The Well That Never Runs Dry
Thirsty, You Make Me Feel, Bottomless Source
Prelude
Curious
Thirsty:
Growing up, sport was all I knew. Whether it was kicking a ball against a wall, playing on the green with friends, training, or competing in matches — I couldn’t get enough. Alive and free. Thirsty for more. But, with a combination of exertion migraines and poor choices, sports entirely went out the window as I got into the later end of my teens.
That is when I experienced a new thirst, except this time, it wasn’t that I couldn’t get enough. Quite the opposite — it was a drought. Without a passion or love for anything I was doing, there was a plight of curiosity and aliveness.
The thirst experienced from lacking curiosity and passion feels like walking through the Sahara searching for an oasis. You crave nothing more, yet what you seek is nowhere to be seen, leaving you dazed and confused.
On the other hand, when you find something you love, your curiosity cannot be quenched — the well never runs dry.
Note to self:
Whether you have something in your life that you love to do or not, you will experience a thirst, but the kind of thirst you feel will depend on what side of the dam you find yourself. I know which one I prefer.
Interlude
LVN Stories
A collection of stories from those who are livin’.
Live Loud — Loving what you do is living
A reflection from Carrie Lee (Clee Images):
My motto is simple: Live Loud.
To me, that means stepping outside the box, being my true, authentic self, and constantly exploring new things.
Photography is my first love, and how I truly embody this mindset. With a camera in hand, I feel alive and free, especially when I'm capturing the raw beauty of real life.
My lens often focuses on social issues, bringing attention to challenges faced by women, animals, and those perceived as different.
Through photography, I’ve forged deep connections, shed tears, and shared laughter in moments that leave me both heartbroken and inspired. But I also crave boldness and creativity — shooting edgy, black-and-white images that showcase cool models, the chaos of street life, or the richness of foreign cultures.
My passion lies in evoking emotion, sparking thought, and provoking conversations through my art. Photography isn’t just what I do; it’s how I live loud.
Loving what you do is living.
Conscious
You make feel:
I used to feel so uninspired, and when I had to face another day, lord, it made me feel so tired. Before the day I met you, life was so unkind. You’re the key to my peace of mind ‘cause you make me feel.
- Aretha Franklin, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Aretha may have been referring to the ripple effect she felt from the love for another person in her soulful classic ‘You Make Me Feel’, but there is no denying that a love for an activity can light a fire in you, making you feel just as alive and free.
Change
Bottomless source:
As I discovered, drought can be the catalyst that pushes you to find a source of love and passion that does not run dry.
Common advice is to explore various interests and identify the ones that make you happy and passionate. While the intent is positive, this advice requires precaution.
Let’s say you find an activity or interest that captures your curiosity and ignites your energy, as I did with writing, running, and sharing people’s stories; you could easily assume that the activity is the source of joy and love — but that would be misleading.
If it were to be absolutely true, running for example, would be a universal source of passion, love, and happiness for everyone, but that couldn’t be further from the truth for a significant portion of people — represented by the fact that less than 1% of our global population run marathons.
So, if activities are not the source, why do we feel passionate and energized while engaging in them?
The activity expresses the loving, passionate, and curious being that you inherently are. You are the source; the activity opens the floodgates.
So rather than seeking happiness, love, and passion in an activity — explore what expresses who you are, and you’ll have found a bottomless source.
Postlude
The difference between loving what you do as an end itself versus a means to an end is that you would continue to do it even if there were no materialistic rewards.
Question for the reader:
What is something you do purely for the love of it?
Live Free,
Niall
"The thirst experienced from lacking curiosity and passion feels like walking through the Sahara searching for an oasis." - this is profound, and true. For me, I have had periods in my life where my curiosity was killed by the minutia of busy-ness. It is like experiencing dehydration, but for the creativity of the mind.
"So rather than seeking happiness, love, and passion in an activity — explore what expresses who you are, and you’ll have found a bottomless source."
Beautifully put Niall. Drawing and, to a lesser extent, writing do that for me. I've recently rediscovered both and life is all the sweeter for it!
Thank you for sharing your work with the world.