Go Big!

Reflecting after Thanksgiving, being away from my day job, and having some time to generally rest my brain has been a cathartic experience. I run so fast through each week and am amazed at the beginning of each month that I’ve passed through the previous one without even a chance to settle into it. It has me thinking that I need to keep growing my craft. Time is of the essence and I can’t settle, I need to go big.

Ever since I identified photography as my creative outlet a couple of years ago, I’ve been on a steady climb with my ability, focus, and style. Within this past year, I’ve been giving myself personal projects, stepping out of my comfort zone, and really putting myself out there. I’ve completed a 365 project, which was a huge task (just look at how many start on Flickr, but never get finished – it’s not easy) and after that I started this website. I’ve also been published in Charleston Magazine a couple of times, including their Last Page feature, as well as various other publications such as Australia’s Hysteria Magazine, and I’ve been featured on blogs and news sites such as The Digitel. I actually received an award for one of my pictures, and I got the opportunity to lead a photography related session at BarCamp. I’m super excited about the upcoming Help-Portrait sessions because it is something much bigger than anything I could ever do on my own. In particular, this Help-Portrait project really has been inspired.

I need to keep climbing this mountain ahead of me, and there is no time for plateaus. I need to push my ambition into overdrive. The question is what next? I do hope to keep the Help-Portrait idea going for more than just this December, but other than that, I need to do something big in a different way. Up until now, I’ve been what I consider an amateur – someone who does this for the love of it. I don’t want to ever lose that affection for photography. But, my wife has been yelling in my ear lately that it’s time to get paid. I get a little scared of that, because if I get paid, then it’s a job. If it’s a job, then it becomes something you have to do. If I have to do it, instead of wanting to do it, I will resent it. But enough of this silly rationalization. I see now that my own fear is making up excuses. I need to prove to myself that I’m worth it. I need to get hired and deliver above an beyond what I’ve been asked to do. It’s not about the money, it’s about the accomplishment.

Right now, the creative part of my mind is an open book. A journal that has been written into randomly and needs to be organized into a cohesive work. I’m very open to your suggestions, in fact, I would truly appreciate your input on this one. So please, whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, or right here – please shoot me some thoughts about going bigger. How do you see someone like me best contributing to the world of photography?