Keeping perspective.

So in the beginning....

I started this journey full of hope and optimism... as you do.  It's been a roller coaster of ups a downs. It's hard to go from a steady pay cheque, to not.

Looking from a day to day perspective, there are times when you don't have work that day, or that week for that matter.  It's a scary place to be in your head.  The consequences keep you up at night, the head buzzes about what you can do, should have done, shouldn't have done.  It is the stuff that increases the stress levels in the body, that stop you sleeping, stop you relaxing, stop you thinking straight.  So there's consequences to having this continuous level of stress in your life.  It's totally not good for the body.   It's hard not to let it get in the way of your happy place.

I have been talking about this before, and it's hard not think about it.  It takes effort to focus, be persistent, get through the hard days.  So one of the things that you must do, is keep a longer look at it all.  You can't look at the day in day out and measure you success that way, especially in the start up phase.  You have to take the small victories, the shit that just looks good moment when you take that fantastic pic.

You have to rap yourself in the blanket of why you love photography.  The passion of the trade craft, the love of the hustle.  The hunger of wanting to create something special, and need of getting the projects.  This is the way that will give you the safety, protection, padding, that will help you get through the tough times.

I looked at my upcoming week, and with nothing on the board on Monday morning, no shooting.  I had plenty of other things to do, editing, project development, marketing, networking, phone calls,  the list goes on, and on, and on.  However the bottom line jumps out at you when you think that people are paying you to shoot, not to do the other stuff on your business.  However you have to keep the faith, the love of the creative part.  If you don't have an opportunity to create, then go out of your way to create something.  This is what keeps you going.

The middle is here...  the business is up and running.  I'm getting work, phone calls, and making connections.  I'm producing good solid work that clients like.  That's the positive that I'm taking away.  I put in my calendar on Monday.. "Choose to have a creative week", and it's that choice of deciding to do that, that will shape your day, your week, and your career.

So choose to be creative, choose to be successful, choose to have fun, that power is in your mind, and in your hands.