I Will Be A Photographer (Prompt 7)

Prompt:

Dare to Be Bold by Matt Cheuvront

Our arts, our occupations, our marriages, our religion, we have not chosen, but society has chosen for us. We are parlour soldiers. We shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Next to Resistance, rational thought is the artist or entrepreneurs worst enemy. Bad things happen when we employ rational thought, because rational thought comes from the ego. Instead, we want to work from the Self, that is, from instinct and intuition, from the unconscious.

A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. Its only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” - Steven Pressfield, Do the Work

The idea of “being realistic” holds all of us back. From starting a business or quitting a job to dating someone who may not be our type or moving to a new place – getting “real” often means putting your dreams on hold.

Today, let’s take a step away from rational thought and dare to be bold. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to accomplish but have been afraid to pursue? Write it down. Also write down the obstacles in your way of reaching your goal. Finally, write down a tangible plan to overcome each obstacle.

The only thing left is to, you know, actually go make it happen. What are you waiting for?

My Response:

I want to be a photographer.

Not someone who takes casual pictures on vacation, but someone who takes powerful pictures. Pictures that mean something to someone. Pictures that I want to look at years later and not just post on Facebook. When I look at work from some of the best photographers I feel something. I want to create that feeling.

What's stopping me? Lack of knowledge, lack of experience and lack of proper equipment.

You cannot be a photographer with a hot pink Canon Powershot with 12.1 megapixels. You also cannot be a photographer without surrounding yourself with other great photographers to inspire you. Also, I am a visual learner, so I don't think I can be a self-taught photographer.

I will be a photographer.

My plan: when I move back to the States, take six months to get settled and then get started with some sort of community education class or community college class on photography. Live in a big city that inspires me to go for long walks with my camera.

After I gain some knowledge about how to be a great photographer, get myself a camera that I am proud to use. Start saving for said camera now (I kind of already am, but I need to actually decide what is "life savings" and what is "super cool camera savings")

Until then - practice, practice, practice. If you want to be a writer, you write. So if I want to be a photographer, I will take photos.

#Trust30 is an online initiative and 30-day writing challenge that encourages you to look within and trust yourself. Use this as an opportunity to reflect on your now, and to create direction for your future. 30 prompts from inspiring thought-leaders will guide you on your writing journey.