What do you do with Defeat?

Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. 

 - Marilyn vos Savant

I was struck by this quote as I read it in The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women this morning. Think about what constitutes defeat: Rejection, criticism, negative comments - these are all external factors. These are not of us, they are what comes at us from other sources. 

Giving up, however, is all internal. It is a choice, a decision we make. Our choice is what makes the "defeat"  permanent.

This is something important to remember. As artists, we are all going to suffer defeat. We have a choice in how we respond. If we give up, we cannot point to anyone other than ourselves as the reason, no matter how much we might want to blame the defeat.

The images in today's posts are from a Sunday excursion into Milan, using my phone camera for the current Mortal Muses theme. Visit me at Mortal Muses today to see another subway shot that captures something uniquely Italian.

A Scene from the City

A scene from Madrid, shot from the top of a City Sightseeing bus. We like riding these sightseeing busses, we get a little bit of history with the audio commentary and see parts of the city we wouldn't otherwise see on foot. We aren't stuck on them all day, since we can get off and on anytime we want. They are the best when the weather is nice and you can sit on the open top for a really good view. We first rode one at Brandon's request but now we all agree on riding them when time is available and the weather cooperates.

Even though these busses are fun, but they make taking photographs challenging. With the movement and angle and obstructions of people and bars and whatever is on the street, I rarely get a good photo. But today, I found a good one. There are so many things I like about today's photograph - the clear focus on the sign and the woman coming out of the metro compared to the out of focus crowd. The odd angle and blurring show spontaneity and motion. There are also many elements of place in this photo - the clearly readable metro sign, the streetlight, taxi sign, and crowd at the crosswalk. Add in the graffiti, buildings and sidewalk in the background. They all scream "city." And not just any city, but big city, European city and probably even Spanish city if you recognize the language.

Do you get all of that from the photograph too? Or am I just adding the context I have in my head? I'd be interested to know what this photograph says to you.

Radiating Lines

In the Avigunda Tibidabo station in Barcelona, the Line 7 subway comes in. I loved the radiating lines and emptiness of the station. The black and white really draws your eye to the lines. The chairs, the walls, the lights, the tracks. I love the station signs on the wall that tell you the location, the city and location within the city if you know enough, but it could be any station, any where. The radiating lines that are echoed in the subway map of the city, spreading outward to the edges.

The funny part is, this train came into the station, sat there for a few minutes and then left without letting anyone board. During that time the station filled up with people and the opportunity for this shot disappeared. It was as if the train came down the runway, posing for the beauty shots with perfect timing like a good model would. Thanks!

Sunday in Milano

Sunday we went into Milan for a short jaunt... I wanted to see an art exhibit, I chose "Goya and the Modern World" and Patrick and Brandon wandered a little bit. It is fun to go into the city, there is such a different energy. I still find myself self-conscious of taking pics in some places, like on the Metro. I need to get over that. Repeat to self: "I am a photographer. I can take photos in any situation. I do not feel self-conscious. I will never see these people again."

Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II, one of the big shopping streets. (OK, there are quite a few big shopping streets in Milan.)


Spring fashion!

We love the Metro. Such a big city experience for us small town folk.

I wanted a picture of me in my simple Italian style (jeans tucked into tall boots, black wool coat) with some of Milan behind me. After a bit of direction, Patrick got it for me!