If you’re already a professional creator, then you know that you had to hear a lot of “no” for every “yes”. If you’re not yet a pro, or perhaps more importantly if you are a pro whose enjoyed a taste of success, then hear this: Get Used To Hearing “No”.
Quite honestly, understanding this will be some of the best medicine you’ll ever take – because once you get it…you GET it, and it will be with you forever. The powerful result of taking this medicine TODAY is that the word NO will change from bumming you out to inspiring you and driving your actions to get to the next YES. As such, enjoy this tasty medicine 😉
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1. Let “no” serve as a motivator. If you don’t win a gig from an agency or a magazine, if you lose it to another photographer, vow to win the next one. Make a plan for how to do it different, better than you did last time. Make new photos, prepare, hone your vision, whatever it takes.
2. Let “no” keep out the other people who don’t want it as bad as you do. Remember, when you’re hearing “no”, so is almost everyone else. When other artists hear “no” too much, they quit, defeated, never to return again. Don’t let that be you. When you hear “no”, let it remind you of this little post.
3. Let “no” remind you that this job isn’t for everyone, especially the uncommitted. In a round about way, every “no” should remind you that you’re in the right place, not the wrong place. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.
4. Let “no” turn you into a better artist. A bunch of “no” usually doesn’t mean that you’re not talking to the right people. It usually means your work is not “there” yet. If that’s the case, see #1.
5. Mario Andretti once famously said, “If everything feels under control, you’re just not driving fast enough”. Same goes here. If you’re… …not hearing “no”, you’re not really getting your work out there enough, pushing what’s possible, pushing yourself.
Now here’s the kicker. It should be plainly obvious that, after a substantial amount of time cultivating the above vision, you will likely start to hear a hell of a lot of “yes”. That’s nice. Nice for the bank account. Nice for the ego. Nice for your portfolio or whatever. But when that happens, don’t get cocky. Don’t only seek yes, don’t depend on it, because it makes you and your work soft. Not in a cuddly way. In a way that you’ll get apathetic.
Of course it’s a balance, but mark my words: when you start to hear a lot of “yes”, consider doing what it takes to hear a bit more “no”. I’m betting that you’ll thank me – or more importantly, thank yourself.
Spot on with hearing “no.” We all need to push the limits so we can grow. I’ve always been a big proponent of daring to fail big. If you don’t go for it then how will you get better? When I was in sales it was called “Getting to Yes,” the more times I heard “no” the closer I came to that person who said “yes.”
LOVE the Mario Andretti quote!!!
G’Day Chase
I love photography, trying to get better all the time. Particularly love sports photography, and with a daughter playing Netball have combined my hobby & family. But guess what? No you can’t photograph, we are afraid of perverts so everyone with a camera is considered a suspect. It got so uncomfortable, that I stopped taking photos.
However a few weeks ago, I fired up the Internet and did some research, hold on! I can take photos, I’m not breaking any law, I’m not a pervert, all I’m doing is documenting a time in my daughter life, where she is having fun playing sport.
So I wrote to the governing body & stated my intentions, that I am within my rights to photograph my child, forwarded on some reference material and legal advice. Stated I will photograph my daughter and if you don’t like it “call the cops”
Two weeks later a letter from the State Netball Authority stating that parents like myself are well within their rights to photograph their children.
For too many years No! has ruled supreme, and here is one example. One or two individuals have said No so it has become gospel. All it took was willpower to challenge that “No!” Now my daughter will have photos of her competing in sport that she can show her children and I can enjoy my hobby. I say No to No.
So true, another great post Chase! I started out with a lot of Yes and the first couple times I heard a No it kinda rocked me…. I say just keep on rollin’, no time to waste.
Chef from South Park said it best: “You’re not gonna score every time, but when you do, it makes all the trying worthwhile.”