Plotting my career in the early 80’s I never imagined my career today. Photography industry insider Stephen Mayes describes my current lifestyle as having a “portfolio career” essentially one that includes multiple income streams from a variety of services over a range of industry sectors. What my mother calls having a lot of irons in different fires. Although not what I envisioned, this is really good for me.
My single most valuable character trait is my curiosity; it has fueled all aspects of my creative life and continues to lead me to new opportunities both for creative expression and also commercial exploitation.
Just the other day, a longtime client and friend from my New York City days, introduced me as one of the most interesting people she knows. She mentioned that I was someone who is always reinventing his work and life.
I learned in that conversation that all my work has a common core, which is storytelling. In essence I like to learn, I like to experience things and then I share my enthusiasm. My work varies like the wind. I read, I write, make pictures, do interviews, capture video, splice images together, teach a class, consult with a client, moderate a panel discussion, introduce my daughter to a classic film, push a few buttons, just a normal day in my life.
A few years ago, thanks to my friends at ASMP I learned to rethink my business. This process included a fair amount of self-evaluation (Judy Herrmann’s 2goodthings.com is very useful in helping with that process.) I also had to rethink my brand and my identity, how I described myself and what I was ultimately selling.
For someone in the middle of their career, this sort of re-invention is not easy. What was my business? What did clients expect of me? What new services could I offer? On the upside, I continue to fuel my insatiable curiosity. I learn something new every day. I have tons of new experiences and stories to share. Best of all I get to illustrate them all with pictures – some moving and some still. I live in a state of always be reinventing.