It's The Simple Things.

Right after I took this photograph at a primary school in Poland, they all ran back inside and I could hear loud cheering, yelling and excitement.

I asked my friend and translator what they were saying and she said "They're all saying 'We just met an American!!!"

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Bringing A Smile.

Me: "Sir! Sorry to bother you but I photograph people everywhere I go and I think this is such an incredibly beautiful picture with you in it. Would you mind if I took it?"

Him: (He keeps walking away from me) "I don't know. What's in it for me?"

Me: "Well, I've heard from people all over the world how much these photographs mean to them and, for many of them, that they bring a smile to their faces when they see them."

Him: (Stops right here) "That's good enough for me. Go ahead."

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After the TED Talk.

I am beyond humbled. There's not a single word I could think of to describe how I have felt since pouring my heart out on the stage last week. The response has been worldwide and the things that I have heard have been the EXACT reason I do what I do.

I knew I just wanted to put myself in that position of vulnerability and allow myself to only speak from my heart. It could have just as easily gone wrong, and I could have rambled, stumbled on words or even frozen up there. On my heart, I truly had no idea the words I was going to say up there.

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On the rehearsal, all the main TED curators were there to make sure my speech was ready. This was obviously unrehearsed also and, in the middle of a story, I looked down at the clock at saw 17:33 (My speech was only supposed to be 13 minutes long). I apologized to them but they said they liked the story so much that they were going to find 17 minutes for me the next day. I felt it was too easy to say the same story again the next day so I showed up early and asked the AV guys to take out 5 of my pictures so I didn't have that story to depend on (there was many curious faces).

So not me, not the TED curators, not my coach... No one knew what my speech was going to be.

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Before the speech, they told me I had to be in the green room for the entire set before. I didn't want to just sit on the couch so I stood behind the stage and watched the other speakers.

Finally, the stage director said '5 minutes Adam!' and it was honestly the first time it hit me that I had no idea what I was about to say. I asked her if I could have a minute and she (with a look of bewilderment) said 'No!' and told me to sit so the stage hands could mic me up.

Then she said '3 minutes Adam!' and I said 'I really need 1 minute' and I walked to a ramp a few feet away. I just wanted to think of how I was going to tell the Rick (Vietnam vet) story.

But there was no point. I was completely feeling the pressure and my brain was mush. I couldn't think of anything at all.

'1 minute Adam!'

...

That was it. I couldn't put a thought together. I had no idea. And you hopefully could see that the moment I walked out.

But I just made a promise to myself to just speak from my heart. To just pour out my emotions. And I am so grateful with how it came out.

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And now, my mailbox/messages/voicemail, etc are filled from people all over the world that saw my vulnerability and realized that THEY could too do the same thing. That we are no different at all.

I am told new stories every single day of how it gave people the courage to go out and just try the same thing... and how they instantly felt closer to the world, and less alone. I have been told that people who are trying this have lives that are fuller, richer, and more beautiful than ever before. I have already ran into people that recognized me from the speech (that I have never met) that were literally out doing it (and doing it successfully) when we ran into each other.

So I am beyond humbled. There is not one word. This is why I poured every bit of my life, my heart, my vulnerability into the passion I felt from this project. The passion I feel every day from connection.

The world is not changed from one single act. It is changed by making a small difference that has a ripple effect and inspires others to do the same. When others do the same, the ripple effect hits those around them and they do the same. And slowly, lives are changed on a global scale from just a small idea.

We cannot be cynical. We cannot be closed off. We cannot be negative.

We need to bleed with passionate attempts to inspire and love all those around us, so we can continue this ripple effect around the world, and start to reverse what has been happening.

But I cannot do it alone.

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I love and appreciate every single one of you. Thank you so deeply much for every message (It will take a while to get back to them all but I promise I will!).

Now, please go out and find the stories and ask the questions to all those that you meet. Fill them with joy, with love, with connection. And let's change the world for the better, together.

I love you guys.

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Instilling Joy.

If you instill joy and love into your children, as often as you can, it will hardly matter to them what they have or do not have. I have seen many of the most joyful children in some of the poorest places I've been.

To them, the only thing that matters is the comfort and love you give them. To feel safe and know they are cared for.

So please don't think your children needs more stuff to be happy. In actuality, that is telling them that happiness is something that can be bought... and will make it a tough lesson to learn when they get out into the real world.

Instead, give them something that is free: Your time.

Do things with them that grow the bond you have for one another. Go on experiences. Eat at fun restaurants (and don't bring your phone). Play games with them. Laugh with them. Take long walks. Read books together. Have ridiculously long meals.

For it is such an important thing for a child to learn early where true joy comes from. Because, if they learn it then, they learn also that nothing in this world can take that away from them... For it came from simplicity, and nothing more.

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Behind Every Restaurant.

Behind every great restaurant are people that work incredibly hard to give you a great experience. Chefs are incredible artists who usually work under very stressful and difficult situations.

Many times, these are dads, moms, husbands and wives... Who are away from home during the holidays to meet the demand, and make money to give their families a great Christmas.

This holiday season... Be kind to those working in the front, and always remember those working in the back.

Tip well and have gratitude.

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What Did I Learn in Cuba?

How do I sum up Cuba?

The truth is... I don’t know yet. I saw many different sides of it, in the different cities I went to. From big cities to small little towns in the countryside.

But one thing is constant - it really is a special place.

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Cuba was a very difficult country to figure out on the move... I won’t sugar coat that at all. Spontaneous travel there takes a lot more than just hopping on a train or an airplane. Sometimes you get to a city and every bus leaving there is full for the next two days, so you sign up on a waiting list and can do nothing but just wait and enjoy. You walk through the town to find an area you'd like to stay in... And then knock on a door of a house you'd like to sleep at. You're not using your phone, and internet is many times difficult to find for help when you need it so you really get to build your confidence in your intuition.

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Now, the difficulty in traveling is only because it’s a very primitive culture, which is also why I love it so much. You know what you’re going to get. The humanity is perfect and people treat you with the utmost kindness, and love to host and take care of you. They love to tell you about the special parts of their towns and what they are most proud of. They welcome you in immediately as family. When there’s a baseball game on, no one's doing anything but watching the game.

The culture is devoid of many opportunities that they would like to have but it simply does not hold them back from putting one foot forward every day. They wake up and make their beds, sweep their doorsteps and prepare for the day.

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There is no rushing. And I mean no rushing at all.

I mean, when you see it the way they live... It makes you even wonder why we are always rushing so much. There’s always time for them to stop and give you a kiss/hug and ask about your day. Always time to help someone out with a flat tire, or have a drink with.

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It is a culture that is very, very dependent on community... In the best way possible. On helping each other in any ways that they can. When you have that, you see a lot of poverty but you don't see the struggle as much as you might expect to. They might need to wait two hours for bread but the line is full of lively conversation.

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And, on that note... Cuba is LOUD. Especially Havana. In the absolute best way possible.

It feels so incredibly alive.

There's very little technology so almost everyone is outside... Just living. People aren't looking at their phones... They're talking to the people around them or just staring off into space. Musics blasting in the open windows. Cars are wonderfully loud. And kids are playing in the streets... Barefoot and many times with anything they can find to make up games to play.

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Conversations are long. People really care how you're doing... and they really want to hear your stories. The full length stories. Meals aren't rushed. There's always time for another cup of coffee or glass of rum.

The people of Cuba are pure. They are proud of what they come from, yet I never saw any ego. They just love to share the home the special parts of their towns, and their home.

They can be trusted. They can be photographed. They are gracious. They are kind.

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It’s very clear that, yes, they are in a very tough economic spot and they are very aware of it. They will talk about their frustrations with it... Realizing it will take a lot of work to ever see their economy in a better place.

But they will get through it, and they will get through it together. And not a second of life will be missed along the journey there.

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Sorry Guys, We've Been Lied To.

I'm sorry to say it guys... But we've all been lied to.

If there is one major lesson I learned from Cuba, it is this:

Nothing you own will give you happiness... Not your home, not your job, not your bank account. Not even your surroundings can give you happiness.

It can only come from inside of you.

For I have seen the most vivid and genuine happiness in the poorest places my eyes have ever laid eyes on, and it was because of one thing: Relationships. Their families and friendships. Their husbands, their wives, their children. These are how they measure their success and how they determine their happiness. And their hearts overflow with joy by just spending intimate moments of life alongside them.

So, when you think you don't have a single reason to be happy... Please try to simplify your life enough to focus on the things that really matter. By paying attention, you can start to notice how many things (that cost absolutely nothing) give you long lasting joy and love in your heart.

Then be grateful for them.

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A Story From Cuba.

When driving across the countryside in Cuba, I noticed these three standing next to these massive bulls tied to a tree. I was very intrigued and asked the driver to stop to get their photograph and say hello.

They were very kind and happily posed and when I was leaving I asked "Is there anything I can do for you? Any way I can help?"

They didn't hesitate and quickly said "Do you have any shampoo?"

Literally just that morning, I had bought a bottle of shampoo because I knew I would be traveling. I ran back to the car, got it and gave it to them.

It was a $3 bottle of shampoo.

They held it and stared at it for a minute. I just stood there next to them and watched them keep staring at it. Finally, the mom came over from their yard, took the bottle from them, looked at me and said "Because of this, we will be able to wash our children's hair again."

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Never underestimate the small things we can all do for others that can make a big difference in making their life better. All it takes is asking to be surprised by the humble requests and appreciation that comes in just sharing in their lives with them.

Let's make this world a better place together.

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How I Got Start and What I Learned From It.

Years ago, my parents gave me my first camera. It was a $200 Canon Elph. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing... I just went around everywhere and took pictures of every single thing I could . People, flowers, cats, houses, parks... You name it.

I did this for a long time until I was working at a restaurant in St. Louis and met someone named

. She was an incredible wedding photographer and I'll never forget her passion for photography and people. She inspired me to get my first professional camera - which was a Nikon d7000. (It was the most expensive thing I had ever bought - $1,000). She really believed in me and even invited me to a shoot with her in Castlewood where she would be the model and I would be the photographer - and she would help critique the pictures after.

It was after this shoot where I really started to become obsessed. I kept taking pictures of everything and trying to figure out what I liked the best... But it was all just a hobby.

Then, one day, I booked my own shoot. Someone actually offered to pay me to do something I already loved doing so much. And, for the first time, I realized it was actually possible to make somewhat of a living with this hobby I was so passionate about.

And I started to see it from a different perspective.

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Over the years after that, I refined my craft. I still took pictures of everything, all the time, and was known to always have my camera on me. Through hundreds of thousands of photographs, I started to fine tune 'mistakes'. No matter how beautiful I thought the pictures were becoming, year after year, I would look back at them from the previous year and see things I could improve on. (This process is still very much going on to this day)

While doing this, I was networking all the time and meeting people that helped me learn a lifetime of skills. I did this with no agenda - I truly just wanted to learn more and talk about what I was so passionate about. It was really during this time that I saw my photography improving - and I began obsessing over knowing everything I could about it. I was learning by just doing - by taking photographs and going through them - rather than taking classes or reading books.

Another important part of this process was that I changed whatever I was photographing whenever I lost inspiration in it. My passion for photography itself never diminished but, when I wasn’t excited about a certain form of it anymore, I would just let it go and try something new.

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Then I started projects with this and started just trying new things.

By doing this, I quickly saw I was very passionate about photography ideas that had some sort of social impact. I started to see my camera as a tool for much more than just taking pictures... I saw it as a way to help people, to connect people and to bring awareness to situations that needed it. Social media was starting to take off and this really helped with this also.

Still, none of the projects ever amounted to anything (in a physical sense). They never really got noticed, I never made any money with them and they just disappeared as soon as I stopped them. They all could have seemed like a silly idea, or even a failure, but in those experiences, I learned how to separate two different perspectives: trying to create art that drew a big audience and just trying to do things that I cared about so much that I really wasn’t worried what anyone else thought about it.

Regardless, I kept starting new projects. I would notice myself getting in a creative rut and getting depressed when I wasn't inspired so I had to keep trying new things. I tried to focus on the small successes of these projects (like words of encouragement or people telling me it made an impact on their life) rather than on a large scale. I think this is crucial for artists to do.

This year, The World I See (my 4th project), was my first project to become something. It has been published twice now by National Geographic, was a TED talk in October and will be a published book next month.

But I promise you this: Those things would mean nothing to me, if it wasn't for the hardship and difficult moments that led up to them. In fact, these results wouldn't mean a single thing if it wasn't for the relationships that are around me today, that I learned to trust and love during the times before.

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I couldn’t begin to tell you how many moments of self doubt have accompanied me up until this point. It’s a very important part of the process and those are essential times to learn. In the endless moments of uncertainty, I grew as a person in ways I never could have without them. I developed a healthy relationship with rejection. I learned humility. I learned confidence. I learned psychology and how to use that to better understand how to make a living with this. I learned to grow close to the relationships that were truly there for me. I learned how to balance life outside of photography and travel.

And today, and even prouder moment, I bought my first house. With nothing but money I made through photography. Something that, just a few years ago, I never thought I’d be able to make a penny at. Dreams I couldn’t have even fathomed just a short time ago.

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The reason I write this all is to say:

To the artist with passion but is full of self doubt and uncertainty. To the artist that is in a creative rut (or even worse, it starting to give up). To the artist who thinks that people who make a living with art just got lucky. Or are better at their craft than them.

That’s not how it works.

Art can only get to a level where it’s possible to make a living with when you have given your life to it just to get there. Where you somehow found the strength to take just one more photograph, or paint one more painting, or sing one more song, at your lowest times. When you somehow found the strength to keep trying when it seems like no one else notices what you're creating. When you persevere out of pure passion - not out of a desire to be rich or accepted.

That is the only way you find who you are and what you can create.

And when you 'make it' - and I promise you will if you obsess and have passion - you will feel like you made it at even the smallest of successes. Even at just reading the words that people write about your work. When you see your art making a tiny impact on the people around you. That ends up becoming more important to you than any amount of money ever can.

When you allow that the be the goal, making a living doing that makes a lot more sense. You’re humble enough to keep learning but your work is good enough to support you now.

And when you make a life in that way, I promise you will feel joy every day of your life. Joy that no one else could ever take from you.

All my love.

Adam C. Schlüter

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Making ADHD Your Best Friend.

I have long urged people to embrace the chaos of their own personal lives and find a way to make it conducive to their art. There is few things more sad than to see children (bursting with curiosity or playfulness) who are not thinking as much about the world around them because they have a phone in their face. Or a TV they know how to turn on. It is always tough to hear people who think they need to 'control' their ADHD so as to conform or fit in to the environment they're in. (I do understand there are more extreme situations where both are needed)

Being easily distracted is a beautiful sign of intelligence, as long as those distractions create progress of some sort.

I don't own a TV - I haven't had time to watch a TV show since Breaking Bad. I truly just don't have time. I don't know how anyone younger does. I have 5 new ideas pop into my head for every time I finish one of them... And once I start on one of those, I have 5 more.

I think something crucial to learn through this is: Easily distractible people need to just figure out how to work as long on one of those tasks before starting a new one. They don't have to finish it - just work on it enough to get themselves committed to eventually finishing it.

If you're young and creative, please resist instant-gratification in any way you can. Please.

Let your distractions be starting a new task - not beginning a new TV show that might take tens of hours out of your ability to accomplish your dreams. Checking your phone too much? Leave it in a different room and put it on silent - only check it when you remember to (The more you do this, the more you'll find yourself forgetting to check your phone - this is very good for clarity). Turn off ALL notifications and sounds that snap you out of your creative mind.

Now, I of course have vices (Hello Reddit!). I think it's important to have little getaways for entertainment and am, in no way, saying creatives need to structure their life to avoid entertainment. Quite the opposite. Entertainment too lets the mind wander and get out of your own perspective for a second. But I have found that my creativity explodes in thought when I allow space to think, and time to begin a new task. A lot of these times, I kind of 'hibernate' and won't become social again until I have made some major progress on some things I have been thinking a lot about.

The gym is such an incredible place to think. To sweat and have time away from distraction, while your mind is in full alert. But just as much, nature. Solitude. (Bring a notepad with you - your mind will be thinking of a million ideas). In the morning time, start slow (If you can!). Cup of coffee, sit outside and read a book. Even if for 15 minutes.

I have always struggled with meditation so I go to Yoga instead. In Yoga, you are taught something very crucial to every day life: If you take an hour away from your normal life and/or phone/emails, that it will still be there whenever you're finished. The world didn't stop. There wasn't any emergencies. Everything was okay. You are also taught that it's okay to suffer and that almost all of it is in your mind.

When I do these things, I am so much more present for the people I am physically close to. And when I am present for them, they know that I am genuinely listening and that I genuinely care about what they're saying and what is going on through their life. I also am able to learn from them. From each person, I learn something new about life, and experiences that I am able to apply to my own life. This helps me navigate life easier than I can fully express.

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So, when you have a moment of boredom... Please do not quickly fill it with something entertaining. For these are the times when your mind has to entertain itself - by going through hypothetical situations, thinking about ideas, and following thoughts through, as much as you can. These are how dreams become action. And how thoughts become words.

These are not all things I have always done. But these are things I have learned that has significantly improved the quality of my life, and brought true joy to me.

The only downside of this? I now fully realize that one lifetime is not nearly enough to implement the ideas and dreams I have already thought of. But I promise you I will try, with everything I can, to accomplish as much of them as possible. If one doesn't work or fails? I have too many more to count... to start on in the midst of the rejection.

It has made the process a lot more interesting and a hell of a lot more fun.

Won't you join me?

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Go To Cuba.

Even after being to countless third-world countries, the people of Cuba touched me in a way I could have never expected. People that, on the surface, look like they have so little but, when you say hello to them - they are deeply happy to get to know you and share in your life. And help you in any way they can.

And once you start to get to know them and meet their families and see their homes - you don't feel bad for them. In fact, you feel like they have it figured out more than you. Like they understand where true joy comes from more than you do because they express it in ways no material things could help with.

Their joy is found in their relationships. In their families. In their friends. Their joy is found in hosting you and giving you the best experience possible. Their joy is found in sharing food with you and stories about where they come from, and what their dreams and aspirations are. They don't sugar coat - they are honest about things that they wish were different - but they do not dwell on them.

Each day, they wake up, sweep the steps in front of their humble home and open up the doors to let the sunshine in. Friends stop by to bring fruits and vegetables and they spend the time to really talk to them and share in their life with them.

To those who don't know my story while there, I got a horrible case of salmonella/stomach infection in southern Cuba and the locals there gave me everything to help me make it through it. A place to stay for as long as I needed, medicine, food, drink, love, conversation... Everything. And didn't ask for a single thing in return - not a penny for the help they offered.

And in that lesson, I learned the true value of life. That true joy is in giving to others more than you give to yourself. In sharing what you have to help make the lives around you richer and easier. And that no amount of money can give you the same feeling. I am so grateful for the lessons I learned through my time there.

Please do what you can to help support the people there. And really think about the grand scheme of humanity, when getting involved in politics and how you can make a difference. Millions of people can, and are, suffering by the political games of an individual person or campaign and that is not okay. For I believe that, if we have one duty in life, it is to try and see past our own perspective to realize how we can best help those who need it the most.

P.S. GO TO CUBA!

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Don't Ever Settle Down.

When I graduated college, I put everything in a car and went to Los Angeles, to chase my dream job of being an agent. I had worked with Sony and just felt like that was the right thing to do. I didn't even have enough money to get a place there - I just went anyways and knew that, with hard work, anything can work.

I spent 8 months grinding every day I was there, building relationships to navigate Los Angeles. After 8 months, I had the biggest meeting of my life, forgot my resume to it and talked myself past it somehow. The next morning, I had my dream offer in my email, of having my own desk at an agency. For more money than I ever could have imagined.

But, it just didn't feel right.

By paying attention, I had grown to realize that Los Angeles was not my city, and I loved nature and relationships far too much to build a life there. I knew it would likely be many years before I would be able to even buy a house there, and then start thinking about a family. I didn't want to give 10 years of my youth to that.

I turned down the offer and without much money, headed down south to Mexico, in search of a simple life. I got a beautiful place on the beach and built great relationships with people down there... Many of whom I am still close to today. I spent a long time down there... Living an incredibly easy and beautiful life.

But it just didn't feel right, long-term.

I am quite the dreamer and knew it would be hard to make my dreams come true in such a simple environment. So I got in my car and drove 22,000+ miles around the US, Canada and Mexico, in search of a new place to live. I had absolutely no place in mind and no clue what I would pick. I had decided to search for a place on the PCH, somewhere from Mexico to Alaska. After many months on the PCH, I stopped to visit friends in Seattle who inspired me to leave the PCH for the first time and take a detour to Glacier National Park before coming back to the PCH.

I did and stopped in a town called Sandpoint, Idaho to camp for the night. I met a wonderful couple there, who said they would show me around Coeur d' Alene (about 40 minutes south), where they lived, to give me a better idea of what the town was like.

I fell in love. I started renting a house the next day and have now been here for over 3 years. I started building deep, lasting relationships with wonderful people here and consider myself so grateful for each and every one of them.

It just felt right.

I bought my house last month and I couldn't imagine calling another place home right now.

A place I didn't even know existed until I searched for it.

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Moral: You don't have to know where you're going. And you don't have to know how you're going to do it. You just have to trust your intuition (it's flawless, I promise) and have the courage to continue seeking the life you truly want. Embrace discomfort as you search... It builds character and helps you continue learning who you really are, and what you really need in life.

Only one rule: Don't settle. Life's far too short for that.

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Slowing Down.

This past weekend, I was given a very important reminder.

How crucial it is to have a healthy balance with nature, and allow yourself to get lost in it. To feel awe in our lives, as often as possible. And how essential that is to me to clear my mind and see the big picture again, rather than just getting lost in being busy all the time.

Life moves so fast, day by day.

But, when you get lost in nature, it's like time stands still again.

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