On not rushing the artist.
When you approach an artist or are an artist yourself (when I say artist in this context, I mean someone who lives and breathes it, it’s their livelihood and they have a deep compulsion to create all the time) I urge you to consider the creative process as similar to creating a baby in the womb. It takes time, patience, nurturing, good food (space/inspiration), love and deep introspection.
For the last few years in my business I was challenged, and It always kept coming back to the same thing... overwhelm and shut down.
It wasn’t that I’ve been wearing all the hats (marketing, photographer, pr, editor, stylist, art director), it’s that I wasn’t giving myself enough time to gestate and listen to what I was creating, and allow it to uncover itself.
To navigate the business world when you are a projector like me (look up human design if you are unfamiliar with the term “projector”), we are living in a culture that has a standard conditioning of the GO GO GO mentality all the time, and that we need to make sure we are outputting enough so we aren’t forgotten or end up unsuccessful.
It doesn’t surprise me that there is a huge population of people (and especially creatives) who are in perpetual burnout and depression, using altering substances to keep trying to connect with the surrender of the conduit, when the world they are placed in doesn’t allow breathing space for their genius to channel through them as a clean vessel.
Of course I recognize certain substances can sometimes be used in a conscious way to bring about deep states of open perspective, but that’s not the topic for today’s musing. :P
Artists are channels, they bring a voice to that which hides in the shadows, they are the conversation starters of what goes on in the internal worlds, they broaden horizons and they innovate for the future. They play a huge part in societies growth & there should really be much more government funding for growth in this area.
It’s an unfortunate circumstance that unless an artist finds their way into the grind and learns how to play the game well, they may forever be working a job they hate and hide their gift away to potentially be forgotten about or resented.
I guess you could say this about anyone who doesn’t follow the truth of what they have to bring to the world though.
For me, I naturally fell into archetypal shoots, conscious branding, fashion and portraiture. It was not something I set out to do, but I realized it was something I was good at and utilized my talents in art direction, psychology and working with people.
It took me a long ass time to charge what I do now for my work and many trial and error stages of being taken advantage of, messing up business opportunities because I was scared to put myself out there, learning how to use systems and understanding how I can use my own voice when I show up on social media and in the world (instead of making myself invisible and small by hiding behind my work, which I was doing up until about 2018!).
One thing that I realized had majorly been burning me out, was that I kept offering my clients more than what I could chew. I would send my clients 60+ images sometimes from our shoot that I didn’t put a time cap on, so often I was styling, location scouting, holding a therapy session and then shooting for 5 hours straight! charging an absolute minimal amount of money. (100% would not recommend)
Of course I was so in love with what I was doing, but I would come home and be wrecked for the next day or two having to recoup after such a huge energy output, and because I am so meticulous with how I edit and didn’t really know my “style” yet, I was on the computer for days at a time individually editing each image and ended up with severe back and wrist issues that I am still trying to heal!
I always promised my clients to get photos to them at a certain time but I just couldn’t do it well, and finally I had my light bulb moment which made it all make sense.
I recognized that I am deeply tied into my work. Even if I am shooting for somebody else, I am the vessel in which the creation comes through, so inevitably the way I am able to bring it into the physical world is a reflection of where I am at in my own inner growth and capacity.
I also recognized that I wasn’t honouring the time I needed to create and I wasn’t acknowledging my sensitivity to energy and the boundaries I required when working with people. We are so often told to have strict deadlines and push ourselves in creation to meet expectations, some people thrive on that but I reckon if people were being more honest with themselves they would definitely need a lot clearer boundaries and time.
Realistically if you are an artist who is working with people for your career, you do need to take into consideration that others are involved in what is being created and when money is exchanged you DEFINITELY need to respect that agreement.
What I want to offer to artists out there, is that you see if you can find a relaxing time frame to create in which feels doable for you, so you can maximize what you can bring and create!
If you know 100% you are someone who needs a bit more time to finish a project (and you’re not just being avoidant of commitment) but are feeling obligated, then trust what you need and TAKE THAT TIME! just make sure it is discussed with your client or the people you are working with at the beginning of your journey together, that way you are setting up a foundation of clear communication and expectations, and you know that you have respected what you need too.
I am an advocate for a world where people come from a full and overflowing cup, not a few drops of liquid in the middle of a desert.
In Joy xx
