Monthly Inspiration: December
For the month of December, these are five things that stayed with me. Things that sparked my interest, or books and works that will continue to resonate for a long time.
Art Book
Transcripts of a Sea by Stephan Vanfleteren
This book works for me on several levels.
I have known Stefan for a long time. The first artwork I ever bought was from him. I once had a conversation with him in my car when I was just starting out as a photographer. Those moments stay with you.
I have always seen him as a role model. As a person, but above all, as an artist. Even now, I consider him to be the best portrait photographer in the world. For that reason, this book matters.
Transcripts of a Sea showcases the full scope of his work. It is not just a portrait book, a landscape book, or a detour. It’s a clear statement that photographers shouldn’t be confined to categories. A photographer should be able to photograph everything: People, nature, stillness, force, and vulnerability. They all belong together.
This book documents a wild sea where beauty and threat coexist. Its strength lies not only in the images themselves, but also in the dedication behind them. The commitment required to complete this project is evident on every page. This is not a fleeting idea. It is work that demanded time, and time was given.
For me, this book highlights something essential. It’s not about what you photograph, but how broadly and honestly you dare to look.
I absolutely recommend it.
Music
Black Mesa by Biosphere
Inspired by the atmosphere of the American Southwest, the album feels slow and stripped back. The music feels slow and stripped back, as if shaped by time rather than composed traditionally. Nothing forces itself forward. It simply sits there and lets you stay with it.
What I like about this record is its restraint. It leaves space. Space to think, work, and let things unfold without pressure.
Throughout the album, you hear fragments of dialogue sampled from the 1936 film The Petrified Forest. Voices from another time appear and disappear, never forming a narrative. They’re more like distant echoes that add a human layer to the sound.
This is music that supported my work rather than interrupted it. It played on repeat for a reason.
Also, the music video is pretty awesome.
Architecture and Design
What I love about Studio STRAF is their restraint. They use materials in an honest and confident way. Nothing is polished just to impress. Wood, stone, plaster, and metal are allowed to exist as they are.
Their minimalism is a mindset, not just a look. Spaces are reduced yet never feel empty. Everything feels deliberate. The architecture, interior, and furniture speak the same language, creating a strong sense of coherence. Every element feels in the right place; nothing is excessive or out of place. There is a clear sense that each decision strengthens the whole rather than standing alone.
Book
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
This was an incredible book to read.
As mentioned in my previous newsletter, Stoicism is something I want to dive deeper into, and this felt like the best possible starting point. The four virtues of Stoicism, wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance, form a quiet but steady foundation throughout the text.
What struck me most is how contemporary it feels. It is almost unreal to think these reflections were written by a Roman emperor nearly two thousand years ago. The thoughts feel recent and direct. It is confronting, in a good way, to realize that people were already thinking about the same questions back then. In essence, not much has changed.
Like with any book, not every passage applies. But I have never highlighted as much in a book as I did in this one. One passage in particular stayed with me:
“If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.”
For me, this sentence captures the core of Stoicism. Not the circumstances themselves, but our judgment of them is what affects us. And that judgment is something we can change.
I read the Dutch edition, Overpeinzingen, and it is high on my list to read it again in English later this year.
Film/Stand-up
The Unstoppable by Dave Chappelle
Chappelle has long been one of my favorite comedians.
His sharp tongue, his ability to call things as they are, and his clear view of the world set him apart. He observes without hesitation, turning his observations into humor that cuts deep while always maintaining control. His shows feel complete—not a collection of jokes, but a coherent whole.
Watching The Unstoppable was a good way to reflect on the past year. It provided an opportunity to reflect, question, and end the year with perspective and a smile.
— Bastiaan
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