In Zen Buddhism, we call the beginner's mindset 'Shoshin,' which means having an attitude of openness and lack of preconceptions when approaching any study, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would. Numerous times, I have pilgrimaged to Japan's most ancient sacred power spots, such as Mt. Fuji,  Kofun Mounds, Buddhist Sanctuaries, Shinto Shrine Complexes, and POWER SPOTS way off the BEATEN PATH, that mostly only locals are welcome, and now and again I take other visual artists.
I have come to realize that Mt. Fuji will never appear exactly the same due to how the light projected from the sun interacts with the particulate matter at different grades of the atmosphere encircling the earth, from the Exosphere to the Troposphere. The shades, saturations, contrast, and perceptiveness are ever-changing and essentially infinite, so my perspective stays fresh. As the Zen master, D.T. Suzuki, said, "I like Zen because everything is Zen." A beginner sees myriad possibilities in each theme and pursuit, so that is the mindset I bring to each project I participate in, and I hope for the same from other visual artists that I work with. For my photography workshop participants and higher education students, however, I understand that the paradoxes created by the Beginner's Mindset require time 'to grasp fully.' Happily, this year alone, it will take both of my hands and fingers to count how many of my participants and students have come to embrace Zen Shoshin (the beginner's mindset) in their hearts and minds and view their next visual arts scene with open eyes.