Philosophical Significance of Infinite Value

The Dave Eggers-like title of today's Plain Sight in fact comes from an even more famous writer from a century ago, Marcel Proust, on the subject of writer's block. What does that have to do with photography and today's photo? Nothing, but I happen to be reading "Swann's Way" and came across this funny quote...

In "Swann's Way," the first volume of Proust's mammoth "In Search of Lost Time," the narrator is recalling his early thoughts about what he wanted to do when he grew up...

"...since I wished, some day, to become a writer, it was high time to decide what sort of books I was going to write. But as soon as I asked myself the question, and tried to discover some subjects to which I could impart a philosophical significance of infinite value, my mind would stop like a clock, I would see before me vacuity, nothing, would feel either that I was wholly devoid of talent, or that, perhaps, a malady of the brain was hindering its development."

Yes, holding oneself to a standard of "infinite value" is a good way to petrify one's brain. Aiming just shy of that boundless mark is a better way to go. And as I used to tell my son when he would be locked at the word processor for hours without typing a word of some school composition due the next day, when all else fails, "Write Crap!" One can always improve crap, but a blank page is a vaccuum that sucks all the composure out of one's mind.

Location of this photo, by the way: Long Branch

Connection of this photo to the Proust quote. The subject of the photo is self-consciousness, which is one of the royal roads to writer's block.

Tags: photography | Proust, Marcel