Having conversations that have no answer

Today is going to be less about photography specifically and more just an observation of mine that I can connect to creativity in a way; ultimately my form of creativity which is photography so with that, I hope you get something out of it.
Disclaimer: I don’t actually know what I am talking about

Everything that we are taught is finite to some extent. At the very least it has limitations and restrictions in fact, the world as we know it has limitations and restrictions on what can and what you can’t. We are taught and learn through a scope of abstraction, when you get in your car you just push the gas pedal and it goes. When you bake a cake you just mix the ingredients and put it in the oven. The point is, we don’t actually know how or why any of this does what it does or is; years ago you would have been crazy for saying it could. My freshman year of college I found myself in an exam for Discrete Mathematics Through Proofing. One of the questions on the exam read “Write a proof for 1+1=2, simple right? Ok, so I started writing 1+1=2 because…because it just is. When we take things we know to be finite through a series of some laws or rules that we are unaware of, we realize how little we actually know. It is also important to note that these laws and rules are fabricated from the basis of other ideas, they have to be. You see, this is true…or is it? If one idea is only possible because of a previous one and a previous one and a previous one, where did the first one come from? These are the questions I am getting at…

It does no good to disregard something as truth:
Why would you want to have a conversation about something that is unexplainable, it has no answer so you would just be running in circles right? While it is true that in a way you are just running in circles and at the end of the day there will be no answer that can be proven or known for certain.

The music that the conversation plays is beautiful and the dance is even better.

The thing is that you don’t have to have someone else around to have a conversation. I recently stumbled upon the idea that we idolize physical experiences but disregard ones that aren’t… such as meditation. While it can add an entirely new element to have these conversations with a trusted someone, it can be just as beneficial to have them with yourself.

Everyone has had a conversation like this at one point or another. Laying up at night, around the campfire, or with a friend late at night. What I have found is that often times people disregard this type of “play” simply because they know there is no way to prove it. Another reason may be that you think and know to your very core that you do know the answer. In fact, this is the case a lot of the time. The thing is, just because you’re having these conversations doesn’t mean that you believe any of it, you are having the conversation for the sake of having it. It is important that we stay open to receiving anything and everything in these during these conversation and disregard what we know as truth. This doesn’t mean that it will be your new truth, it is just being open to interpretation of whatever may come for the time being.

Ok so what the hell am I talking about, why would anyone want to put their beliefs aside only to return to them later?

As creatives and as people, it is important for us to have ideas of our own. A lot of times we are so hypnotized by what we know that other truths are disregarded as crazy or insane. Everyone is creative in their own way whether or not they choose to express it is where we get the term creatives. As human, I believe that it does no good to disregard something as truth. When we do this, we only limit what can and can’t further through the fabrications of what we know. What about what we don’t know, what can happen there, can this truth exist there?

Exploring these paths gives you new avenues, new approaches, and new outlooks that can inspire. These conversations are mere tools to spark the thought but the real work is done within. Often times, as the conversation unfolds and you have let your mind go, you can find yourself coming up with new thoughts, new ideas, and new possibilities never before thought possible. This is what we are after!

This is the dance. Once you get into these conversations, you will find yourself mentally going to foreign territory. It is creativity and self-exploration at its finest. This idea is heightened when you are having a conversation with another. An idea may catch fire that sparks something in you, opening the 2-dimensional doors of your headspace, your thinking. What’s interesting is what happens with these new ideas. Are they discarded? Debunked? Or do they spark new conversation? Back and forth trying to figure out what it means, is it possible, this is all the dance and when we are conscious of it, it can open new doors.

I could ramble all day so here is my attempt at a conclusion.
I hope that you got something out of this. As previously stated I don’t actually know what I am talking about which means non of this really means anything. It is what you want it to be and much like the conversations I am discussing, there is no way to prove any of it. Conversation has been lost, human connection is fading, and the spark in relationships is at an all-time low. Talk to people, put the phone down and if you can’t think of anything to talk about just ask them a question that doesn’t have an answer.

Thanks for reading,

Dallan Lopez