FOMATIK // Issue 010

How to Find Inspiration
After a long day of work, and a long commute, I see nothing more than endless miles of interstate freeways. Blasting past small towns and villages without a care or thought in the world. You see the endless miles of farmland, and a few random buildings out in the distance. The freeway exits are little more than a rest stop for fuel and snacks. A small 2 lane road teases more down the road, but we are on a schedule, or just looking to get home for some well earned sleep. But what if you had to get off the freeway and find a new path? That happened to me just last month.

Just twenty minutes into my drive the freeway came to an abrupt stop, fortunately just a couple of miles from a freeway exit. Pulling up my navigation app of choice, Waze, I plotted a new route home to avoid the miles long backup. What I found was new inspiration to shoot and a reminder that I should probably keep my camera in my car at all times. In the middle of the drive a few things happened.

I came across this little town called Poland, Indiana. It is a farm town. A tiny chapel and cemetery, a few houses and hundreds of acres of farmland. What I found was decay, abandoned buildings and character. I noted the location, went to another navigation app, Roads, so I could build a repeatable drive. Then thought about doing the drive again with my camera. Now with inspiration.

Driving east you drop down a hill and cross a blue steel truss bridge. It is in good shape and sees daily traffic. Facing west from the other side though, something about the proportions made me think there had been a covered bridge here once. Turns out I was right. A quick search confirmed this bridge replaced an 1870s covered bridge, which itself replaced a ferry crossing. Three versions of the same crossing, same spot, different centuries. This bridge is the eastbound gateway into Poland.

Just past the bridge the farmland opens up. On my initial drive I noticed a small copse of trees sitting on a small rise the north, surrounded by more trees, the whole thing framed by open fields. I pulled over right there. Knowing the chapel was only a few hundred yards ahead, I still stopped. That instinct matters. You do not always get a second look at something.

Chapels are woven into the fabric of America. Get off the main freeway and travel the small state highways and you will find local graveyards, cemeteries and chapels. Some are still active, of various denominations, some are completely abandoned and in various states of disrepair or rot. Then there are ones like this one here in Poland, Indiana. No active church services anymore, but a local event center where weddings, Christmas shows and various functions happen.

This one can be found on the National Registry of Historic Places. So similar to that bridge just a mile West of this chapel we have 2 more places as historical markers. This particular chapel was a Presbyterian church but has not been used for active church services in over a century. There is some decay and I am sure that the local historic society does their best to maintain it when they can.

This cemetery, like so many you find while driving along the local roads in Indiana and I am sure the whole of the Midwest just pop up on the side of the road. There may or may not be a church next to it, it may even be a private family plot. Pull over and have a look, you will find a lot of old and interesting headstones spanning centuries.

The original reason for stopping was this old Wayne’s Feed building. I am not sure if it was a store, a barn or processing center. Wayne’s Feed could be found all over Indiana and Illinois, small stores and even large processing plants. In this case there appears to be a mill in the front. There is no historical designation, and despite its rot and disrepair, the paint has not really been stripped by time. That may be because of the shelter protecting it from the sun and snow. Either way, when you drive along Highway 42 heading East you will see this and it is almost hidden in the trees. Just the overhang jutting out on the edge of the road. There is a story to this building, but to be honest I can’t find it. But what I could find were great angles, rough textures, and bright colors where there probably shouldn’t be anymore.

They are worth it. You may not be in the Midwest, you might not even be in America. But where you live has history. To find it you need to meander off the path well traveled and find the one that those fast highway roads are trying to make you forget. There are people out here, usually tucked away in their homes, or out in the fields. But go find those old roads. Also bring that camera along with you. You will never know what you might find or if you can get back to it, or even remember how you got there to begin with.

When my family first moved to Indiana every Sunday afternoon we would pick a road and a compass direction and just drive. Were we trying to get the babies and toddlers to take naps? Sure. But it was still an exploration of the new state we found ourselves living in. I couldn't begin to count the buildings and cemeteries we drove past without stopping. Or maybe there was a quick snap through the car window with a phone camera. There were hours long drives ending with a fun meal at the end in a city or town we didn’t expect to be in.

Explore and if you forgot your camera, you have your phone, snap a few images for the memories. Figure out where you are, make a note to return and get back there with your camera. I will never regret a great road trip, but I will always know I am missing something when sticking to the great American freeway system. So when the freeway stops moving, get off and explore. There is more fun to be had in detouring, stopping when you want, than stopping when the freeway wills it.

You know what. At this point I don’t know. I create a plan and then it becomes something else. So check me out next month to see what we get. I am also looking for guest photographers to give their lessons and insights, or even an interview for an upcoming issue.

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