Hi Friends,
Greetings from Brooklyn!
I'm launching "Archers”, a new series of short interviews featuring multi-talented people pursuing multiple interests and crafts. In short, folks with more than one string to their bow.
Whether they’re doing it as a side-gig or full-time, I’ll be asking them about the journey, the challenges they faced and what they learned along the way. I have this deeply held belief that we are not made to pursue just one thing and that the world would be richer if we embraced our inner polymath.
I’ll aim to publish a profile every other week but don’t hold me to it.
I hope you enjoy the first interview. Let me know what you think!
Until next time,
Florian
🏹 Archers: Frederic Dith - UX Designer/ Photographer/ Writer
In 2022, Fred was a senior UX designer who found himself at a crossroads. Burnt out from his job, he decided to take a break from his career. Little did he know, this decision would lead him down a path of creative discovery culminating in the publication of a photography book. I interviewed Fred to learn more about his journey and the process behind producing a book from scratch.
How did the idea of putting together a photography book come about?
The idea grew out of an archival project. Last year, I finally mustered the courage to sift through boxes of negatives that had been sitting in the basement of my parents’ house. Until then, going through years of memories had felt a little overwhelming.
As I made progress sorting and scanning hundreds of negatives, the idea of turning them into a book slowly matured. The theme and story unfolded as I worked, and the more progress I made, the more a physical book made sense as the end result.
You wrote a really insightful piece about what you learned from making a photo book from scratch. What was one unexpected lesson you drew out of it?
I didn’t expect to see pictures I took with completely different eyes. Instead of approaching it as the photographer, I found myself taking on the role of a curator.
This detachment allowed me to focus on piecing together a narrative rather than getting caught up in the emotional or technical aspects of individual photographs. Some of my personal favorite shots didn't make the cut because they didn't fit the story, while other underexposed or out-of-focus images I would have previously discarded ended up being central to the narrative.
What’s one thing you learned about yourself making this?
I learned to trust my intuition more. I have a tendency to second guess what I do, say or write. At the beginning of the project, I agonized over the right sequencing and pairing of the images. But as I progressed, I made choices more intuitively. I got to a point where I knew some images were pairing well together without feeling the need to find a rationale for it. My intuition was telling me it just worked.
What did it feel like to spend time with old memories and pictures you had taken a decade ago?
The theme of nostalgia has been on my mind throughout this project. I find it really difficult to pin down precisely what “makes” nostalgia. I’m currently writing a piece about it so hopefully it will become clearer.
I was 19 when I moved to Paris from Troyes , a smaller city in northeastern France, and left for Berlin a few weeks before turning 27. These are formative and transformative years for anyone, and working on this book let me take stock of the experience of growing up and becoming an adult.
Revisiting these pictures reminded me of the journey that led me to where I am today, and the people who were there all along. The distance of time helped me let go of certain emotions.
Do you have any advice for folks who are thinking of pursuing creative endeavors full time and perhaps leave the employed life behind?
Shortly after returning from my travels, I went to see a friend’s first painting exhibition, in a small art gallery here in Berlin. I could tell that she put a lot of effort and care into showing her work. It made me realize that you don’t need anybody’s permission or validation to share your work. You shouldn’t wait until someone tells you that your work is good enough, or that it is ready to be viewed by more people.
I could have waited ten more years for someone to notice my work, validate it, and grant me permission to take my ideas further, but I realized that this decision was entirely up to me and me alone. The biggest step I had to take was simply deciding my work was good enough to be put out there. The idea of “good enough” is one many artists struggle and fight with, but the amount of support I have received since releasing my book has surpassed all my expectations, and that’s the only validation I need.
Lateral Thought
Two close boyhood friends grow up and go their separate ways. One becomes a humble monk, the other a rich and powerful minister to the king.
Years later they meet. As they catch up, the portly minister takes pity on the thin and shabby monk. Seeking to help he says:
“You know, if you could learn to cater to the king, you wouldn’t have to live on rice and beans.”
To which the monk replies:
“If you could learn to live on rice and beans, you wouldn’t have to cater to the king.”
J L Collins