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Writing

A growing archive of observations on photography, movement, systems, creative work, and paying closer attention to the world.

All Dialogue Monologue Essays Field Studio Office

Featured

sea foam blowing in the wind on the beach of Texel, the Netherlands.

Coastwork

An unplanned trip to Texel turned into a small field study of a coastline unlike any other. Being there, in the wind and water, brought back my fascination with the ocean and its edges.
How to tell stories online

How to tell stories online

For years I thought I was simply exploring and taking photos. Only later did I realize I was repeating a pattern: go out, collect, return, interpret, publish, repeat. This issue maps the loop that turns wandering into a creative practice.
Mexico, a retrospective

Mexico, a retrospective

A look at a country I like a lot, but no longer love. And "it's not you, it's me" I want to tell it, if countries had ears to hear it. Because it really is me and who I am today. But, who knows, another 10 years might do wonders.
Newer Topographics

Newer Topographics

Why take it upon myself to dedicate my time and energy towards a goal that isn’t even clearly visible from the beginning. Will it matter if I don’t? What do I contribute, do I want to contribute? Why? To what? Again, why?
a hand holding the railing of a boat with a tropical island in the background

It's all out there, right now

A good beach has white sand, they tell you. Preferably as finely grained as possible. Like a powder that's sprinkled on the edges of the land. The frosting on the cake, if you will.
The glorious, life-invigorating act of walking

The glorious, life-invigorating act of walking

When I first landed on Craig Mod's website and read he describes himself as a 'writer, photographer, and walker,' I was a little confused. What the hell does it mean to 'be a walker'?
2021 Recent posts
✦ March

064 | I’m sure you all know these days →

05 Mar 2021
You know those days when your hay fever surfaces and all you can do is sneeze all day? Those days when your eyes start to hurt from constantly being watery? When you are just so tired of having to deal with this all day? So much so that you can’t be bothered doing anything else? Yeah, today is one of those days.
2021 Recent posts
✦ March

063 | If you need to say a lot you need to think more →

04 Mar 2021
As I began writing these stories, I focused on using as little words as possible. My writing style has always been… wordy. That was something I disliked. But, it added personality. I know many words, why not use them? Therefore I recently allowed myself to be more free with my writing. Add some more spontaneity. Still, I dislike it when people need many words to convey their opinion. I sometimes catch myself searching for words and therefore residing to fillers. It’s a waste. Of energy, of time
2021 Recent posts
✦ March

062 | It’s a good thing I don’t make daily vlogs →

03 Mar 2021
It’s a good thing I don’t make daily vlogs but stick to daily blogs. Most of my days aren’t that interesting. That’s totally fine but how do some people manage to create interesting videos every single day? Then again, I don’t know any examples where people managed to stick with it. Anyway, it’s a good thing these are simple blogs. If you insist on reading all of these, at least they allow you to skim over the story and be done with it quickly. The stories that I do put more thought and energy
2021 Recent posts
✦ March

061 | Endless Cycle →

02 Mar 2021
This afternoon I hopped on my bike and drove off without knowing where exactly I was heading. I usually only do this when I want to shoot some photos somewhere. This wasn’t the case this afternoon. Of course I brought a camera because you never know what you run (or cycle in this case) into. But it didn’t bother to take it out once. The ride was all I cared about this time. Which brings me to my next point. I’ve been doing pretty much all my rides to the tunes of the same playlist I’ve made a
2021 Recent posts
✦ March

060 | Good news! I sent out a second email →

01 Mar 2021
Good news, I just sent out my second issue of my newsletter Dialogue! When I decided I will try to keep its frequency sort of monthly, I immediately started thinking about a topic I wanted to discuss. I been thinking quite a bit about what the hell I want to do with my photography and how I want to position myself as a creative. Or, you know, as a person in general. That’s why I wrote a little short of 1000 words on the topic of finding purpose and alignment. Yes, to vague concepts that are mos
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

059 | I don’t feel like writing anything today →

28 Feb 2021
I don’t feel like writing anything today. So I won’t. I don’t have much to say anyway. All I did today is hang around the house and play Red Dead Redemption 2. A pretty good Sunday, if you ask me. See you tomorrow!
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

One Two One →

28 Feb 2021
A black and white square-format photography project made during the winter of 2020/2021.
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

058 | More coming soon, okay? →

27 Feb 2021
I wrote a whole bunch of things today but it wasn’t a Monologue. Okay so what did I write then? Ahhhh, I’m glad you asked. It’s another Dialogue. Yes, I have something to say that matters enough (to me) to send out to a list of subscribers. I need a round or reviews to finalize the story and then I’ll send it out. In the meantime, you can subscribe [https://mitchellens.ink/subscribe/] if you like.
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

057 | ‘Do You Register?’ number two →

26 Feb 2021
This morning I took a little diversion on my way to work and filmed the second installment for ‘Do You Register?’. It was yesterday when I found the location I wanted to document but failed at my attempt to do so at that time. This morning I got my revenge. The video is perfectly boring again, with a slight hint of movement that makes it just interesting enough. That is, if you have the time and inner peace to watch a single scene for 10 minutes. Nevertheless, I’m happy with this video. Now on
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

056 | You know what I just did? →

25 Feb 2021
You know what I just did? Well, not ‘I’ but rather, ‘we’. We’ve sent an email. Yes, you read it here first. The first draft of a long term project-proposal has been written. Some first ideas. A pitch, if you will. Though, to be completely honest, those first ideas are rather extensive. We’ve talked it over quite a bit. There’s some good stuff in there. Yes I’m being intentionally vague right now. I realise this is yet another project I’m talking about in these Monologues. All the other ones I’
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

055 | It’s 18 degrees Celsius in February →

24 Feb 2021
It’s February 24th, 18 degrees Celsius, and as a true Dutchman befits, I’m sitting on my balcony in a t-shirt. I don’t need much distraction from that right now. Which means I don’t want it. I’m ordering in tonight. Sushi, because why not? I just finished a podcast about investing. I’m almost ready to take the plunge. Or maybe not almost, but I feel like I’ve made some progress. I cleaned the house, which means I vacuumed it. That counts as cleaning in my book. Okay, maybe I wiped off some thin
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

054 | I came up with a little plan →

23 Feb 2021
I came up with a nine step plan for the next two photo projects I have in the works. 1. Make a photography project. 2. Print one copy of it for myself. 3. Shoot really good marketing material of it. 4. Create a very nice page for it on my website. 5. Show it to people. 6. Only go to print if I get 10 or more orders. 7. Set a deadline within which the 10 orders need to be placed. 8. Don’t go to print and be fine with it. 9. Move on.
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

053 | I’m not writing anything today →

22 Feb 2021
I’m not writing anything today. Though writing that you’re not writing is technically still writing. I guess I’m writing something today.
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

052 | I filmed another video for ‘Do You Register?’ →

21 Feb 2021
I filmed another video for ‘Do You Register? [https://mitchel-lensink.ghost.io/do-you-register]’ this afternoon. I did forget to bring my external microphone. That was a bummer. I then also forgot to turn on the internal mic as well. That means that two of the three videos I’ve shot are without audio and thus worthless for the project. Thankfully, I ran an audio recording on my iPhone on the third try. Hopefully the quality suffices. I’ll find out when I return to my desk. I’ll probably create
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

051 | It’s not difficult to be exceptional →

20 Feb 2021
It’s not difficult to be exceptional, all you need to do is persevere when others would’ve quit. As I’ve mentioned multiple times before, these Monologues are mostly notes to self. A note to self is basically a reminder for yourself in the future. A message to future-you, if you will. Today’s Monologue is specifically a message to future-Mitch. I want to make record of what I currently think is a good way to approach my role, you know, in life and society and such. The trouble is, I haven’t be
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

050 | Almost forgot to write a few words today →

19 Feb 2021
Almost forgot to write a few words today. Why? Because I was at work all day. Then had a meeting immediately after. A good meeting. One that might be a good start of something beautiful. One that inspired me. A meeting that pushes me to be better. To search for new boundaries. Explore new territory. Expose people to my work. And other superlatives.
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

049 | I’m sitting in a chair →

18 Feb 2021
I’m sitting in a chair with a very content cat in my lap. I can’t be bothered to walk to my computer to write a thoughtful piece about my progress of today. Part of that can be attributed to the fact that I haven’t made much progress. That’s on purpose. I keep repeating to myself that downtime should be part of the discipline and today I’m adhering to that advice. It’ll make me a better, more productive, person tomorrow. Until then, I have a very content cat in my lap.
2021 Recent posts
✦ February

048 | As you probably know (probably not) →

17 Feb 2021
As you probably know (probably not), as a photographer I make a filthy amount of money (no I don’t). Therefore I have actively decided (everybody else in my surroundings started doing it), to teach myself (listen to a podcast) how to start investing my money. It immediately became clear to me (I slowly started to realize), that it’s smart to spread your investments over different types of assets. As I worked my way to becoming an expert (I’m almost a novice now), I might be well on my way to st
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