WHAT'S IT TIME FOR NOW?

Since March 2020, at the beginning of the first lockdown, I've been taking photos on my daily walks. These have been mostly of flowers, trees, and nature in general, that catch my eye as I wander around my neighbourhood and local park. Eventually I began sharing these daily photos on social media, namely Facebook and Twitter (will always be Twitter to me), and I've loved the dialogue that this created with some people who follow me. I love hearing what others notice in my photos. Recently, however, I've been wondering if it's time to stop?

I've been through all seasons now at least 3 times; capturing nature in Spring, Summer - what little there is of it here in Scotland - Autumn, and the long dark days of Winter.

However, I've begun to recognise a slight but signifiant shift in me. It seems that I'm no longer seeing things with fresh eyes. Instead, I'm noticing what might make for a lovely photo. I think they call that 'an instagram moment'! I'm 'looking' rather than 'seeing' and, experientially, that is very different. It feels more 'performative' and, consequently, less wondrous. So it's time to take a break or stop altogether, who knows. Only time will tell.

In the #LDI leadership retreat work that I and others are privileged to do, we will ask: 'What is it time for now?' We are, of course, talking about the 'kairos' sense of time - meaning time that is measured not in seconds or minutes but in moments or experiences. What is this the opportune or right time for now? When I ask myself that question this is what emerges for me.

I want to spend more time taking photographs but not with the sole intention of sharing those pictures with others, seeking acknowledgement or recognition or whatever the 'hit' is that I get from doing so. The process of taking photographs began as an inward focussed experience - a kind of internal dialogue - that I was then happy to share with others. I want to return to that. It feels the right time to do so and the right thing to do. I will continue to share photos, as and when, but it will be a secondary act and not the primary one.

What is it time for now, for you? What do you hear yourself answering when you pose this question? Autumn, after all, is a time for letting go. What might you need to let go?