How Travel Photography Can Help Single Men As A Catalyst To Become Prolific Writers

I am a big fan of routines

Admittedly, that wasn’t always the case, but as I grow older and (hopefully) wiser, I can easily recognize what blocks my personal growth.

You know what I am talking about. That’s when the anxiety kicks in, and you feel deep down that you aren’t doing what you should be doing right now.

Perhaps you can’t really put your finger on why—at least not quite yet.

But when you finally do admit it to yourself because your subconscious mind has been literally screaming at you,

Then it quickly turns into the following question:

“How am I going to reorganize my day so I can facilitate the formation of a series of habits that will allow me to achieve whatever long-term goal I have in mind?”

In my case, after I lost my company in 2021 during the pandemic and followed my passion for photography, I was still lacking fundamental clarity and direction. Aimlessly wandering around and falling prey to the shiny object syndrome several times.

There was a great void in my life until I discovered the transformative power of writing and the mental clarity it brought.

If I had to name just one thing that has helped me cultivate a rock-solid habit of writing every day and turn me into a prolific writer without breaking my streak,

To me, that would be travel photography, and here is why:

As explained in probably the best book ever written on the subject, Atomic Habits by James Clear, there are three things we must do when implementing a new habit.

1) Make it obvious

2) Make it attractive

3) Make it easy

Traveling does all of that at the same time for me.

I just don´t get tired of the new positive stimuli that come with the flood of different people, cafes, landscapes, cultures, and situations.

starting the day with my writing routine?—?Tropical Ants Cafe Bali

Although that doesn’t necessarily mean this is true for you,

I realize that this kind of freedom comes with the cost of distancing yourself from family and friends, which is something you do have to evaluate.

It is definitely not for everyone.

But, again, this is about priorities. How badly do you want to become a writer or content creator in a broader sense?

If it is your number one priority, then you should not hesitate to give it a try.

Storytelling through Visual Imagery

One of those phrases that gets thrown around a lot is that photography is about storytelling.

I agree to a certain extent, but there are obvious limitations.

While great photography can clearly tell a story or elicit an emotional response, that emotional response will send you on a mental roller coaster. You may wonder how this photograph came to be or what it would be like to be there.

But is this really a story or just an emotional response?

I would argue for the latter. To me, writing has become a new tool at my disposal to further go down the road of storytelling. A rabbit hole that excites me to explore.

I feel inspired by the possibilities of combining the two skills and reach a new audience

Honestly, I have never been a successful photographer anyway, if we define success by income or financial success.

Sure, I have sold a few thousand euros, first in my gallery in Mexico and then later on Etsy.

My first acrylic prints sold in 2018

But it wasn’t enough for me to make a living, certainly not after I had led a seven-figure business for 12 years.

It was, however, a sound success from a personal growth standpoint

or through a, let’s say, spiritual lens, which led me to write a book about it. It is called “The Spiritual Lens: Photography as Meditation.”

Photography has provided me with spiritual oneness—the feeling of belonging and being part of a greater scheme in nature.

An escape from the incessant mental chatter. A tool to ground myself in the now and experience balance and moments of true joy even admits what was the most difficult time in my life when I lost my company and material existence.

Way To Infinity?—?Kaan Lum, Mexico 2018 by Roman L Binder

In the book, I talk about how you can use photography as a spiritual practice, which admittedly is not a novel idea, but it is a very therapeutic one and exactly what I needed after the colossal failures I had experienced just a few months before.

You can turn anything into a spiritual practice or meditation. The key is to be present and pay attention to the present moment.

And that leads me to the next skill, which is becoming a better observer. Travel photography definitely helps you become better at that.

Let’s face reality. In 2023, attention and concentration are both becoming rarer as we speak.

In the age of mindless TikTok scollers zooming out, honing your observational skills seems like a reasonable choice since it requires you to become more patient. Really turn off the mind chatter and just tune in to what is in front of your eyes.

If I had to name one skill that I have always struggled with, it would definitely be being more patient.

Training your eyes to see and recognize beauty and patterns in themselves is also inherently valuable.

Taking the shot and perpetuating the beauty you witnessed in that particular moment makes it a testament or legacy for others to see as well.

So I’ll just leave you with an idea you might want to try. The truth is that I’ve never met anyone who has told me he’s traveled too much.

That just doesn’t happen.

And even if nobody wanted to read anything you wrote, it still would be a good exercise of self-discovery to become a prolific writer

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All of this led me to go on a different path.

I call it The Uncharted Road Newsletter For Unapologetic Single Men Who Want True Freedom and Walk Away

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