The Big 3

Over the years, I’ve amassed a mountain of creative material that needs to see the light of day. Three distinct projects, each of which requires total dedication – and many hours of work – to complete currently hang from my neck. From this point forward, I’m focusing my time and attention on producing this work and putting it out into the world rather than embarking on something new and further burying myself in additional output.

I will approach the projects in reverse chronological order, moving the newest material off my plate first; incidentally, this approach is easiest to execute for reasons which are both psychological and practical.

Project 1: Mother & Daughter

This is new. Mother & Daughter will be a book of photographs and essays from 2022, the year in which my mother died and my daughter was born. The book is mostly written and I have developed and edited all of the images I made that year and, crucially, I can complete the book almost entirely on my own – there are comparatively few dependencies on other people. All of the material is in hand and it’s incumbent upon me to produce the book. Whether I make one copy or 1000, my goal is to produce a physical book and have it out of my head and into the world before the end of the year.

Project 2: The Decade Project

I hope that the completion of the first book will build confidence and provide some mental relief, and that it will also serve as a dress rehearsal of sorts for producing my second, larger photo book – The Decade Project. Again, the material is ready to go, but the editing task is enormous and – at least as it was conceived – relies on participation from ten photo editors. Of course, this invites a whole raft of challenges – interpersonal, artistic, logistical, etc. If I can get the first book done, I will have had a chance not only to produce a book before tackling the Decade Project, but I will also have made something to which I can refer the editors.

As a practical matter, I may need to revise my approach to the project, which was fairly high concept and constrained, in order for it to actually be completed and exist. This might require rethinking the editing approach, reining it in somehow. The vital requirement for me is that the work gets done, that the book is created; I care less today about rigid adherence to self imposed rules, particularly if doing so imperils the project.

The Decade Project spanned January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2021, and I intended to dive into the editing work in 2022, but life intervened; instead, I spent the year caring for my mother and preparing for the birth of a child.

Once the first book is out of the way, I will embark on this undertaking and do whatever’s necessary with respect to collaboration with my editors to see it completed. I will not let this project languish unfinished…

Project 3: The Walt Mink Documentary

Speaking of languishing, this is the Big Unfinished Work. I want all of this photography-based distraction out of my face, and out of my head, so I can look at this glorious nightmare with fresh eyes, fall in love with it again, and produce whatever it will be. Time has gone by and my current perspective is unrecognizable, but these variables of time and distance may be exactly what is required. And again – I believe that successfully completing the other work first will not only create space within which to work, I hope it will also rebuild my confidence.

Anyway, that’s what I’m working on. I’m setting aside for the moment that I am raising a child, haven’t worked in a steady job for two years, and everything else in life is harder than ever.

No excuses. That’s what I am telling myself. Follow the joy. Make the work. See it done. Move on.