It is time to redefine how I feel about this word, success. What it even means to me. Someone exhibiting a photo of mine recently adjured me to raise the price. I said no, I wanted it to be purchased and hung somewhere that its new owner would enjoy it. She said, making money is the whole point though. That made me think. Is making money why I do this? Photography is a lot of work for me. I spend hours every single day on it, and when I’m not working on it, i’m often reading about it, studying it, thinking about it, planning my next opportunity.
So what is the point of all that? Is it to make money? I probably shouldn’t say this in such a public forum, but really the point for me is not about monetary reward. It’s about doing something that pushes me to think hard, work hard, create something I love – and at the end of the day, to just create. To make new things. To express something, and then do it a little better the next day. If people like my work, that’s awesomely great. I want people to look at my work, think about it, have a reaction.
Just for the record, the image at the top of the page here, the horse, is what I call success. Being able to create something that I like as much as this. Is it perfect? Will it bring me money and fame? No. Will it get “likes” on Instagram? Probably. But does it make me feel successful and that my effort was worth it? YES. Times ten. Times infinity. This is passion, and it has no price.