You Never Make ONE Thing

I try and meditate on ideas. I say “try” because I often don’t know if I’m doing it correctly.  Most of the time, the mediation is done incorrectly as I fall asleep (correct me if this is awesome and I should not think I’m doing something wrong).  Bascially, I’m trying to say that I let thoughts and ideas play and soak.

Making this video was going to be more than JUST a submission that would fizzle into the abyss of the internet.  My video submission was the beginning of me sharing thoughts via multimedia.  Breaking through my own issues of the world being able to criticize me.  What can the world say that I haven’t already said to myself as depression consumes me on it’s worst days.

So what else was I making? I see the CreativeLIVE video submission as another way to make my own path.  I made the video for a variety of reasons and not just in hopes of being selected. One major reason was to overcome the lethargy of not making any video posts before.  The fact that I was sitting in the backseat on my own journey.  Creating a video forces one to say everything outloud.  I seriously thank the CreativeLIVE team for the opportunities they are creating for other photographers, but I admire them as a catalyst for so much more.  CreativeLive isn’t just creating one thing either.  While we as photographers are getting the opportunity to learn from celebrated photographers, CreativeLive is also pushing photographers to use other forms of media.  I am confident that it wasn’t only my first video but many of the other photographers first as well.  Video wasn’t the only form of media that was being driven here. The way to submit a video was through a Twitter status update and I noticed something fascinating.

I’m an introvert that want’s to break out of the turtle’s shell

With regards to the other 50 photographers, I was blown away by the fact that the majority of them were joining Twitter for the first time too! Yep, I followed every one of them because they took the time to create a video for the same opportunity.  Secretly I hoped that Tamara Lackey and CreativeLIVE looked at the photographer’s Klout and that it would help make their decision.  I am overly confident that Klout wasn’t taken into consideration but the point is that I noticed how new the photographers were to Twitter because I checked them all out.

Not only did I put myself out there online with that video, but there have been connections made too. I now follow 50 new photographers that have interest in children portrait photography. I get to hear about all the cool things they are doing, as long as they stick with Twitter.

Chosen or Not

Chosen or not chosen to go to CreativeLIVE in Seattle, I was making this video for myself.  CreativeLIVE became the catalyst for exposing myself a bit more; to become a bit more transparent.  At the moment, I didn’t realize it but I was behaving optimally.  Sure I wanted to learn about child photographer live, but the process was more than being blindly optimistic and needed to submit if I had any hope in being selected by Tamara.  Instead, I challenged myself to do something that I had put on the backburner for so long because I didn’t know what would happen.  Maybe people would laugh at me and people wouldn’t want to return to my website.  What a ridiculous thought because getting traffic at all is not tough enough, let alone worrying if those few people would ever return. Behaving optimally in relation to my photography is changing me for the better. CreativeLIVE gave me a creative outlet to learn from this situation.

When coming from a sense of self, you don’t worry what others will think and you gain power. The  internal power to keep pushing your own boundaries.

Regrets and Growth

I know we should strive for saying that we have no regrets.  The reality of life is that we do have regrets. A regret that I own involves the CreativeLive Video I submitted to join Tamara Lackey’s Children Portrait Photography Workshop in Seattle.  Ya, the one I’ve been talking about already.

I don’t regret the video submission.  I don’t regret the crappy quality of my video submission.  I don’t regret that I stuck to the 60 second time limit that was outlined by CreativeLIVE. I don’t regret the fact that I didn’t show my own children portrait photography within the video.  I don’t regret the fact that I didn’t specifically talk about the help I want with children portrait photography either.

What do you regret, Scott?

I whole-heartedly regret that I didn’t make a video like this 2 years ago.  I had the same tools in year 2000! I was taking webcam pictures just for connection with friends around the world. Forget going back to the year 2000, but I do believe that I should have done something in 2009.

I seriously thank the CreativeLIVE team for the opportunities they are creating for other photographers

Sure I like to hide behind the camera. I’m an introvert that want’s to break out of the turtle’s shell.  Writing this type of article is great but it lacks my emotion behind me right now.  Video or even audio allows others to listen to the tone and life behind the words.  I am going to find a way to create better video and put myself out here more.  Such thoughts push me in more directions than just optimally raising my level of photography, but getting back on track with an entire lifestyle within photography.

If I have the desire to try something now, I do it. I grow from it. I am willing to put myself out there and risk it all. I am living it.

Soft Conclusions Here

Through my experience with making a video for CreativeLIVE, I hope others will realize the importance of taking risks. I could have been selected to meet Tamara Lackey (#swoon) in Seattle; however, the worst that could happen was that I wasn’t selected. By getting in that frame of mind, other benefits of going through the process started to surface.

What risk could you take to optimally live creatively?  As a “Photographer” we have so much opportunity to share why we get out of bed everyday to hold that camera and press the shutter. Don’t wait 2 years to play around with your first only video.  Create your own video submission today. Consider it your submission to live your life the way you want, making photography an integral part of your everyday life.  We don’t have to wait for a catalyst like CreativeLIVE but we can use them as an excuse to take a few more risks and grow as photographers.

ps. (I just got an idea)

There are a lot of books, articles, and blogs that discuss this type of thinking.  I know that when I am reading or listening to audio books on the subjects, something inside me is activated.  It seems like ancient wisdom in which my soul consciousness relates and remembers.

I’ve heard of goal books, visualization, ways to manifest and other ways to attract what your want in life.  I probably heard the creation box from something, but a creation box is what always comes to mind when thinking about my work Professional Development Plan [future post].

I have recently began a Creation Box.  Anything I put in this box is something I want to create in my life.  The purpose is to attract it, and eventually manifest it into reality.  It’s a journey into noticing positive aspects that you believe would be great for you and your life.  It has a way of noticing greatness instead of the things you hate or don’t want. The intent is that you stop noticing the negative things around you, because you’re always in search of things that inspire and motivate you into your greater self.

What goes in the Creation Box?

• Magazine Clippings
• Photographs
• Quotes
• Affirmations
• Drawings
• Notes
• Lists
• Thoughts and ideas
• Journals
• Feelings
• Brochures

I listed a bunch of different things that you can place in your creation box.  There is unlimited resources to place in the box.  The rule is to put in things that you want to manifest in your life.  You’re not going to place a car accident into your creation box – you probably don’t want to ever have that happen to you. See what I mean?

Placing these objects into the box will become almost like a spiritual ritual in attraction and manifestation.  You’re the creator of your life and you’re in charge of what you place inside the box.  I believe an important part of this ritual is the act of placing the content in the box. I would create a mantra for whenever you’re putting something inside and intend for it to manifest. Something like, “What I place in this box is real and I intend to create this into my life.” I would bet that over time, you’ll realize you’re surrounded by things and people that you wanted in your life and you’ll look at the box in a new way. The box is full of abundance and nothing is in a limited supply.

Once the box is full, start another.  I have not gotten to that point yet, but when I do I’ll probably create a binded book.  I won’t cross that path until I get to it.  The point is that you start today.

Make your Creation Box Exciting

The fun of a creation box is that you can design it yourself.  You can get a cardboard box for next to nothing these days.  You could probably even find one for free.  Use whatever you want.  I am using an Ikea box that has a lid. It’s started white, however I am decorating the outside while placing object inside as well.  Place quotes or images on the outside.  Draw on it.  Paint it.  Let your imagination run wild and treat it like another creative project.  You can always leave it simple and clean as well. If people see it, they wouldn’t have any idea it’s holding such greatness inside.

I’d love to see your creation box, if you do decide to create one. Or if you have a goal book, or something else you do, link to it here and share it [even if it is looking quite plain].

This is the Ikea box that I am currently using. I intend to make it more creative, but I wanted to show it at the beginning – it’s a journey right.