74. Proof of Work or How the Floor Gets Raised

Send us a message.We open with Daniel Arnold's new book You Are What You Do from Loose Joints — the sequencing, the blank pages, the editor's role — and end up on a harder question: what happens when you spend a decade on something and the first question someone asks is "what's next?" We talk through Josh Safdie's account of finishing Uncut Gems and why that question lands like an insult, and whether there's also something honest, even useful, about just moving on.That leads into the photo walk question: can you actually make work when you're with other people, or is this a medium that demands solitude? We use it as a way into what we think is genuinely missing from the Omaha creative scene — not talent, but the kind of competitive pressure that only comes from being around people operating at a high level and taking it seriously. We draw a line between community (people talking about ideas) and scene (people making work and raising the floor for each other).We also get into the difference between finding something valuable and making something from nothing, what it actually takes to own the label of photographer or writer without feeling like you're lying, and why "what's the point?" is the specific thought pattern that keeps you consuming instead of working. The answer, more or less: momentum is the point. -AiSupport the show If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving us a rating and/or a review. We appreciate and try to read all of them. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode. Links To Everything: Video Version of The Podcast: https://geni.us/StudioSessionsYT Matt’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/MatthewOBrienYT Matt’s 2nd Channel: https://geni.us/PhotoVideosYT Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/AlexCarterYT Matt’s Instagram: https://geni.us/MatthewIG Alex’s Instagram: https://geni.us/AlexIG