"What Does It Mean "To Be" (To Exist)?"

I was recently perusing what's becoming one of my favorite photography websites, PictureLine. This site provides a lot of information on new photography equipment as well as, a wide ray of articles from professional photographers in various styles of work from your standard portraits to creative light painting photos. (I'll get to that specific style in another post.)

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love black and white photography. So I came across this article, "Slices of Silence: Nathan Wirth’s Black and White Photography". Let me just say....his work is breathtaking. He captures such beauty and grace in every shot. This is the kind of photographer and style I want to strive for.

A Poets Tree Study - Nathan Wirth

In the article, the author's main question and focus to Nathan Wirth is "What is your photography philosophy?" To which, one of Nathan's responses poses a good question with a very unique answer that I don't think many people have given much thought on. "What does it mean "to be" (to exist)?"

ANSWER: "This is where my many years of studying poetry comes into play—and, specifically, the following lines from George Oppen’s poem, “World, World–” are particularly important to me: “The self is no mystery, the mystery is / That there is something for us to stand on.” Oppen’s words suggest quite a few things, but I am especially interested in the implication that the real mystery of existence is not “who we are,” but the very fact that we “even exist in the first place.” Such a perspective focuses much of the awe away from “why we are here” to the surprise, wonder and awe that there is even a “here to be from.”


The hubby and I have been recently watching a lot of documentaries on how our universe came to be (which is actually very interesting) and this falls right in the same category as Wirth's answer. So why does everyone seem to focus on "why we are here"? It seems that there are more people in the world who only care about knowing the answer to that question; needing to know that there is a purpose for their life and that it's not simply just to live, to be. What does it matter? Honestly, I don't care why I'm here. I don't need to have a purpose in my life other than to be happy. Do the things I want to do rather than need to. (Of course that's easier said than done in a not-so-perfect world.) Help others when and if I can, and to love with all my heart.

I guess some would say that is my purpose. So what is yours?



***If you have a moment please read the full article (linked above) and check out Wirth's work on his website, http://nlwirth.com/. You will not be disappointed!