Snow, falling in love with photography again, and health

I took a few days away from Liketu and Hive this past week and found I didn't miss it one bit. Something I've not been too surprised at given the burnout and monotony of feeling like I have to post something every single day. The Hive space can be quite exhausting sometimes, as let's be honest: the endless competition over greed here can be too much to want to care for. I love posting about fun things I have done, reminding myself of the travels and experiences I have had as I roam through streets. To write about it can be great fun; but the stuff beyond that I just can't seem to care for. There's some great photography posts around, but I often feel that I'm in my own little niche where I write about the feelings, the emotions, the stuff beyond the pictures. I wish I could find more like it here, but it doesn't seem to be working out, nor do I have the patience for it all the time. But the plus to this rejection of the negatives of posting around Hive is that I have more free time, the realisation that I don't need to keep Hive open at all times and 'being a good community member' by commenting on every post or instantly replying to every comment; something that has been enforced by rather hypocritical groups on the chain here and there.

Taking a bit more of a step back has meant I have fallen in love with photography again. I find there's nothing more that I want to do than roam the world and take photographs of it. To end up in unexpected spaces and capture them, to feel the emotions they deliver to me and find my way of showcasing them back out into other spaces. There has been a few days of intense snow here in Yerevan, people tell me it is something that isn't all that normal for winter. Where this part of the small country is generally a bit warmer, and the city can't really adapt to snow, nor does it particularly enjoy it that much. To me it's nothing normal, coming from England's environment where snow is maybe a once in a year event. And I can't help but love the ability to walk through the streets, feeling that unyielding coldness in the air as it pierces the lungs. To hear the crunching of snow beneath the boots. Hands kept tightly in gloves. Watching people walk by with hands tucked into pockets and faces hidden into coats. A city certainly changes in such weather, and I love how much opportunity it provides.

Such weather awakens something from within, it pulls me into great excitement, giving me great energy. Throwing me outside and not caring for the cold or the dangers of roaming ice-ridden streets and roads. My camera batteries were exhausted a little sooner that I'd have liked, but I managed to take hundreds of images within just a few days. Some of the best ones I have ever taken, having the most fun I could ever have imagined in a country and culture so distant from home. This fun time reminding me that photography is more of what I am supposed to be doing instead of sitting at a laptop screen for most of every day. Remembering that my physical and mental health are priorities. I think a lot of us on Hive forget this with the pursuit of farming upvotes and attention from others. The gamification of the whole thing that pollutes the mind as we all sell each other something actually quite worthless. Basically, get outside a bit more. Pursue your hobbies more.

For the best experience view this post on Liketu