Category: Rivers

The Power to Inspire

A thick fogs welcomes a cool summer morning on the Little Red River near Heber Springs, Arkansas.
A thick fogs welcomes a cool summer morning on the Little Red River near Heber Springs, Arkansas.

Do you remember the first time you cast a line into your favorite fishing hole?  You know-the one that fills your mind as you watch the autumn leaves receive their glory through the window in your office.  What about that spot on the end of your favorite trail?  The spot that few have discovered and even fewer risk the necessary time and energy to reach.  That place.

Do you remember these initial experiences?  Something draws us back here over and over again.  But what could it be that draws us? It is the experience we have in this place that is likely unattainable in any other environment.  Our distractions are removed, and our entire effort is focused on that next cast, or the next revelation we receive as we listen to our spirits commune with our heavenly Father.

Ok, Jason, this sounds great-but what does it have to do with me?  The reality is that it has everything to do with you.  And me.  And every one of our fellow human beings.  The demands of our daily lives slowly rob us of our creative potential and eventually drain our spirits.  We spend hour after hour trying to be all that we can be-only to fall short over and over again.  These inspirational experiences refill our tanks and bridge the chasms that separate us from who were created to be.

Many of us seem to make time for others-which we must-but we often neglect ourselves in the process.  I have a tendency to neglect these necessary “recharges” on an all-too-regular basis.  Then I find myself there once again-a creative slump.  I struggle to find something to write about or something to photograph.  Or I’m so burned out that I can’t be the husband that my wonderful wife needs, or the father that my beautiful daughter needs to lead her.  Woe to me for neglecting this vital part of my existence!!!!

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Water cascades through a rocky channel near the Little Red River.

What do I have to lose by disconnecting for a few hours, or even a few days? Might I neglect a few emails that could be returned?  Or some task on a list that really doesn’t amount to anything in the big picture? Perhaps I’m worried that I might discover my true self and unlock the fullness of my potential-the very thing I was created for?  Who am I really shortchanging here?

You see, without inspiration, we grow stale.  The same ideas and experiences drive us to repeat the same actions over and over again, with the same results.   When we refuse to be inspired, we choose to stay in that same rut that we can’t seem to pull out of.  But when we allow ourselves to be inspired, our chains are broken and we are free to create again.

My vantage point on the Little Red River as I disconnect from the chaos.
My vantage point on the Little Red River as I disconnect from the chaos.

The horn at the dam sounds in the distance.  They are about to release enough water through the turbines to completely transform this lazy mountain river I’ve temporarily occupied.  I’d better move my chair.

by Categories: Creativity, RiversTags: , , , , , 2 Comments

When nature gives you a flood

This spring has seemed unseasonably cool-of which I won’t complain.  Along with the cool weather, we have received what seems to be an abundance of rainfall this year.  Perhaps it is normal, but it seems atypical to me.  I’m confident that in a few months we’ll be begging for just a drop of rain to fill the rivers, creeks, ponds and lakes.

Floodwaters cover a bottomland hardwood forest near Deep Slough on Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge.
Floodwaters cover a bottomland hardwood forest near Deep Slough on Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge.

The abundance of water during spring would typically be a good thing for my attempts to photograph herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles), but they haven’t been calling too much just yet.  So what’s a photographer to do?  Shoot what you have, of course!  The rain had forced the Ouachita River out of its banks, leading to road and boat ramp closures, and water in places it normally wouldn’t be found.

The river had risen more than I thought-and presented some interesting navigational challenges. I opted to head out with a friend in his boat instead of my trusty kayak, and immediately was glad I did.  Places that one could walk through with ease a week prior were several feet under water, which led to some interesting compositions.

The message I took home from this trip was to get out and go-even when the conditions aren’t optimal!  You may well witness something for the first and last time (likely), and in my case capture a unique image that might land you a spot in a publication or something even bigger!

This cypress tree thought its branches were safely above the water-which proved not to be the case!
This cypress tree thought its branches were safely above the water-which proved not to be the case!

When I was a young boy, my grandfather would carry me with him to the barber shop to get a haircut. His barber was a shaky-handed, well-aged gentleman who happened to be an excellent fisherman.  I would listen to his fishing stories in awe, always walking away with another potential adventure in my mind.  One day I decided to ask him a simple, but profound question-when was the best time to fish?  I sat eagerly awaiting a detailed, scientific explanation that I never received.  His response was simple.  “Son, the best time to go fishing is any time you can.”

I believe I’ll take that and run with it.

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