Hello! Thank you dropping by and taking the time to read this, I really appreciate it!
First things first: You’re probably wondering about the name and what the significance is of ‘5.0’.
It is simply the latest update version for me, Bruce. And seeing as how this new stage of my life is just a few months old, this update version is still in beta form at the time of writing. It may still be a bit buggy and there will definitely have to be some fixes made along the way!
There is no deep meaning to having chosen the number five, it was just the next one in line. Here are all the versions for Bruce so far:
1.0 Childhood/ Grade School years
2.0 Adolescence/ High School years
3.0 Higher Education years
4.0 Career years
5.0 Post Career years
It was apparent that my traditional career was quickly drawing to a close when I realized (as they say) how very few fucks I had left to give for the day to day urgencies of the working world. Don’t get me wrong- Career Years, Section 4.3 was the most enjoyable run I’ve ever had, thanks to a wonderful friend/employer and a great team of colleagues. But still.
The fucks I’m holding back will be carefully doled out on bigger picture concerns and I may occasionally write about those here. At the moment, though, I’m more interested in returning to the joys of discovery – especially the beauty of the world around me – and in being thankful for each day as it comes.
Now that the binding twine of daily work concerns has been snipped, I have a lot of things tumbling loosely around in my brain. They need to be organized and they need a release valve. That’s in part what this place will be. While I already post actively on Instagram (I welcome you to join me @bobofeed for photography and @bruceafreeman for non-photography interests) and in numerous photography-related groups on Facebook, those platforms lack the space for a slower and more thoughtful exploration of my interests. If you are here on Substack you probably already feel the same way.
I have much more time now to devote to my addictive hobby of photography, so expect lots of images and probably more than a few words as I struggle to understand my own work and its place as a creative outlet in my world. I’m also thinking of doing some very brief and more frequent posts via SubStack Notes, called I Made This Picture.
Whatever this project turns into, it will remain a place devoted to creative expression and the exploration of ideas. I hope you’ll feel inclined to join me!
Till next time,
Bruce
Ha! I went the other way. For part 2 of my career, I joined the dark side by becoming a Owner's PM at the State of Nevada Public Works Division.
I've drawn 3 design sketches in the past five years. The last one being a stupid simple door in a corridor (there was a tricky bump out so I wanted the maintenance guys to avoid conflicting the wheel chair clearance).
But I can't complain, way less stressful than being in private practice.
I once read a blog positing that one can look at one's life in terms of decades and then years (and days). So I would be version 4.3.352 today
I've also pondered a version system more similar to what you did here, looking at the different cities or different professions I've been in. I should flesh that out one day. Cheers to new beginnings!