What do you want?

This is making its way around in the blogosphere.

I don’t want to work for an industry that is content with the status quo.

I don’t want to work for an industry that is afraid of innovation.

I don’t want to work for an industry that blames its readers when things go bad.

I don’t want to work for an industry that is scared of risk — and success.

I don’t want to work for an industry that is scared of change.

I don’t want to work for an industry that is afraid to have a conversation with its users.

I don’t want to work for an industry that is content to die.

I want to work for an industry that believes in its audience.

I want to work for an industry that can admit it was wrong.

I want to work for an industry that has the audacity to innovate.

I want to work for an industry that always wants to improve, even when it’s on top.

I want to work for an industry that always strives to be the best.

I want to work for an industry that believes there is no such thing as good enough.

I want to work for an industry that puts innovation first.

If this is the last stand for the American Newspaper, I don’t want to go out without a fight. I want to shatter paradigms, destroy cherished icons and push the envelop of innovation. And if all those efforts fail, I want try again.

I don’t want to admit defeat without at least trying. If I lose, I want it to be because I had nothing left to give. I don’t want to lose because I decided it was too hard to win.

I want the audacity of ambition — and innovation.

What do you want?

That last question is something I’ve been battling this quarter. From the start of my capstone class I’ve been thinking about story ideas I wanted to pursue. In the class we have to produce a 24 page prototype magazine or an online publication. I decided on the latter with little stress. Settling on my story idea on the other hand became a graying hair experience.

It’s amazing when given the criteria of only staying within the confines of the US how hard it becomes to decide on a story. Everything you ever wanted to work as a photojournalist is now open to your exploration. No more excuses. No more maybe next week or I don’t have time. This may be your last and only time you’ll have this kind of freedom to pursue something for you and only you. The choice of which story to choose wasn’t an easy one. At one point in the process I resorted to drawing it out of a hat cause I couldn’t decide.

In the end I decided on the small community of Quartzsite, AZ. It’s been called Woodstock for an older population. For the next 10 days a RV will be home as I explore a world I’ve always wanted to know. What’s more exciting than selling everything you own to call the open road your home?

The class required that I wear many hats including that of a publisher, managing editor, assignment editor and in a few hours a photojournalist. I wrote a mission statement in my role as an editor. I defined and wrote the assignments as an assignment editor. The assignment editor has you shooting portraits when the day before, with planning, you could have been shooting moments? I’m the only one to blame now.

In a matter of hours weeks of preparation and research will come to light with 10 days of visual exploration. I’ve never been so well versed in a subject before arriving to an assignment. I’m usually of the camp where I approach each assignment as a baby and immerse myself in the experience and let my subjects educate me. Not this time.

Now I’m here and an open desert awaits.