“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” – Edwin Land
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” – Sylvia Plath
Great blue heron hunting for its dinner along the Anhinga Trail in the Everglades.
Two Photographs
When I haven’t a clue as to what I’m going to write about, I first turn to my list of potential blog topics.
That didn’t work this time. In fact it might be time for me to clean up the long list as I didn’t understand half my suggestions. Bright ideas, I’ve discovered, often lose meaning if left stagnating too long.
There is also the fact that what you write one day will never be the same thing you will write about the next day. Our perceptions about the meaning of life, or whatever, are constantly changing. Knowing this, I think, is why I’m such a fanatic journal keeper.
"Won't you step into my Everglades parlor?" -- Photo by Pat Bean
Anyway, with my written list failing me, I turned to my photographs and came across two that actually turned on the electricity in my brain. One was of an alligator lying in wait for a meal, and the other was of a great blue heron quietly waiting for its dinner to come into reach.
The differences had me thinking how all living things on this planet have the same needs. And about where each of the species fit in the food chain.
The two photos also spoke to me of patience, a thing I seriously lack. Without a bit of patience, neither of these species would have their next meal.
Then I thought of the different reactions the two photos would elicit from viewers. Oohs and aahs for the heron of course, and probably some yucks for the alligator. When I post a photo of one of these reptiles I usually get an e-mail from a daughter-in-law telling me not to get too close.
Putting two unlike things together, according to some of the self-help books I’ve read, is a good way to spark one’s creativity. I haven’t done it much, but I’m now convinced I should do it more. I mean it got me off the hook for today’s blog.
Now I’m curious as to readers’ reactions to the two photos. Tell, please.
Bean’s Pat: A Word in Your Ear; http://tinyurl.com/74zt46m For those of us who miss too many sunsets.
Pat Bean's blog 
ah, great blues and gators are some of my favorites! the elegant, largest wading bird and the fiercest predator! i’m writing about gators now, since it’s BABY season down here… i can’t help but stand in awe of the fact that they’ve lived on this planet for 20 million years — just amazing. we give them leeway on our hikes, sure….but they’re *awesome.*
And don’t forget that the birds are thought to have evolved from reptiles.
The most important ingredient of my blog topics is they have to be fun for me. The ones I like best are born of a fleeting observation that triggers a moment of contemplation, inspiring a few dashed off words. They are grace notes.
I do so agree Al. I mean why would we spend so much time on our blogs if they weren’t fun? I also like that they connect me to special people and otner blogs, like yours. Thanks for commenting.
Last year we put out an album called “Gator Jazz”, and I must have looked at 1,000 pictures of alligators trying to get some inspiration for the album cover graphics. Although I went in an entirely different direction (guess I discovered what I didn’t want), I really enjoyed all the gator pics. They have incredible designs on the skin, and the patterns of the “ridges” and “squares” are fascinating. I had a great time, but I’m glad I was watching gators on the computer and not getting too close in real life.
Every weekend I have to drive my husband to his job on Longboat Key. When we come home late at night, there are always birds, including blue herons, sitting on the railings on the bridges and looking longingly (it seems) into the water. They are never disturbed by the traffic going by – total concentration and long-suffering patience.
What I first noticed about the gator photo were the colors – the gator almost gets in the way of all the swirling and intertwining of color. The gold and green at the bottom, the purple/blue/green at the top… they are beautiful and make me think of silken peacock sari material.
Your heron photo reminds me of a time when I lifeguarded at a lake in Virginia. At 6pm the beach was always deserted as the kids all went home for dinner and the teenagers waited for the dark before they appeared. I could pull out my book and get a little quiet reading time. There was one elderly lady that came down to swim laps and one Green Heron that came to catch minnows. The fish came up to grab all the crumbs that washed off the kids during the day. “My” heron would fly in at 6pm like clockwork, take up his position in about 4 inches of water and then freeze. I would watch, not blinking, until my eyes watered waiting for him to make his stab. He would fish and eat for about 30 minutes before flying on to another site. Very peaceful time. And yes, true patience. He could hold still for several minutes – longer than me squirming in my hot plastic seat up on the tower.
Great observations. I, too, really liked the colors in the gator picture and felt he gator was sort of an unadded bonus — or distraction. And I, too, have watched a green heron patiently fish for its dinner. What lucky people we two are. Thanks for commenting.
The colors in your alligator photo are magnificent. What a brilliant post. My daughter is an animal-lover; and currently her obsession is snakes. She would definitely appreciate the patience required for both the heron and alligator to snag their next meal. .
Thanks Kate. I think the only think I have patience for is bird watching. It’s a great hobby to slow down my life on the run.
Keep writing … Pat Bean https://patbean.wordpress.com
Well, I’m not afraid of the heron, so that’s a plus on its side. 🙂 I also make it a practice to root for the home team. Since the heron is warm blooded (just like us), that’s another plus for the heron. Hmm… looks like the heron is winning.
Since I’m a birder, I of course am partial to the great blue, but I like the photo of the gator best. It’s more unusual. Thanks Deb for commenting.
These are fabulous! They are alike in my book, because the heron and the gator both feed in the water. BTW, when I first saw the alligator shot I thought it was a quilt (I have quilting on the brain this year)! Such a complex image and I love it! Glad you shared this pair. 🙂
~ Lynda
Thanks Lynda. Your kind words energized my day.