When I talk to creators and survey the industry landscape, I see a zillion creators trying to have all their work liked by all the people. This comes from our social animal DNA, but it’s the completely wrong approach to success – whether that be measured by your work being licensed, sold, etc, or by getting hired, shown, talked about, displayed, whatever.
Simply said, by trying to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one, especially not yourself.
But fear not (or fear less, perhaps). The answer is simple.
1. Shoot what you love.
2. Relentlessly share that work.
3. Repeat.
People can smell whether you love what you’re shooting or not, love what you’re promoting or not, love what you’re doing or not. So you might as well effing love it for real. It’s all you’ve got.
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So quit with your shifty eyes, looking at what everybody else is doing. And do your own shiznit. Yes this means you. If your work is priced…… appropriately, be it fine art, commercial, editorial, wedding, whatever, all you need is 10-50 people each year to dig what you make. That’ll come from doing what you love, and that will make for a great year. Of all the damn people you have access to with the innernets, there are 50 people with money who like what you do. Of the 1000 or 10,000,000 who look at your site, your book, your whatever, those “likers” can be a pretty low percentage. Bet on it.
Chase is My Yoda ! I love all the wise words, Do what ya Love and People will notice.
I totally agree. when we try to please everyone, peoples feels it and the we totally get the opposite results.
Thanks for the post, I love it.
Spot on! Like that…thanks for reminding us!
“Hard work is not the path to Well- Being. Feeling good is the path to Well-Being. You don’t create through action; you create through vibration. And then, your vibration calls action from you.” Abraham Hicks
Good advice! I’d like to add the caveat that the trick is finding what you love to do that is also marketable. Shooting pictures of cool looking dirt might be A passion but is not marketable. Shooting people having fun is very marketable. Try and find a passion that is marketable.
People like to hire me for (video) shooting real people. That’s something I love to do that is marketable. Creating that connection and getting their story out is awesome. Doing it well is marketable.
Great post, Chase! I needed this today and plan to print this post and read it every morning until it sinks in!