I had a memory a few days ago of the bedroom I grew up in. On the wall adjacent to my bed, my parents taped a flimsy photocopy of this quote to my wall that I would read every night lying in bed:
Excellence is achieved. It is not stumbled onto in the course of amusing oneself. It is built upon discipline and tenacity of purpose.
It never really meant very much to me, these words. In fact, I used to hate reading it every night, imagining it looking down on me in judgment as I laid in bed. I didn’t really understand what it meant either. I never worked very hard in high school. I was an average student, good in math and science, but I struggled in English and history. I hated looking up at it, perceiving it’s meaning, and continually realizing I wasn’t living up to my potential.
I had coffee with a friend this morning, someone who is going through a pretty significant transition. He has been contemplating what to do with the rest of his life. He was just laid off from a job he held for twelve years and seems cautiously hopeful about spending the rest of his days photographing. I think he wanted to know from me how to make that happen, carefully asking questions, maybe a little afraid that I would say, “It’s not. It’s not possible.”
But I remembered this quote. And it came up because I was explaining all of the things that I do to try and “make things happen” for my career. I’m really a pretty shy person, but I force myself to speak publicly, to mentor, to do things for the community. He wanted to know how I had integrated into the Portland photographic community so easily. I explained that when I moved here, my #1 priority was to meet people. I felt like it was going to be thing that decided whether or not I could make it in a city so far from my friends and family, that I would have to force myself out to make as many connections as I could–and fast. I approached Newspace Center for Photography about starting a critique group, something that I had enjoyed in the Washington, DC area and boom! instant connections. The fact that I was doing it for free helped gain people’s trust and it turned out to be a perfect way to assimilate.
The reason I’m bringing all of this up is to illustrate that when you see others’ successes (and I am guilty of this too), it is not about luck. It is about a lot of hard work, optimism and perseverance. There are many bad photographers who are very successful. There is no reason for that, in my mind, except that they work and work and work to get their name and images out there. Maybe what they excel at the most is exposure and not quitting or allowing the negative things/reviews/comments that happen deter them from reaching their goals.
If you read back a few posts, you’ll learn about the new office space that I rented. I had hoped to be able to use the space as a studio and small gallery. Unfortunately, I had a conflict with my landlord and I have to question whether I will be able to still use it in that way. It was a huge disappointment. I have spent the last 5 months in “move phase,” moving my apartment, moving my studio… the thought of potentially having to move again is not pleasant. BUT! Where there is disappointment, there is also opportunity. I could use this chance to find a much better space, one that will more easily accommodate the gallery, where the foot traffic and lighting are better. It is a choice. How to react to this situation. And I choose to see it as an opportunity. I hope you will be able to see these daily challenges as opportunities also, and persevere, persevere, persevere…
I looked up the author of that quote. It said, “unknown.” I thought that was appropriate. It helps me believe there is a God.