To say that the year 2020 has been a roller coaster ride is selling the situation a bit short. It has been a ride on the hilliest road in a car with no suspension, no safety measures to speak of and an engine that makes a formula one car jealous for such power. It has been rough. The entire situation with COVID-19 and the worldwide shutdown have caused a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. Most people have given up on the year and are already begging for 2021 to come offering new opportunities and less problems.
However, there are some good things that have come out 2020. Many people took the time in isolation to gain a new perspective. They stepped back and looked at where they were. They saw the truth, ugly as it was. There is something to be said about looking at the truth. Not to sound too cliche, but the old saying "the truth shall set you free" does carry weight.
In my own situation, I have been working a day job that provides enough money to pay my bills. However, that is about all it provides. Beyond that, it takes instead of gives. It has taken my free time. It has taken away opportunities. It has taken away many of my freedoms. It has taken my spirit and thrown it through a grinder, leaving a broken will.
I was not one of the people who was forced to stay home and wonder when I would be allowed to go back to work. I was the exact opposite. My employers increased our workload. We went to longer hours and more days. It was during this time that I had my epiphany about this job: it would never get better, only steadily worse. With that in mind, I realized that if I was to have a happy life, I would need to apply my work ethic to a field that I would be willing to grind at because it was important to me. I decided it was time to start my own business.
I have been trying to put together something in the field of photography for the last three years. However, I have been met with failure, trying situations and absolute frustration. I realized that the reason for this is due to me always finding a reason to fail and making an excuse as to why I could not afford to do it on the scale that was necessary. Thanks to this situation in 2020, I have found the drive to put that behind me and make my wishes into achievable goals.
I love taking pictures and telling stories. I love finding the new angles and creating images that capture those stories and share them. I have long wanted to have a successful career doing this, but have not found the magic recipe to creating that life and maybe I never will. However, as a motorcyclist, I am well acquainted with the slogan "it's not about the destination, but the journey getting there."
I have decided to start anew and take that journey. Due to our current situation, many people are holding their cards close to the vest and are unwilling to venture out of that safe space. I have been playing that game for too long. I am using this time to set the stage and get all my pieces lined up. I look forward to that light turning green so I can set out on this new voyage in its entirety.
Here is to the year 2020, the year of clear perspective. Hey, nobody ever said that perfect vision meant things were going to look pretty. It is up to us to make that outlook brighter.
Matthew C Roy
Photographer and writer
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