New Life+

[Wildermyth]

3 hours ago, Ace92 said:

That's awesome! I want to possibly explore this as a hobby myself. Happy for you.

Do it! It's absolutely fantastic. Takes you away from home, brings out your creative side and makes you document everything fantastic about the world so that you get more enjoyment out of it and start to appreciate the little things. I've only been photographing for a year and I've learnt so much and discovered so many new things about myself.

Here's some photos from the winter shoot I just did:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 8 by Wildermyth

[Ace92]

Wow! These are absolutely stunning, amazing work. Yeah, I definitely will start exploring it. Additionally, as you said it gets me out of the house. I don't have enough money for a proper camera yet, but I think starting with my phones camera, even though it's not the best, could be fine, as long until I have enough to buy my own camera.

[Wildermyth]

9 hours ago, Ace92 said:

Wow! These are absolutely stunning, amazing work. Yeah, I definitely will start exploring it. Additionally, as you said it gets me out of the house. I don't have enough money for a proper camera yet, but I think starting with my phones camera, even though it's not the best, could be fine, as long until I have enough to buy my own camera.

Yes, unfortunately it can become an expensive hobby. But as you hinted at smartphones have become really proficient at producing quality pictures. And you can use mobile apps such as Lightroom to edit smartphone pictures as well. Some smartphones even have support for raw files, true tele-zoom and what not. But of course that gets expensive as well.

If you ever decide to go for a proper camera then there's a huge second hand market that will be at your disposal. And I also recommend that you head into one specific area of photography to begin with as certain styles require more expensive equipment. Bird photography for instance can get very expensive quickly as you need lots of zoom and a low aperture to deal with rapid movements. But portrait and landscape is less expensive as the object is often still and you can use yourself as the zoom rather than the lens. There's lots of things like that which can have a big affect on your budget. And starting out you should really just go with the first best equipment you can get your hands on to find your own personal style, and then when you grow more comfortable with that style it might be time to start upgrading.

Edited January 9 by Wildermyth

[Wildermyth]

I'm still debating what I should do with my racing rig and how I could find the right balance. I've talked a lot with family and friends and asked them for a truly honest opinion. Many of them have explained that they think I'm being a bit harsh on myself and that I've already managed so much. They recognize that I do well at my work, I go to the gym three times a week, I go skiing every weekend, I'm more outside than inside, I'm eating healthier than ever and I've fallen in love with photography which brings out a lot of my creative sides. I also have my trip to Iceland planned and I've started to meet lots of new people. On paper it all sounds so great and I should probably be more happy and thankful for everything that is. And no doubt has my absence from gaming led to many of these new discoveries.

In the end it's my decision what I want to do with my life and that's the conflicting part I guess. Sometimes it's just so much easier when others decide for you and maybe that's what I'm looking for sometimes when I share these reflections. But all people could do is to enlighten me about how they percieve me and then share their life knowledge in the hope of guiding me somehow. In the end I am the one who must make the decisions and live with the consequences that follows.

All I know is that I'm sick of bringing myself down for so much, never becoming fully satisfied and only focusing on putting up more and more boundries. It sometimes feels like just one long manic episode where I'm struggling for breath.

Sigh...

[Wildermyth]

It's been almost two weeks now without headphones and constant music in my ears. I'm not sure if it's the main cause but I feel less stressed out somehow when I arrive at work or at home. Maybe it's because my ears are given time to rest or because I can focus my thoughts on other things and then be done with them when it's time to do something else.

During my studies a professor I once had said that we have lost the ability to just sit with our thoughts. Whenever we are on a bus, train or plane we want to escape into entertainment and we don't allow ourselves to truly sit there and just reflect. Sometimes you can do this while listening to other stuff of course, but maybe there's some wisdom there that is worth exploring for a while. I think I'll try to live without music for this month at least and then see what happens.

If nothing else music could sometimes be triggering for listening to old gaming soundtracks. So I don't have to deal with that for a change.

[Wildermyth]

I'm gonna visit a new ski slope this weekend which feels exciting. It's still early into the season and the weather is not optimal but I've been looking forward to a change of environment. I really look forward to the day when I have a drivers license when I can just throw all of my stuff in the car and go wherever I want.

I'm also gonna start looking for stuff to do on Iceland so we can start planning our trip in more detail. It's a pretty complicated trip in terms of finding places to stay, roads to drive on and various activities along the way. Even though the island is small it takes more than a week to go around it, and even more time If you stop at places of course. But I look forward to it! When this trip has been completed I'll have so much knowledge when it comes to planning more trips to other countries!

Specific things I look forward to:

1. Photographing puffins
2. Seeing orcas or whales for the first time
3. Hiking over the highlands
4. Eating new and interesting food
5. Flying with a drone near volcanoes
6. Taking a bath in a hot spring
7. Seeing some beautiful waterfalls
8. Explore interesting ice caves

[Wildermyth]

Today I made the decision to sell my racing rig. I think it’s the right decision to make. Even though there are things I will immediately miss I know it will do me good in the long run. I’m not sure if I’ll forbid myself from ever having racing sims in my life but I know I’m not ready for it at this point in time. Right now I’m gonna continue focusing on building myself up, like I’ve done this past year. And I’m also gonna celebrate my decision tonight with a good movie and some of my favourite snacks!

I also think I’m beginning to get ready for one of the biggest challenges of my life - to get a driver’s license. I’ve been so afraid to even pursue it due to my nervous personality, but finding stength and direction this past year has really made it feel more possible and less stressful. And I know for sure it will satisfy a part of the need I have for racing sims, so I think it’s a win in several regards. I’m really dreaming of owning my own car so I can travel wherever I want and hike, take photos, meet new people etc. It just feels like it could really fit my lifestyle and my need for freedom. 

[wheatbiscuit]

7 hours ago, Wildermyth said:

Today I made the decision to sell my racing rig. I think it’s the right decision to make. Even though there are things I will immediately miss I know it will do me good in the long run. I’m not sure if I’ll forbid myself from ever having racing sims in my life but I know I’m not ready for it at this point in time. Right now I’m gonna continue focusing on building myself up, like I’ve done this past year. And I’m also gonna celebrate my decision tonight with a good movie and some of my favourite snacks!

I also think I’m beginning to get ready for one of the biggest challenges of my life - to get a driver’s license. I’ve been so afraid to even pursue it due to my nervous personality, but finding stength and direction this past year has really made it feel more possible and less stressful. And I know for sure it will satisfy a part of the need I have for racing sims, so I think it’s a win in several regards. I’m really dreaming of owning my own car so I can travel wherever I want and hike, take photos, meet new people etc. It just feels like it could really fit my lifestyle and my need for freedom. 

Well done with the big decision to sell. 

My first time behind the wheel resulted in tears, but I learnt properly over the course of 3 years (I'm slower and more thorough to cover things). My medication changed me so much, however, that besides steering, I'm pretty sure I'll sort of be learning all over again, plus that nervousness too. The only deal here is people's high expectations of me, thinking that even with gaming addiction, I've made so much more progress since before then (there was barely any!). lol

Post about what you learn on the road if you do!

Edited January 14 by wheatbiscuit

[Wildermyth]

16 hours ago, wheatbiscuit said:

Well done with the big decision to sell. 

My first time behind the wheel resulted in tears, but I learnt properly over the course of 3 years (I'm slower and more thorough to cover things). My medication changed me so much, however, that besides steering, I'm pretty sure I'll sort of be learning all over again, plus that nervousness too. The only deal here is people's high expectations of me, thinking that even with gaming addiction, I've made so much more progress since before then (there was barely any!). lol

Post about what you learn on the road if you do!

Expectations is something that has effected me a lot when it comes to aquiring a driver’s license. It’s one of those things you expect to have at a certain age, and more so if you’re a man. And oh’boy do people like to tell you how they feel about you not having a license yet. You almost automatically say ”no” just to defy them. 😅

I’ve waited my whole life for the right moment and to grow a certain confidence, and now I seem to be at that particular crossroad. It took a long time, but at the same time I never let it hold me back not to have a driver’s license. That’s perhaps the greatest strength I could’ve given myself because I’ve allowed myself to travel a lot despite the fact that it’s a bit more complicated to piece together without the freedom that a car provides. 

Edited January 15 by Wildermyth

[Wildermyth]

I think I'm gonna take a short break from this forum. Constantly talking about games, watching videos about gaming addiction and trying to uphold a positive and strong mindset takes a lot of energy and focus. I need to collect myself a bit, perhaps meditate and above all spend more time with friends and family to talk with them about my current issues. I feel like I'm shedding some new skin at the moment and I need to bring my focus inwards to really savour it. Basically I need less distractions and some time away from watching social media feeds and checking forums.

I'm not gonna put some specific date for when I decide to return because I don't know how long this process will take. Maybe a week, maybe a month... only time will tell I guess.

In the meantime, stay strong all and I'll see you soon I hope! 💛

[BooksandTrees]

On 1/8/2024 at 3:16 PM, Wildermyth said:

Do it! It's absolutely fantastic. Takes you away from home, brings out your creative side and makes you document everything fantastic about the world so that you get more enjoyment out of it and start to appreciate the little things. I've only been photographing for a year and I've learnt so much and discovered so many new things about myself.

Here's some photos from the winter shoot I just did:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really love these photos. Great eye and perspective. Thanks for sharing.