During a coffee meeting with a friend, who is a photographer, I was struck by the notion that the expectations creative people place upon their lives and careers is insanely unattainable. In fact, these expectations are dangerous and have the potential to ruin the longevity of the creative person’s career as well as negatively impact their lives.
Example: we love to compare ourselves to 30 year veterans and say that we are equally as good, even though we have only spent 30 weeks and completed a few online tutorials practicing our craft.
Example: we fight for the label (professional) and validating the ownership of said label (this is what a professional does), instead of putting in the time to make great art.
Could it be that the journey to a successful career is found in learning the foundations of our trade and then consistently and constantly building upon that foundation over time?
Could it be that the expectations of being great today will limit our greatness tomorrow?