Zack Arias’ thought-provoking, inspirational, and emotion-filled look inside himself, his work, and his life truly connected with so many of us on so many levels. I was, (we were) just blown away.
His brilliant video drew more than 300 comments, and is now the third most-commented post in the history of this blog. Here’s some of what you guys were drawn to say, and really, these comments say it all:
- Thank you from all of us who are not photographers. This reaches everyone who’s ever questioned their passion.
- I needed to hear this today.
- You make it feel how real it is. I totally identify [with] you. Everything you said is totally what I’ve been going through. You put things into perspective for me.
- …certainly made me sit up, listen & now ponder.
- WOW! This gave me a chills.
- I have to say this may be the [best] video I have ever seen.
- You have that ability to speak in a way, that makes me feel like you made that video just for me.
- …gave me the push I needed to look deep inside and think about the path I am on.
- The best video I’ve ever seen.
- In a world that is filled with egos and facades, I found this wonderfully refreshing.
- You bared your soul and in doing so made me look at mine even closer. Thank you.
- This is everything I fall asleep with and wake up with as I go through my life day in and day out.
- I SOOO needed that. Haven’t taken a picture in three months.
- Strange to say it, but that was exactly what I needed to hear right now!
- Simple. honest. inspiring. thanks!
- Seriously … dude. You don’t know how much I needed to hear/see this today.
- WOW, what a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant piece of work!!!
- Thank you for helping put things in perspective.
- What a different and inspiring post.
- Beautiful film. Thank you for this. I need to bookmark it so I can go back to it on those dark days.
- Thank you for inspiring me for one more day.
- I’ll worry about tomorrow when we get there.
- A powerful way to express what many of us feel and what some wish others would “get”.
- Probably the best photography blog ever!
- No words can describe. Thank you.
- Thanks for being so open and vulnerable. We need more of this floating around out there!
- As someone who has battled depression and has found photography a way out, I loved this piece.
- I am blown away…..I was not expecting that.
- One of the most inspiring pieces of art I have ever viewed.
- How alive your video is, in all it’s darkness. Thanks.
- One of the most thought provoking and powerful posts/videos on photography I have seen.
- You made me want to quit my job half way through the video
- Wow, that left me speechless. Very powerful stuff.
- It broke me. It brought me to an emotional halt in my day.
- The shallow emptiness of the competitive portrait world is utterly depressing. You give me hope.
- I’m speechless. Absolutely speechless. Inspirational comes to mind but doesn’t come close.
- Every “working” professional photographer needs to see this.
- Did anyone else cry at the end, or was it just me?
- One of the most inspiring short film I ever saw.
- I like to think of myself as a big, tough guy but this video made me weep. It is amazing.
- My batteries just went from near 0 to fully charged.
- All my life it was on the tip of my tongue but I swallowed it.
- I’m speechless…more then that. I’m transfixed in a moment of deep stillness that lasts even now and I feel somehow better. I’m no longer the same. thank you…
My personal thanks to Zack for bringing something so personal, so real, and so unique to this blog. Guest Blog Wednesdays will never be the same.
