+ growing up +

I was laughing it up with my friends this past week as I came across an old dingy folder filled with tons of papers. As I scanned through the clutter, I was able to revisit the beginning of my many journeys.

I was in college, or just about to graduate, and stood at a crossroad of where I was going not only as an artist, but overall as an individual. I believe I was in search of identity, and came across so many obstacles in the process.

So how did I do it? FOCUS. Now with that one word came lots of things that I found in this folder. There were papers full of quotes, stories, biographies, and images with one purpose: To keep me focused on the prize. It’s a hard thing to commit to your dreams. With day jobs, friends & family, bills, the growing speed of technology, and not to mention the competition out there, it’s easy to get discouraged. I say don’t stress! Live for today, and see it as an opportunity to grow as an artist.

For me, I loved having tons of references from other artists to inspire me. Motivation should never be the issue, so I encourage you to do whatever you need to do to get around the obstacles that are holding you back in life.

I posted the image above because I was looking at it, and I was just diggin it. If I look back several years, I can remember looking at photos similar to this, and wishing I would be able to create imagery like this. In the end, what is most important as an artist is that you’re shooting what you love.

I want my pictures to have life. It’s that simple, and we all know when we look at certain images, you either feel it, or you don’t. I feel like it’s important to ask yourself that same question when you look at your own work. Are you excited about it?