So You Want To Be A Professional?

So you want to be a professional?

Photographer. Director. Golfer. Belly dancer. Designer. Waiter. Model.

If you’re wondering if you’ve got what it takes to go pro, try it. Seriously. Quit what you’re doing now and go there. You’ll know soon after you’ve tried to go there whether or not you’re in the right spot. If you don’t have what it takes, it will be obvious – going pro will be too hard, other things will seem more interesting, more pleasurable, more fun.

On the other hand, if you do have what it takes, you will be reborn. All setbacks will seem small, all goals achievable, all hurdles put there only to keep out the others. You will know you’re on the right path.

One thing for certain is that both paths–trying to go pro and steering clear of going pro–will be full of fear. In one case the fear is that you’ll fail and not be good enough. In the other case the fear is that you’ll never have lived your dream…

When you think of those two, which one is worse?

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92 replies on:
So You Want To Be A Professional?

  2. I have lived both ends, first when I start in photo I feel the fear of not being so good enough. Then I´m starting to feel that something is missing, but the worst part is this new feeling, I´m working to back on track.

  3. #1 – Don’t forget this is a business and just like opening a restaurant one must do their homework. I hate the fact that so many new photographers have no business license, no business insurance and no idea how to produce and estimate a “real” job. This “jump in and see what happens” attitude is killing our creative fees and established photographers reputations as a whole.Thank you for the “words of encouragement,” but what most beginning professionals really need is a business education. If you hate your job – quit already and stop bitching! My two cents – and years of experience.
    Don

    1. so true Don and it’s the same in any profession that has a very low threshold for entry. “Self Employed” means that your are running a business.It doesn’t matter how talented you are if you cannot run your business properly. Let that fear that Chase is talking about move you to do some thorough planning before you quit your day job.

      My 2 cents also – that makes 4 cents of good advice!

  4. I agree, but in the UK we have the class system, so even though 7% of the population went to a posh school, they occupy 54% of all media/Creative jobs in the UK. I belive in the American dream, but not in England.

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