Finding My Own Words in Platon's Republic
Why a line from Finding Forrester and a used copy of Platon's Republic keep shaping how I approach a portrait.
Do you have a movie you forget about, until you see it again and remember why it's one of your all-time favorites? For me, that movie is Finding Forrester. It's about an inner-city kid with a gift for writing who, by accident, becomes friends with one of the great writers of his time, William Forrester. The two form a bond, and drama and happiness ensue.
One line from Forrester's final speech has stuck with me and keeps me looking for inspiration every day: "I helped him find his own words by starting with some of mine." The speech goes on to vindicate the main character, Jamal, but that's the line I always remember, because I believe we all need someone else's words to help us find our own. That's why I keep looking to different places for inspiration for my next project or body of work. One of my favorite places to look is the famed portrait artist Platon, and the first body of his work I ever really studied was Platon's Republic.
The book
I bought it a little over a year ago in Portland, at Powell's, one of the most famous bookstores in the area. I'd heard so much about Platon and wanted to understand his work better. The images spoke to me in their simplicity, but it wasn't until I sat down, studied his method and read the notes he included at the back of the book that I became fascinated with what he could do with such a simple setup.
His ability to find his subject through the lens and draw that out in a portrait is astounding, and I've returned to the book again and again as portrait assignments come up. I study his eye for shooting low or wide, or for having the subject come at the lens with their face or hands. I study how he positions hands to convey a feeling or say something about the person. Every time I look through it, I notice something new.
What I'd suggest
More than anything, find a copy of Platon's Republic (used bookstores are a good place to look) and study the notes at the back. The way he captured what he was feeling and used those notes to push his work forward has inspired me to do the same. Since I started, I feel my own ability to tell a story has grown much faster than it was before.
If you can't find that one, his other books are just as powerful and easier to track down. Service is a good place to start. The Netflix series Abstract also did a phenomenal episode on him.
I hope this helps you find more inspiration. Never be afraid to start with a few of somebody else's words to help you find your own.
Originally published on the Ruddock Visuals blog, February 2018. Lightly edited in 2026.