Escape the Noise

When things get hard, we don’t always fight, we disappear. Into work. Into doom scrolling. Into over-researching lenses we don’t need. Anything to avoid sitting with the discomfort.

But those distractions? They pile up.
And the more you try to outrun the noise, the more it surrounds you.

We cloud ourselves in this digital noise that distorts our perception of what actually matters. And then we wonder why we feel scattered.

Lately, I’ve caught myself right in the middle of that loop. Work stress creeping in. Phone screen time looking a little too high. That feeling of needing a break, but not knowing from what.

So I grabbed my camera, slapped on a prime lens and walked out the door. No destination. No plan.
Just one idea: stand still.

I ended up on a random street corner I normally ignore.
Nothing special. No moody lighting. No obvious subject.

Perfect.

I stayed there for an hour.

Talked to strangers. Pat a few dogs. Watched how the shadows moved across the street and I took photos of whatever felt worth noticing.

Not because I thought I’d get a “banger.” Because I needed to escape the noise.

You don’t need some grand idea to shoot. You just need something small to point your camera at. A colour. A shape. A street you’d usually walk past. Something to pull your focus away from the chaos and remind you what’s right in front of you.

That’s the project.

Not to impress anyone.
Not to chase a perfect shot.
Just to pay attention.

If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed or like you’ve been doom scrolling through your own life, try it.
Pick a block, slow down and shoot something boring on purpose.

Sometimes the best way to escape the noise… is to stop trying to outrun it.