AndrewParkPhotography @andrewparkphotography - Tumblr Blog

Beautiful things grow out of shit. Nobody ever believes that. Everyone thinks that Beethoven had his string quartets completely in his head—they somehow appeared there and formed in his head—and all he had to do was write them down and they would be manifest to the world. But what I think is so interesting, and would really be a lesson that everybody should learn, is that things come out of nothing. Things evolve out of nothing. You know, the tiniest seed in the right situation turns into the most beautiful forest. And then the most promising seed in the wrong situation turns into nothing. I think this would be important for people to understand, because it gives people confidence in their own lives to know that’s how things work. If you walk around with the idea that there are some people who are so gifted—they have these wonderful things in their head but and you’re not one of them, you’re just sort of a normal person, you could never do anything like that—then you live a different kind of life. You could have another kind of life where you could say, well, I know that things come from nothing very much, start from unpromising beginnings, and I’m an unpromising beginning, and I could start something.

Brian Eno, Here Is What Is (cf. David Rakoff: “Writing starts off as shit.”)

UnconventionalAdvice

“Don’t follow your passion. What you take out of the world...is much less important than what you put into the world. Follow your contribution instead. Find the thing you’re great at, put that into the world, contribute to others, help the world be better.”

-Ben Horowitz

Austin

Recently I’ve been thinking about what motivates my life.

And one thing that clearly stuck out to me is my desire to experience as many things as possible. More specifically: I want to eat and see the world.

Although my appetite for travel extends far beyond the coasts of this great country, I realized there were so many cool cities right here at home that were prime for exploration. So once I found a few dudes who shared my desire to eat and instagram life, we booked our tickets to Texas.

I’ve always heard only good things about Austin. Some people said it was a mix between silicon valley and brooklyn - super hipster and a tech hub. I’m all about that life.

DAY 1:

The minute we landed at the airport, we called an uber to hopdoddy’s burger bar. We didn’t even go to our AirBnb to drop off stuff and relax. Cause like I’ve been saying, I’m just trying to eat outchea.

The burgers and fries were phenomenal. We got some garlic truffle fries and some green chile queso. This was the first real meal I had in 16 hours, so my taste buds were crying tears of joy.

Prime Burger: Texas Akaushi Beef, Brie Cheese, Truffle Aioli, Arugula, Caramelized Onions, Steak Sauce. Holy Ef that was delicious.

Immediately after gorging ourselves here, we stumbled down the block to Amy’s Ice Cream. This place is the most popular ice cream dealer in austin.

I got a layer of fresh cookie dough over mexican vanilla, which tasted like horchata ice cream.

Then we went off to explore. We hopped in a zipcar and drove 45 minutes outside of Austin to Hamilton Pool.

After a short walk through some shrubbery we hung out by the water.

Then we got hungry again. So time for Gourdough Donuts.

Austin has a huge foodtruck scene. There are foodtruck parties like every 3 miles. And a lot of the most popular food trucks end up building brick-and-mortar shops too. But we stuck to the trailer version of Gourdoughs and went right to the source.

Look at that effing menu.

Probably the best doughnuts I had in my life.

And well, now it’s time for dinner. Time flies when you’re having fun.

Our splurge meal of this trip was Qui. For $75 you get an out-of-this-world tasting menu. They came out with around 10 dishes. An equivalent meal in nyc would set you back $250 at least.

Here are some of the dishes:

Marcona almond, shaved foie gras, pedro ximenez gelee, gazpacho

This fried chicken with smoked oyster aioli & egg yolk custard was the highlight.

The meal ended with a bang. Coconut fig caramel, goat milk ice cream, coffee cashew semifreddo.

The night was still young so we hit up a few bars in the area, got some fish tacos for a night cap, then passed out.

Day 2:

We woke up at 6am, grabbed some cold brew coffees and sat outside Austin’s most famous restaurant, Franklin’s BBQ.

Franklins opens at 11am and closes once they sell out. Normally this is around 2pm on the weekend. So to procure this heavenly meat, people park their butts out here as early as the sun comes out. No cutting allowed. This is probably why so many people in Texas own guns.

Almost there....

Next in LINE!!!

Go Big or Go Home.

Now that our stomachs were about to burst with fatty brisket, the natural next step was to take our shirts off and float down a river for 3 hours. Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you: Lazy River Tubing.

Essentially you get one tube per person and one tube for your cooler that is filled with beer. You ride down the river for 3 hours or until you finish your beers. Whatever comes first. God Bless America.

Friday Dinner: Launderette.

Chicken Liver Pate and huckleberry jam. I love pate/foiegras.

Deseert: BirthdaycakeIcecreamSandwich. Bomb.

Day 3:

We woke up at noon. No more lines or floating down rivers. We just wandered on and near the UT campus.

$1 Beers at beer tub.

Then we went to go wait for the bats. Supposedly at dusk on one of the bridges, 1.5 million bats fly out and cover the sky.

So we went to see this in person.

But alas, these damn bats just hid under the stupid bridge. So we ate some breakfast tacos and queso and called it a success anyway.

Before heading home, we stopped by the chillest cafe/bar, Spiderhouse. This place was a mixture between something in “Big Fish” and “Alice in Wonderland”.

And to cap off this bromantic trip, we picked up some fresh jalapeno hushpuppies and came home to eat more doughnuts and rose aka bro-se.

We classy.

#travel

READING

Reading is maybe the most productive thing you can ever do. Here’s what happens: when you die at the age of 100: you’ve just lived one 100 year life.

But when I read a book in a few days time, I just absorbed an entire life, curated, of someone I admire or respect.

It’s like every book I read is a mentor. How many mentors do I have? 1000s.

-James Altucher

(https://medium.com/life-learning/the-six-things-the-most-productive-people-do-every-day-fba2fe17ed4)

Life Advice

For some reason I stumbled across 4 articles in a row where people shared life advice. 4 in a row can’t be a coincidence. This has to a sign. Either the universe is telling me I’m getting older and I need to do something more substantial with my life or maybe God just wanted me to share some these tidbits of info to all of my 8 tumblr followers.

(http://www.businessinsider.com/36-life-lessons-from-the-head-of-silicon-valleys-most-important-startup-factory-2015-4)

Sam Altman - President of Y-Combinator (the most prestigious startup incubator. Portfolio companies include reddit, airbnb, dropbox, stripe, etc):

1. Life is not a dress rehearsal—this is probably it. Make it count. Time is extremely limited and goes by fast. Do what makes you happy and fulfilled—few people get remembered hundreds of years after they die anyway. Don’t do stuff that doesn’t make you happy (this happens most often when other people want you to do something). Don’t spend time trying to maintain relationships with people you don’t like, and cut negative people out of your life. Negativity is really bad. Don’t let yourself make excuses for not doing the things you want to do.

2. Talk to people more. Read more long content and less tweets. Watch less TV. Spend less time on the Internet.

3. Have clear goals for yourself every day, every year, and every decade.

4. However, as valuable as planning is, if a great opportunity comes along you should take it. Don’t be afraid to do something slightly reckless. One of the benefits of working hard is that good opportunities will come along, but it’s still up to you to jump on them when they do.

5. Go out of your way to be around smart, interesting, ambitious people. Work for them and hire them (in fact, one of the most satisfying parts of work is forging deep relationships with really good people). Try to spend time with people who are either among the best in the world at what they do or extremely promising but totally unknown. It really is true that you become an average of the people you spend the most time with.

6. Summers are the best.

7. Don’t worry so much. Things in life are rarely as risky as they seem. Most people are too risk-averse, and so most advice is biased too much towards conservative paths.

8. Youth is a really great thing. Don’t waste it. In fact, in your 20s, I think it’s ok to take a “Give me financial discipline, but not just yet” attitude. All the money in the world will never get back time that passed you by.

9. This too shall pass.

10. Given enough time, it is possible to adjust to almost anything, good or bad. Humans are remarkable at this.

(http://airows.com/travel/23-brilliant-life-lessons-from-anthony-bourdain)

From Anthony Bourdain (one of my favorite authors and personalities in the world):

1. “If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.”

2. “Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.”

3. “We know, for instance, that there is a direct, inverse relationship between frequency of family meals and social problems. Bluntly stated, members of families who eat together regularly are statistically less likely to stick up liquor stores, blow up meth labs, give birth to crack babies, commit suicide, or make donkey porn. If Little Timmy had just had more meatloaf, he might not have grown up to fill chest freezers with Cub Scout parts.”

4. “There’s something wonderful about drinking in the afternoon. A not-too-cold pint, absolutely alone at the bar – even in this fake-ass Irish pub.”

5. “Good food and good eating are about risk.”

6. “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”

(http://bobbyhundreds.tumblr.com/post/4637669844/3-rules-that-i-carry-with-me-in-life-1-just)

And bobby hundreds:

“3 rules that I carry with me in life:

1) Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

2) The more I know, the more I realize I don’t know.

3) This too, shall pass.”

I was gona post one more. But this is already too long and A.D.D. is real and it’s friday. And aint nobody got time for that.

Addiction

"human beings have a deep need to bond and form connections. It's how we get our satisfaction. If we can't connect with each other, we will connect with anything we can find -- the whirr of a roulette wheel or the prick of a syringe. He says we should stop talking about 'addiction' altogether, and instead call it 'bonding.' A heroin addict has bonded with heroin because she couldn't bond as fully with anything else.

So the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It is human connection.”

-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/the-real-cause-of-addicti_b_6506936.html

Charlotte Jiyoon Kim

I had never taken pictures of babies before. So when Eddie and Christine asked me to take their first family photos with their 100-day-old girl, I had no idea what I was getting into. I heard about the terrible twos and that kids should probably stop wetting the bed by age 5. But that was the extent of my knowledge of human baby creatures.

The shoot was really fun and it was nice seeing a family gather together to celebrate this little glob of joy!

To Warmer Weather

I am excited for daylight savings. Even if we are "spring-ing forward" to lose an hour of sleep, it's going to be awesome walking outside at 6pm and not having it be pitch black.

It's also going to be awesome to walk outside and not risk having frostbite on any exposed piece of skin. When that day comes there are 2 things I need to do:

1. Drink a beer on the Frying Pan. God bless that boat.

2. Eat at Di Fara's and experience the wonders of that one-man team.

Till then. Don't get sick. And if you do, keep that hand sanitizer and nyquil on deck.

Aaron + Eunice

This is a tale of perseverance and persistence. Aaron was unwavering in his pursuit of Eunice. After months and months of trying, Eunice finally agreed to grab ONE dinner with Aaron. But Aaron wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste. Eunice went into their first date expecting a typical night of dinner and drinks, but Aaron flipped the script - he found out that Eunice loved musicals, so he scored "Wicked" tickets right before their first date. And the rest is history.

Sometimes it pays to do your homework.

When they asked me to take their engagement pictures, I couldn't refuse. So we braved the subzero temperatures together and made it work. Congrats broski. Love you dudes.

michellewritesandstufff

andrewparkphotography

michellewritesandstuff:

how living in new york is a lot like being in a relationship*

Hordes of ambitious singles move here every year, bringing with them the certainty of higher rent rates and their conscious or not-so-conscious hopes of finding that special someone. What they’re maybe not aware of is that they’ve already found one. Here are some ways, as an observant person on a long subway ride, I’ve found living in New York akin to being in a relationship**:

1. The crush

You’ve met a few times. You’ve seen it at its glitziest/sexiest/most well-dressed (The Met! Central Park! Chicken and Rice! OMG, Times Square!). You’re smitten and fairly certain you’ve always been meant for each other. You begin to imagine a long and happy future together, complete with flowery details…like how you’ll be sipping a cocktail on a rooftop bar in the summer or reading your latest used book find at “your” coffeeshop.

2. The warnings

Them: “It’s expensive! It’s dirty! It’s crowded! It’s stressful! It’s overrated! Oh, and the winters!”

You: “But, NEW YORK.”

3. The awkward first date mistakes

Having to ask five different people before actually finding a non-tourist to give you directions. Giving the wrong directions to a stranger and realizing this too late. The dreaded and embarrassing “Please swipe again” during rush hour.

4. The honeymoon phase Cherry blossoms! Wafels and Dinges! Bars that look like McClaren’s! Good pizza! Outdoor movies! Fast trains! Smorgasburg! Kiosks on the sidewalk! Beautiful people everywhere! The shopping on Broadway! The travelling acapella groups! Celeb sightings! Seamless! Farmers markets! The old man who perfectly belts out “Moon River” on your subway ride home!

4a. The happily-made sacrifices

What? The cereal milk soft-serve I’ve been getting every day is over $5? I didn’t even notice because it tastes so heavenly. Rent is over $800 for a shared bedroom? Ok but I’m living in NEW YORK and it’s totally worth it.

4b. The friends you forget to keep in touch with I swear I meant to call, it’s just that I’ve been having the time of my life.

5. The people who think your life is suddenly more interesting

"How’s New York treating you?" is their first question.

(Strangely enough, people are as interested in the fine city of Cerritos as they are in your life as a single.)

6. The people who think your life is suddenly more interesting, and are a little jealous for it

You don’t want to gloat, but most of the time you’re thinking yeah, it’s pretty damn great.

7. The social media PDA you never thought you’d fall victim to #lovethiscity #NYforlife #onlyinNY

8. The bad days that can be REALLY bad, but are totally forgotten once a good day comes along Two words: Winter. Spring.

9. The good days that are REALLY good, but basically never happened once a bad day comes along Two words: Fall. Winter.

9. The painful truths you learn about yourself

You thought you weren’t materialistic, selfish, insecure or extremely introverted? Well, THINK AGAIN.

10. The “shattered glass” moments

Why does everyone else avoid the subway station benches? Why is there a big hole in my loaf of bread? What is that rustling noise in the garbage bag next to my feet?

EFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

11. The unexpected body odor you’ve come to accept

Urine. Garbage juice. Fresh droppings, sometimes human. Urine.

12. The time that passes slowly, then all at once

That 1 year anniversary is definitely worth celebrating, because phew, you made it.

13. The uncertainty of the future

There are days when you’re certain you’ll never be able to live happily anywhere else. You can even see yourself settling down here under certain conditions. You daydream about landing a dream job and moving into a quaint little place in Park Slope. You’d volunteer at the food coop and walk your French bulldog through Prospect Park and take a short train ride into the city for work each morning, well-brewed coffee in hand.

There are also days when one frustration leads to another and one worry leads to another and it’s noisy and crowded and hot and all of a sudden you feel claustrophobic and suffocated and you need to get out but you’re poor and working and basically trapped and you stay because there’s no other choice.

There’s also the occasional crying baby on the subway that makes you swear to never ever ever ever raise your family in New York.

14a. The surprising happy ending

Of all the people I’ve met in New York, almost no one really plans on staying here forever. But sometimes they do, and it gets harder and harder for them to imagine living anywhere else.

14b. The inevitable breakup

I love New York. It has a piece of my heart forever and when the time comes to move out, I know I’ll miss it terribly. I do feel that a move back home is certain, but am currently enjoying the ride and curious to see where it’ll take me.

* The kind I don’t wish upon anyone, if only for #11 and 14b ** according to my extremely unbiased and infallible research, comprised of television shows, movies, books, pop culture, secondhand drama, and a laughable smidgeon of actual personal experience

jamescarpenter

andrewparkphotography

NYC

On MultiTasking

"People often start multi-tasking because they believe it will help them get more done. Those gains never materialize; instead, efficiency is degraded. However, it provides emotional gratification as a side-effect. (Multi-tasking moves the pleasure of procrastination inside the period of work.) This side-effect is enough to keep people committed to multi-tasking despite worsening the very thing they set out to improve."

-Why I just asked my students to put their laptops away

We ALL worship something.

"In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship — be it J.C. or Allah, be it Yahweh or the Wiccan mother-goddess or the Four Noble Truths or some infrangible set of ethical principles — is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things — if they are where you tap real meaning in life — then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you. On one level, we all know this stuff already — it’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, bromides, epigrams, parables: the skeleton of every great story. The trick is keeping the truth up-front in daily consciousness. Worship power — you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart — you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. And so on.

Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they’re evil or sinful; it is that they are unconscious. They are default-settings."

-David Foster Wallace

"I'm in a startup" is the new "I'm in a band"

I used to be in my church praise band in junior high.

Back then everyone was clamoring over the spots for guitarist, lead female vocalist, or keyboard-person. But I laid in the cut and rose straight to the starting line-up as the drummer (since no one else wanted to do it). It was great. I used my experience from 7th grade orchestra when I weaseled my way out of playing my original instrument, saxophone, to playing the snare drum. This was when Nick Cannon’s “Drumline” was hot off the press.

I was so bad. I remember sometimes I would get so off-beat that the praise leader would stop in the middle of the set and calibrate her strumming to match my beat. But all my friends were pretty legit. Most of them were in their own bands outside of church with names like J.A.M. (aka Jesus and Music). And whenever we would be chilling somewhere they would break their guitars out and play some crazy riff from the most recent switchfoot song or record their piano skillz and upload that ish to xanga. It was a creative time for all of us.

Nowadays I see a lot of parallels with people starting their own projects and startups. For one, it’s kinda the “cool” thing to do. And like being in a band, you need to find people with complementary skills. A band with just 5 drummers wouldn’t work. And you don’t see bands with just 5 guitarists (...unless we’re talking about a mariachi band). And you won’t find a group with just 5 piano players, unless you’re an asian family with five children.

To build projects, you need at the very minimum 2 types of people. The idea guy and the builder. And the percentage of people in the world who can build even the most simplest pieces of technology is astronomically small. Granted there is a pretty steep learning curve when you first start out, I think everyone can learn to build something like a blog or small web app completely from scratch within a month. Not only is it a great learning experience - it’s freaking fun. I believe everyone has an inherent desire to create things. And you need to feed that part of you or else it'll die. All you need is an idea, some coffee, and someone to help you push through.

I had to throw in a picture.

This was back when I was fat and bad at drums. I guess not much has changed.

#writing

austinkleon

Most questions can be boiled down by Austin Kleon

austinkleon

The Life Of A Project from Steal Like An Artist

Sticking this here because I don’t think I have it anywhere else on my site (even though it’s all over the internet).

By the way, Maureen’s stuff is awesome and you should read it. Her newsletter rules, too.

Found this blog today

http://christinacacioppo.com/

She tight.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

AndrewParkPhotography