It rained the entire train trip from Malmö to Stockholm yesterday. Today the sun came out again and I went for a 6k jog along the lush shores of Södermalm, the island on which Annika’s cozy flat (where we’re staying while here in the capital) is located.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my relationship with photography and how it’s evolved over the years.

I’m a firm believer in Malcolm Gladwell’s theory that you need roughly ten thousand hours (or, fuckupos) before you get really good at anything. The old Chinese proverb, “failure is the mother of success” (失败乃成功之母/shībài nǎi chénggōng zhī mǔ), also rings true to me. There are no shortcuts.

I’ve also found that, especially within the realm of the arts, the following 10,000 hours are typically not nearly as exciting. Why? Simple – it’s the often steep learning curve that provides the most thrills during the ride.

Whenever I first dive into a new pursuit, everything feels fresh and full of potential. The excitement of learning a new skill, the satisfaction of small achievements, and the titillation of exploring and subsequently reaching milestones make the initial phase (the first ten thousand hours) indescribably exhilarating.

But as I gain prowess and proficiency, the novelty typically wears off, and the challenges become less about discovery and more about refinement and taking on greater challenges until one day, I just don’t get much out of doing it.

Eventually, what was once a passionate pursuit can start to feel like routine work. You feel like you’re mass-producing rather than crafting distinctive works of art.

This phenomenon is not unique to my creative endeavors; it happens in almost all aspects of my life. Which makes it all the more important for me to redefine, reinvent, and realign almost everything I do.

In practice, this means that if I welcome opportunities that force me to step out of my comfort zone, like experimenting with totally new techniques, or discovering or inventing new genres, I can hopefully rekindle the initial spark of inspiration and enthusiasm.

If I manage to live until I am 85 years old, I have about 200,000 hours left. That’s 20 new skills…