Take Back Your Power
[by Judy Herrmann]
At the SB2 conferences a couple of years ago, I noticed that many photographers were exhibiting the classic signs of mourning. Back then, most were still in denial but many were grappling with a sense of helplessness, paralysis and loss as they faced what they perceived as the death of a profession they loved.
Today, it’s clear that far too many of my colleagues have graduated to the anger phase and that anger is doing as much damage to our profession as the recession, changing technologies and changing markets combined.
In Vein of Gold, her 1996 sequel to The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron wrote: “When we are angry or depressed in our creativity, we have misplaced our power. We have allowed someone else to determine our worth, and then we are angry at being undervalued.” I’m willing to bet that every single one of us either is that person or knows that person.
Looking for a silver bullet? The magic answer? Here it is: the one thing that’s going to help you survive as a professional visual communicator is your creativity. I can’t tell you what your career is going to look like – that’s up to you – but I can tell you that without creative vision, creative thinking, creative problem solving, creative strategies and creative approaches to building your business in the “new economy” you’re not going to make it in this field.
If you’re one of the angry ones, all I can say is Get Over It. Find help, find hope, find whatever shot in the arm you need because if you allow your anger at these irrevocable changes to get in the way of your creativity, you are walking roadkill. If you’re not one of the angry ones, if you’re still hopeful, still open, still looking for what’s possible, I congratulate you. Foster your creativity – nourish it, protect it and don’t let the kill-joys near it – for it is the key to your future.
4 Responses to 'Take Back Your Power'
Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'Take Back Your Power'.
I am sorry Judy but your last two posts now have really got under my skin.
Firstly you attempt extrapolate a connection between the apparent professionalism of the builders working on your house to that which ought to be shown by all professional photographers. You made no attempt whatsoever to delve into an useful comparative analysis of those separate markets (to justify the nexus).
You just simply went ahead and made a very simplistic association which can only be construed as ‘lazy’.
Then you follow up with this current post. Again more evidence of outrageous over simplification of what is happening in our market (i.e everyone was ‘sad’ now everyone is ‘angry’ therefor we are now ‘uncreative’).
We arent sad and we arent angry we are just out there dealing with issues and clients on a case by case basis. As for our creativity? It ebbs and flows.
You are just far too quick to jump all over these overly simplistic views of what is going on.
I’m not sure what I was expecting from this blog when I agreed to add it to my RSS feed but I think I was clearly expecting the dialogue/discussion that has the capacity to delve into ‘complexities’ of the business issues facing professional photogs.
This might be better achieved by teaming up contributors to look at specific issues identified by some form of editorial directorship. This way when an issue gets covered in a blog post we get the views of two contributors and far more in depth analysis of business issues in the context of our industry.
I just cant handle the sometimes overly simplistic stance of some posts on this blog.
Great post! Being in this business for over 11 years I found that success is a matter of falling down a lot, adapting, getting back up and moving forward again. The adapting part allows us to get back up again but passion for what we do allows us to endure and move forward.
I hate falling on my face. I hate the bruising, the scrapes, and the occasional bloody nose associated with falling on my face. Yes, I get frustrated when I fall on my face. I feel embrassement, maybe even a touch of shame–a feeliung that I may be failing. Who doesn’t! Never the less, once the throbbing goes away, the scrapes heal, and the swollen lip disappears, I move forward with the confidence of one who knows that even when he falls on his face he is still moving in the right direction.
Very well put and helpful!
I think you are correct in your perceptions of many photographers. Simplicity of thought often yields very effective communication, and you have done just that.
Life and work are complex enough, and yes, some of us are very sad.