Physics of the Quest

Being married with 3 daughters, it’s safe to assume that when we all gather to watch a movie, it’s not going to be an action blockbuster. Not even a foreign film with subtitles or anything that requires more than an emotional investment. I’m not complaining. I’m more well-rounded and can always blame the girls when I publicly admit to watching romantic comedies.

My oldest daughter is an avid reader. One of her absolute favorite books is ‘Eat Pray Love‘, so it’s no surprise that the movie, based (loosely) on the book, was selected for a holiday movie night. Suffice it to say, the movie did not live up to the book. However, there was a narration at the end that really hit me. A memorable quote of cinematic wisdom.

There is a wonderful Ted Talks with Elizabeth Gilbert on Creativity. It’s hands down, one of the most inspiring creative truths I’ve heard in decades. I encourage you to listen to it. Sadly, my daughter assures me this narration in the movie was nowhere to be found in her book.

On the last day of the year, I’d like to share this quote with you.

In the end, I’ve come to believe in something I call “The Physics of the Quest”. A force in nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity. The rule of quest physics goes something like this:

If you’re brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything, from your house to bitter old resentments, and set out on a truth seeking journey, either externally or internally, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself. Then the truth will not be withheld from you.

This past year has been quite a journey. With winter settling in, there will be lots of time to share highlights from last years travels, professional and personal work. Thank you gentle reader for your continued support. Blessings and peace to you and your family as we close another chapter in the book of life.

This Post Has 9 Comments

  1. Ok, 3 women in this house and we like action blockbusters – Ironman, Transformers, that Jason Statham bank heist movie – bring it on. As well as a good romantic comedy.

    Gorgeous photo, where?

  2. Colleen… just my luck I suppose. XBox 360 in ‘da house and no one is interested in hunting down terrorists with me! 🙂

    My youngest is my SciFi buddy. Got her hooked on Fringe and she really likes the SciFi action movies… there is hope yet that I’ll be able to watch more action blockbusters during prime time! Oh, Tammy likes any Jason Statham movie, but I don’t think it’s because of the movie, if you know what I mean!

    I forgot to add that this photo was taken on Maui. I’m planning to post a bunch more, but the post production takes a while and I’ve been trying to stay on top of paying gigs… money trumps personal art these days. Sadly.

    Thanks for stopping by Colleen!

  3. Oh, do tell – pp on this? If you don’t mind sharing.

  4. That’s a great quote. Facing the truth about yourself is always a tough proposition, as I grow older I find I don’t know myself as well as I’d like, I’ve been on my own quest for quite a while.

    Thanks for sharing that.

  5. I LOVE this image. I love your writing. Really looking forward to following your blog!

  6. Randy, these are great images – it’s great to see such a wide range of work and interests – fabulous work!

  7. Colleen,

    Happy to share PP on this image. It’s actually deceptively simple! It’s basically a tripod mounted camera (16mm) of this beach scene in Hawaii. I captured three exposures. (-2/0/+2) set up the conversion information in Adobe Camera Raw and created a single HDR image using Photoshop CS5, HDR Pro. Unfortunately, Adobe HDR Pro does not handle highlight processing or ghosting very well, so I created another HDR composite using Photomatix Pro. Then, using layer masking in CS5, I combined the two images to retain the best of both. That’s basically all I did, aside from some minor dodging and burning and color enhancements (a little desaturation to lessen the cartoon feel). If you are interested in learning more of this technique, I’d highly recommend purchasing the e-book from http://www.stuckincustoms.com/. Best $10 you’ll spend. Hope that helps!

  8. Jennifer

    Love the quote. I loved the book once I was in the “right place” to read it. Is the quote from the book or movie?

    1. The quote is from the movie. I think I mentioned that in my post. Kara, who’s read the book (her favorite) told me that quote was NOT in the book!

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