Not thinking about astronomy at all, I like the shape and colors of the photos. That is the dilemma that I had on a summer geologic field camp in the American West when I was an undergraduate student in the 60’s. It was a prestigious scientific field camp with 8 hours of college credit. I was supposed to be serious about learning science. The truth is that I learned that I tend to look at things more as an artist than as a scientist. I needed my camera more than my geologic pick.
You needed to be Ansel Adams when you grew up, I guess.
I wonder how often these two ways of viewing things mesh nicely, and how often one dominates, making certain vocations more suitable.
I wonder how many other things you did but still had an artist’s perspective.
Did I ever tell you about the time, while working as a bank teller, I overpaid a young man $1,000 on his tax refund check. He grabbed the money quickly and ran for the door. I immediately guessed what I had done, and a quick count of my cash drawer confirmed it. I don’t think that the bank was ever able to retrieve the money because they had no proof that the man actually was overpaid. The moral: on some tasks you really need to focus on what you are doing. You can’t be daydreaming and thinking about what you are going to have for dinner, which is easier said than done. Yes, I did keep my job.