The Journey of Becoming
Amidst a world that constantly yearns for more, may this essay be a reminder that who we become is the ultimate reward of the creative journey.
We live in a results-driven world that is dominated by ego, and we carry a deep-rooted fear of the feminine energy that calls us to slow down, open ourselves to receptivity, find our ‘flow’, and enjoy the process and the unknown of the C-Z, rather than the certainty of the A-B.
It has become all too easy to find immediate answers to some of humanity’s deepest questions with the entire Universe seemingly at our fingertips. We are losing our ability to be in a place of wonder and awe and enjoy the mystery of not knowing. What happens when this is lost from the human psyche altogether? How ‘‘depressed’’ do we have to become to realise that this is rapidly becoming a serious problem?
One of our greatest existential crises is in our sense of belonging, which is partly rooted in our constant pursuit of results over process. There is a dangerous imbalance of energy between our masculine, forward-driven, ‘‘yang’’ energy, and our feminine, surrendered-to-the-now, ‘‘yin’’ energy, particularly in our Western culture that over-prioritises results, growth, achievements, performance, and accolades. In the rare moments we do find time for stillness and quiet, we are usually found incessantly longing for the next thing: the promotion, the goals, the holiday, the car, and the next home to buy: anything to avoid being in peace.
The beauty of the destination we seek can only be fully appreciated when we have been truly present throughout the process and absolutely alive in each of the finite moments in the in-between. When we are not present in the ‘‘now,’’ attuned to our bodies and their senses, we lose ourselves to fear or fantasy. Our experience is not our own. Rather, it is one we think we should be having, or wish we could have, moulded by the impossible hands of expectation or the cruel voice of comparison.
Discovering a New World Through the Lens
In the world of nature and landscape photography, things are no different. We usually pick up the cameras out of curiosity: for the natural world, for ourselves, or for the art and the creative process itself. We lose ourselves immediately in a world that looks brand-new through a wide-angle or macro lens, which allows us to stare into the eyes of insects we never previously knew existed. We are reconnected with our childlike senses as we point our cameras in every which way possible, in search of new opportunities and stories to tell. We are introduced to footpaths that promise to lead us to treasures that will make us richer than any pirate ever was. We awaken to beauty that fills the inner landscape of the soul with a medicine that heals all our wounds and helps us remember what it means to be fully alive once again.
Before long, the silent assassin, comparison, enters through the back door and slowly begins to siphon all our newly-discovered treasures whilst we are out on yet another quest to unearth more. One day, we wake up feeling the weight of emptiness that has been increasingly burdening our shoulders. We might, if we are lucky — before it’s too late — realise that our ongoing search for more has led us to forget about all the beauty and wisdom we have accrued through the journey so far.
The Wisdom is the Reward
On our never-ending quests for more: more money, more followers, more fame, more rooms in our homes, more capacity in our cars’ engines, we mustn’t forget that the ultimate reward of our human journey is the wisdom we gain throughout the course of our ephemeral earthly existence. Who we become during our time here, and resultingly, what we pass on to those whose tiny feet follow in our bootprints, will be the only thing that lasts, as all of our certificates, trophies, money, and other possessions disappear into the void of nothingness from where they came.
When we embark upon our creative journeys, we must vow to never lose sight of what is most important. That means remaining connected to the eternal process of becoming rather than losing oneself to the results and getting lost in the expectations and comparisons of others who are walking a path only they can walk. As a friend said to me a little while ago, whilst I was navigating some turbulent waters and struggling to find new motivation to create anything: ‘‘What if you’re the art now?’’ These words of wisdom, delivered during a time of need, will stay with me forever as a reminder that my own becoming and unfolding to the light is the real reason I picked up the camera and the pen and set out on a journey to find acceptance and understanding.
Beyond all my achievements over the past few years and the few professional, artistic, and commercial successes I have had thus far, there is the obvious fact that I am not the boy I was when I started out on this journey of awakening and becoming. The boy I was back then would not have been able to stand on a stage in front of 200 people and open his heart to share his story; he would not have had the courage to reach out for an opportunity to freelance for an industry-leading company, and, more importantly and in-line with my friends perfectly-timed comment, he would not have had the presence to allow someone the time and space to unfold before him and reach new depths in their own being and creative practice.
The latter point, for me, was the sole reason I set out on my path almost a decade ago; my intuition was guiding me to a place where I could give back to others and make the world a better, more empathetic and understanding place by sharing the wisdom I had embodied through my journey. I had to prioritise my own growth and healing so I could prioritise the growth and healing of those around me, which I now do increasingly more frequently through my workshops, tuition, and mentoring services.
Using Photographs as Mirrors
I recently launched my brand-new mentoring programme, A Bridge Between Two Worlds, for members of the Royal Photographic Society’s Digital Imaging group, following the success of a shorter, three-part series I ran for them earlier this year. Ten keen, meaning-seeking photographers have joined me for a twelve-month journey into the deeper realms of photography and creativity. We will work together to uncover themes and concepts interwoven throughout their art, curate portfolios, and eventually create meaningful projects such as books, zines, exhibitions, and presentations that help to convey the stories each participant wishes to tell.
One of the first tasks I have set is for the participants to trawl through their photographic archives to identify a collection of 5-7 photographs that hold significant meaning for them. These don’t have to be cohesive photographs from the same portfolio, but my assumption is that many of them will be connected in some way, shape, or form if they look deeply enough and spend enough time with them in thought and reflection.
Through my own process of reflection — one of my Five Pillars of Meaningful Landscape Photography — I have unearthed many of my own core themes and concepts over the past few years. These are topics and ideas I consistently write about in my essays, poetry, and prose. Particular words emerge organically through my almost-daily writing practice. As I bring my conscious awareness to my creative process, I can shine a light on these words and identify them as my core themes: things that my subconscious — or soul — is guiding me towards.
If we are open, curious, and willing to ask meaningful, searching questions of our creations, they hold an abundance of creative wisdom that can lead to profound levels of growth and self-understanding. Our photographs can be our greatest teachers and perfect mirrors of ourselves when we excavate the inner landscape and search deeper beneath our surface. If we are to learn their lessons, however, we are required to approach our practice with a level of humility, admitting that we do not know, something that might be terrifying for anyone who has spent their years refusing to allow layers of their ego to melt away.
Crossing a Threshold into the Mystical World of Nature
When I walked outdoors into the world of Nature for the first time, awakening to the beauty and the mystery of the unknown, I crossed a threshold. My willingness to wander and my openness to new direction guided me to the light of morning, where Mother Nature was waiting patiently for me to come with all my wounds and pain and grief and confusion about who I was and where I was going. She rewarded my curiosity and courage, answering my deepest questions by pointing me inwards along the footpaths of my inner landscape. These paths led me home to my heart; it was a home I had been longing for since my broken youth.
To borrow the following from another essay, The Creative Process, which is due to be published in On Landscape in July 2026:
‘‘My art now, above and beyond all photographs and words I create along the way, is in who I get to be in the world, and this version of me who stands to tell these stories today would not be here if it weren’t for the healing and nurturing embrace of The Great Mother. When I enter the world of Nature, I am entering into a communion and tending to my relationship with Her. I give my energy through service, surrender, and the love of my craft, and I receive treasures beyond words: wisdom, insights, healing, guidance, and occasionally, a series of photographs that will allow me to honour my commitment to serve.
When it comes to the creation of the photographs themselves, they are a byproduct of the real work, which is the inner work required to keep on surrendering and shedding layers of the ego, to attune myself and come into harmony with the rhythm of the natural world, and to ensure that balance is maintained within; that my ‘hunting’ is carried out with increasing respect and reverence, and never results in me forgetting my place in the soil, becoming gluttonous & greedy, and taking advantage of the goodness of Nature, for which I have now become a custodian, warden and protector.’’
It is my duty to share these stories and the wisdom I have accessed with others through the essays I write, the talks I deliver, and the workshops I have been establishing over the past few years. With a deep, intuitive understanding of the mystical powers that Mother Nature holds comes a great responsibility to protect these wild, untamed landscapes for future generations, so that they, too, can heal the wounds they will inevitably incur throughout their human journeys.
To be human is to be beautifully wounded. But one must make the courageous choice not to remain imprisoned by one’s pain and fall into victimhood, seeking pity from those around them. It is all of our duties to dedicate our lives to our own healing and becoming, so we have the strength to rise and to carry others in their times of weakness and need and darkness towards the light of morning, which burns brightly as a beacon of hope for all beings.
And so this essay leads me full circle: back to the necessity of slowing down and enjoying the process of creating and becoming; to slowing down and surrendering to the feminine energy and opening oneself to receptivity; to slowing down and engaging our sense of childlike wonder and imagination to conjure new ways of being in the future; and to slowing down and reflecting upon one’s life as one might reflect upon their creations and photographic experiences to gain new awareness and insights that catalyse ones growth and awakening. Amidst a world that constantly yearns for more, may this essay be a reminder that who we become is the ultimate reward of the creative journey.
Brad Carr is an internationally published fine art landscape photographer, Nature writer, and creative mentor based in Mid Wales. His work has featured in On Landscape, Outdoor Photography, Nature Vision, and International Therapist, and exhibited in national galleries, reaching 20,000 people. He works with photographers of all abilities through private tuition, group workshops, long-term mentoring programmes and Photographing with Purpose mentoring circles.
Where to go next?
I’m here to help you on your creative journey, whether you’re just picking up a camera for the first time, looking to get out of ‘manual’ mode, or you’re preparing a portfolio for your first book project or major exhibition. See the links below and find your pathway to more meaningful landscape & nature photography:
Download FREE Educational Resources - Including an eBook on composition, an 18-page guide to light and the Five Pillars of Meaningful Landscape Photography™: A comprehensive 40-page PDF guide introducing my revolutionary philosophical framework to help you create self-expressive art instead of ‘capturing’ soulless photographs.
Photographing with Purpose Group Mentoring Circles - Develop your artistic vision, create meaningful portfolios, and unearth your creative voice through creative assignments, reflective writing, and supportive group coaching
Creative Development Portfolio Review - Book your in-depth portfolio review to gain clarity & direction and make more meaning in your photography.
1-1 Private Tuition & Mentoring - Master the fundamentals of photography or explore and develop your unique vision through private, in-field tuition. For those ready to pursue transformation through creative practice, I offer two long-term mentoring programmes. Schedule your FREE introductory call during which I’ll answer any questions you have and help you find your learning pathway.
Join a Group Photography Workshop - Learn to create beautiful photographs in a mindful, contemplative environment, surrounded by like-minded creative photographers.