Autodidac … are you?

Autodidac … are you?

A photographer that I follow, Sean Tucker, had a blog post that asked if we are an autodidact. He defines auto as the self and didac as learning. Sean points out the importance of always being in a state of self-learning. General G S Patton said something similar “I don’t want you to hold the ground, I want our troops to advance, advance, advance.” (paraphrased from the movie of his life.

What are the elements of this self-learning – advancing (growing)?

The essence of being an Autodidac is being quiet, being still, breathing, being open, listening, experiencing. Not overthinking, not wallowing in preconceived notions.

Being an Autodidac requires a combination of all our energies on a quantum level. To be an autodidact, we need to use our intellectual energy, our emotional energy, and our spiritual energy to facilitate the flow of learning. 

I teach that in order to enter the mode of being an autodidac, it is important to start with breathing. Taking 6 deep breaths, inhaling through the nose, holding the breath for a moment, exhaling through the mouth. It is important to allow the silence, the stillness to follow. In the stillness, in the silence, the voices begin. The first voice in a whisper is the unique voice of the inner self. The second voice in a whisper is the voice of the creative source of the universe, that which we normally call God. The voices are in a whisper so the voices are easy to be pushed aside, to not hear. The learning starts when we allow the voices to be Heard. 

In another blog post, Sean mentioned that he knows some photographers who have very expensive cameras. They know how to use the cameras but the image that they capture fall short. Their images lack spirit. 

C. S. Lewis in his works indicates that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is fruitless. To be an autodidac, I believe we must be mindful, i.e. Conscious; we must listen; we must be open; we must be willing to explore; we must be willing to make mistakes.

The question remains, 

Are you an AutoDidac?

Let me know.