The Balance of Being and Becoming

The Balance of Being and Becoming

© Lynne Buchanan

(All rights reserved, image protected by Digimarc)

"The breaking wave and the muscle as it contracts obey the same law.  Delicate line gather's the body's total strength in a bold balance.  Shall my soul meet so severe a curve, journeying on its way to form."

Dag Hammarskjold

When we choose to follow any of the infinite possibilities that exist for our life at a given moment, it is optimal to center ourselves and manifest our choices in a balanced way that bridges being and becoming or our paths will not evolve authentically.  If we merely focus on being, we may become stuck and miss the opportunity to be transformed by our choices and they will become stale and lifeless.  Yet, if our choices are only significant as a means to an end, then we lose sight of the beauty of the process.  It is in the balance of being and becoming that the magic happens.

When I take photographs, I try to lose my ego and open myself fully to the present moment and source energy as it is reflected in nature.  The formless ground of being beneath the surface of things speaks to me, and I try to capture its presence in the subjects I have chosen through my lens.  When I am back in my studio, I look at the raw image and try to bring back and enhance the emotional aspects of my "seeing" experience through Photoshop and processing.   When I view and work on my images in this way, I am constantly being transformed by them.  My awakening as a human being is intimately tied to my path as a photographer.