and request that there’s no placement regarding actual methods. But if we don’t talk about it, aren’t we ignoring mental illness and that’s become so ‘popular‘ to talk about right now? There are more suicides, certainly for poeple under 35 and more so males, than there are road deaths currently per year. Artists are also one of the leading groups of whom suicide is common. ‘Tortured Geniuses’ are most likely to commit sucide, the first-ever study of suicide by professionals from the ONS, which covered England in the years from 2011 to 2015, showed that people who work in arts-related jobs are up to four times more likely to commit suicide. People, are so ashamed, hurt, overwhelmed for so many reasons, that they’d rather end their lives, than seek help. It was reported this week, that Caroline Flack, the celebrity I mentioned above, did reach out to a friend but her friend told her it was too much for her. If we don’t talk about it, when someone approaches us, if we don’t soothe them, offer support, listen, then aren’t we ignoring the obvious, of what will inevitably come? They already feel ignored and unsupported. Isn’t that why people confide? We must continue to talk, we must support, mentor and above all, care… isn’t that why we’re here?

In the UK the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

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.

Many congratulations to the following featured artists this week including:

Enio Godoy, Deborah McMillion, Rita Colantonio, Jun Yamaguchi, Milly M, Candice Railton, Jean Hutter, Jill Lian, Jon Arne Foss, Gianluca Ricoveri, Catherine Caddigan, p.a. hamel, Susan Maxwell Schmidt, Lee Atwell, j.a. Graham, @deborahmorbetoffinear, M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, @berleyart – Kim Clayton, Linda Hollier, Rejane Rubino, @sunflowerof21_365 – Elaine Taylor, Michael Vaile Garner, Janis Brandenburg, @remintrusions – Damian De Souza, @Badgrowshop, Brendan O Se, @marshadraws – Marsha Estes, @ange_ombre, @jormain, Eliza Badoiu, Alisa Smith Williams, Jane Schultz.

Music this week is ‘The Other Side’ by Ruelle

Mobile Photography & Art – Flickr/Instagram Group Showcase – 27 October 2019

2019-10-272019-10-27 by Joanne Carter

I spend everyday thinking creatively, as indeed all our readers do and I would go so far as to say, everyone does in somepart. What does surprise me is when writers bandy around the phrase ‘creative industries‘. I can honestly say, hand on heart, I don’t know of any ‘uncreative industries‘. Creativity is the most powerful competitive advantage any business can possess. New ideas, fresh thinking are the fizz companies to make their business’s pop. There’s this overriding notion that creative artists are cut from a different cloth, this needs to be debunked. Young children overspill with ideas, they cannot hold back. Earlier this week, I was walking one of my dogs on a green, close to a primary school and a little bright red haired girl, of around 6 years old came bounding over to my dog Rosemary (named after the herb) and I. This little girl asked me five questions in the space of around 20 seconds about Rosemary, or so it seemed, she was thoroughly invigorating. Her mum appeared and rushed her away to a playdate. As we walked away, I began thinking how important it is to empower people to use their imagination. Schools are so focused on children passing exams, that when these children join the workplace they’ve been conditioned to conform and have in many cases lost the ability to ‘think outside the box‘. Remember, that old Apple ad that said ‘here’s to the crazy ones!‘ – that’s us, rule breakers, creative thinkers and thus this should lead to creative leaders. You can only get to that place, if you stay creatively minded. Boardrooms need to affect the changes and become more innovative, it can be done. Twenty years or so ago now, I managed to pull off a face to face meeting with a major photographic retailer here in the UK. It was a meeting with their Chairman and all of their board in their headquarters. I remember saying to them, as they announced yet another new shop opening, ‘customers will start to make purchases online in the future, you need to create an online presence and once you’ve done that, you need to offer cheaper prices for your products online with free shipping‘. Every person around the table laughed in my face, and it’s not the first time, I could give you many examples of similar meetings. I wanted to run their online presence but they could see no need to have one. Earlier this week I read this same company, not for the first but for the second time, since that meeting, has plunged into receivership and announced job losses into their thousands. I thought, perhaps this is dawn of a new epoch: the creative age for mankind. It’s needed urgently, more now than ever.

Anca Balaj, Eliza Badoiu, before.1st.light – Jane Schultz, @tatteredphotographs – Kim, @cawestruck – Carol Wiebe, @bee_dobs – Barbara Braman, @da_ny550, Shelley Benjamin – @sbenja823, Marianne Rieter, Christine Mignon, @vadqcooper – Vicki Cooper, @mitrydate, @rosaliehellerphotography – Rosalie Heller, klimtt – M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, Nicole Christophe, Filiz Ak, Lorenka Campos, @rain.is.poetry – Paul Sucicu, @marymodale – Dale, @pause.and.breathe – Susan Latty, Sukru Mehmet Omur, @niels_b – Niels Brunelli, @tankaqueen – Alexis Rotella, @cresting_wave – Paul Yan, @remintrusions – Damian De Souza, @ja_graham, Kathy Clay – @kathyc2136, @karenklinedinst – Karen Klinedinst, Gianluca Ricoveri, Vadim Demjianov, Deborah McMillion, Joyce Harkin @harkinjoyce, Maarten Oortwijn, Susan Detroy, Susan Rennie, Hanni K, Jill Lian @jilllian2, Catherine Caddigan, Tonytang Tang, p.a.hamel, Frank Van Dongen, Clint Cline, Linda Hollier, Steve, Karen Axelrad, Yasuo Furue, Paul Yan, I Rome, Rita Colantonio, borisbschulz2009, Rob Pearson-Wright, Laila, Jun Yamaguchi, Judy Wahlberg, Karen Axelrad, Damian De Souza, Carol Wiebe, Vicki Cooper, Christine Mignon, p.a.hamel, Jun Yamaguchi, Barbara Braman, Filz Ak, Frank Van Dougan, borisbschulz2009, I Rome, Vadim Demjianov, Gianluca Ricoveri, Maarten Oortwijn.

Music this week, another English singer/songwriter who I adore – Jess Glynn with ‘Take me Home’

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….

@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)