We all have a story to tell. Something that needs to be told. Personally that something in many cases makes me afraid. Afraid to express it fully because of a number of reasons. Fear of my result, fear of other's opinions or fear of taking on something bigger than I can handle. As a working photographer it can be challenging to always be extending my reach. Going for that new project and opening myself to the adventure it brings. The lessons that keeps coming around is breaking through my personal barriers. Allowing myself to come out. To fully breath and express what I see, what I hear and most importantly what I feel.
We all need that moment. A moment when we are here on this earth and have our place in it. No matter the money or the place, we have to take time to put aside all other things and bring out the message in our hearts. That's why personal projects are so important. To keep that passion going strong. It may be hard at times but going for the project that scares you somehow develops yourself into a better artist.
“Dare to be bold and make it real”
The comfort zone...It can quickly set in when we start to have the taste of success. Try as much as we can to numb the quiet voice within us, no amount of money from all the commercial work will ever keep us fulfilled. Personal projects help us to stay curious about the world and all its details. Inevitably we must create. Taking what we learn and applying them to our everyday contracts. With enough repetition it will reinforce first ideas into developed tangible outcomes. We if don't strive to do better in our work then stagnation has no choice but to creep in. Once we're set in our ways and anchored in life it can be difficult to break the spell of doing things how we've always done.
I'm the first to admit that doing work that we have no clue in making it happen is a daunting task. So many self doubting questions bubble up in my mind making me afraid to push forward. What will come of my reputation? Will people like it? But in the end it all doesn't matter. Personal projects are meant to be for self exploration. It's like taking a vacation from all the hustle and bustle of work. I like to think of it as my creative vacation. Giving my mind the freedom of imagination mixed with the will power to make it happen.
“Creativity keeps one sane”
There are now so many practices today where art is used to heal the body, mind and soul. It's hard to be constantly doing work for others and limiting your expression because of keeping a happy customer. Don't get me wrong, like in previous posts running and maintaining a business requires you to have attitudes and behaviors that will keep you company afloat but every practice has its limit. When we just sit down and take orders and fulfill other people's needs it can start to dig a hole in your hearts draining our emotional bank accounts. If we go on too long it might come out empty and that's where's the soul searching tribulation can begin. But we don't need to reach bottom in order to create for the sake of it.
All those ideas and visions need to come out one way or another so planning when the time is right and going through it will keep your career passions alive and well. Channeling them in positive ways will help negate more destructive habits from creeping up from lack of fulfillment and killing our spirit of achieving our inner creative genius.
“Wake up the creative giant within”