Thinking longer term is super important.  Why am I doing all of this? What’s the point? In this post, I explain a long term idea and contribution that I want to provide the world. I encourage you to read it over because I hope that it helps you think about your own personal contribution to the world and what you want to do long term.  After you’ve read, I would love to hear what your goal or your desire for personal growth is these days.  I’m a huge fan of sharing this kind of information because it really does help the people that don’t comment because they need help figuring this all out too. Here we go:

Recent Reflection

There is a short exercise in Escape From Cubicle Nation by Pam Slim (affiliate link) that mentions the idea of finding income streams. I always think about the possibilities in an industry and where can money be made. A lot of people get stuck in the mindset of only having a photography service. I have thought of this too – wedding, portrait sessions, real estate sessions. Then I started wondering if that would just start to feel like a “JOB” as well. Because it could turn your photography into a commodity. Where you’re just banging out photos so much that you cannot develop the thing that makes you special or remarkable. You’re just doing the same thing as every other service based photographer and competing on price or availability.

A Little Background About Me

I went through Architecture school at Ryerson University in Toronto Canada. While I don’t practice, I still have a love for it via design. Design and creative exploration was my favorite aspect of every project. I would spend forever sketching, going deeper and deeper into ideas for the project. It was amazing but I hated the technical drawings and everything that came after.Today, could I find someone to outsource the work to? I didn’t just say that did I? sorry. But I  don’t believe that I should have to abandon architecture for photography. It’s not a choice of one or the other. I feel that I can find a mix? What else can be done within architecture, photography, and world change?

Personal Contribution and World Change

I’ve been stuck because of MONEY. Perhaps that’s your issue too.  This and the uncertainty or lack of confidence that comes from lack of know how. Here is what I mean:

There is a burning desire and dream to have some automated income streams, and have a location independent business. This is because my long term goal is to be able to fly (travel in any sense), at a moments notice, to anywhere in the world. I got idea when I saw photographs of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I cant remember the photographers name or the magazine right now (but I’ll find it and update sometime) and he had amazing photographs of the destruction in some houses. I saw these years after of course but I imagined the ability to get to that area as soon as possible to help document, and gain awareness of the impact.  This would help the world and hopefully build acts of kindness in the form of donations to help the crisis.

When I heard of the earthquake in Haiti, I wanted to fly there right away. I wanted to photograph the way the architecture was non-existent. I would also make connections with the people helping everyone and the people that need hope. To me this is a way to mix the love of photography, architecture, and world change.

As I write this, I am reminded of my connection to it just in my own city. I gravitated towards old historic buildings that were set fire, destroyed and then demolished in a short period of time. I got out there right away to take pictures, and capture the life of the building before it was totally gone.

Possibilities that Come from A Personal Contribution

Books, art exhibits, gallery shows, photoblogs, courses.  These are ways to earn some money and earn donations to help the issues around the world or locally. It’s like your own assignment photography. I imagine that if you could build a following and have 1000 fans, you could earn the trust of the fans to commission you on a project. Much like artists or instructors that announce an upcoming series and sell the art or space before the product is close to being available.

This is a huge reason as to why I am trying to build these income streams.  I’m helping people start a blog through a really low cost and I can do this anywhere that I have a laptop and Internet connection. Another steam is setting up a designed newsletter for people that need to build an e-mail list to communicate with clients and promote their business.  It’s super exciting and I’m hoping it takes off.  I hope this because it will help me with this long term personal contribution to the world.

I don’t want to take any attention off the act of helping you start a blog though.  I want this service to help you start out and have your own special way to build a personal contribution. The power of the Internet has allowed us to have so many options to make a contribution to the world. A driving need for every person on the earth is growth or contribution.  The more people I can help start will mean so much! It’s about you though.  I will feel good because you’ll have a way to do this same thing and you’ll start filling that need for growth.

Share your thoughts! What’s your dream that you’re working towards?

Ryerson Photo Credit: Steven Hoang on Flickr