As a creator, I’ve been my own worst enemy. I think that’s due to the ‘better’ you get, the higher the expectations you place on yourself. And funny enough, the less you begin to create.
When I started photography in 2017, I did it purely for expression to share some part of myself. I posted because it was fun and I loved the learning process.
I grew this account without any real intention. As followers accumulated, the pressure of having an audience watch work that felt deeply personal changed a lot. I stopped visiting places I loved with awe and stillness. Instead, I felt an unnecessary urgency to capture every moment. When I couldn’t figure out how to get the shot, I felt diminished. If my photos weren’t as good as my previous work, I told myself they weren’t worth sharing. And that’s exactly what I fall into, time and time again
As far as more recently, my life has been consumed by work. I’ve been building new companies, trying to take ventures like @bestcelebrations and @culture to new heights, launching consumer products and other random failed side projects. In the process though, I began to separate my creative work from business pursuits, treating them as completely different worlds. I realized that I probably… don’t want to do that anymore.
Now I have thousands of unreleased images sitting on a hard drive that I hope to share over time. Video has captured my interest lately, so I made this piece about that shift and what drew me to creating in the first place.
But I think that when you lose love for the process, everything falls apart. To anyone still following after years of inconsistent posting… thank you. I know I’m terrible at being consistent here, but your support means everything. Years later I still get messages about how I inspired someone to pursue photography. And that means the world
The ice structures in Greenland are both delicate and powerful. They tower over you, making you feel small; yet, at the same time could be gone in just a few days. I felt a pressure to catch the fleeting moment when we arrived. So I frantically rushed to take out my camera and drone. But Benjamin, an arctic photographer who led this expedition said, “before that, let’s take a moment and listen”.
We all stopped. There was the occasional echo of sled dogs barking in the distance and when they went quiet, there was pure silence. Since then, before I take any photo I take a moment to appreciate where I am. It has brought me closer to myself and the places I love. So... if there’s anything you can take away from this, let it be that there’s a beauty in slowing down.
Special thanks to @benjaminhardman for leading the way. 🤟🏼
Change will never be comfortable. When we leave the places and people we love behind it can weigh extremely heavy. Often feeling like we’ve made the wrong decision. But we’re conditioned to believe It’s always easier to resist the unknown instead of embracing it. What I’ve learned is that no matter which road we take. There is no wrong one. And although it hurts to say goodbye to this wonderful home I call Oregon; a place where I found healing and peace in some of my darkest moments. I’m also excited for what’s to come in my new home Jackson, Wyoming. Where I’ll be surrounding myself with those that inspire me to constantly be better than the day before. So to sum this up, dont be afraid to make a shift that scares you because of the uncertainty. Because uncertainty will always be there. Also, enjoy this photo from my last week in Bend, where i got to be the bird in the air for once.
