August 8, 2013

Dear Photographer, (published Sept 17 2015)

You have certainly come a long way. At the same time, there is still so much more to learn. I am so incredibly proud of you. You are known as an unfinisher (yes – I made that word up,) procrastinator and all around crazy girl. No one took you half serious.  When you set your sails for this profession, you never imagined how it would open your eyes to all kinds of beauty. How it would change your world. The amounts of amazing people you would encounter and all of the stories you would get a chance to photograph. I would hope that you never stop wanting to learn, that you never get too comfortable. I also hope that the next years are full of joy, that you get to photograph that joy and that even if there is no joy around that you search for it. Cheers to all of those times you wanted to give up, the times you lacked inspiration, vision and time. I know we’ve got something special here, and we’ve only scratched the surface.

^

Woa, I wrote those words nearly two and a half years ago. Funny how at that time it seemed like I had achieved and learned all that I was going to learn, Even as I wrote the words “we’ve only scratched the surface” to myself, I wasn’t sure if I believed it. It can be so incredibly debilitating to feel that you are stalling out, thinking that the inspiration doesn’t strike you like it did. Truly in those moments, our complacent-ness is showing big time. This year (2017-2018) I’ve grown tremendously, and to say that I am proud of the artist I’ve become, makes me feel terribly uneasy because I never want to stop learning.

I just want to say to those that constantly compare themselves to others (just as I do), see the beauty in other’s work, call the beauty out, speak its name, share your love for something, and know that different experiences shape people. Also, know that to grow as an artist you have to put in work daily, that even when You wish to have learned everything,  there will always be more stampedes of information coming at a massive pace, stop trying to know it all. While you have the capacity to learn and acquire so much knowledge, not everything will speak to your heart.  Be selective with your time.  Do more focusing inward, and let go of the perfect business, the perfect brand, the perfect facade, people tend to gravitate towards those with heart. Build something meaningful and they will come.

To future Adri, stop forgetting where you leave everything. Maybe in the future, we don’t need keys or anything physical small enough to lose 😛 .  Learn to forgive yourself better for mistakes, but really try and avoid them. I’m rooting for you!

-Adri

 

 

Adri is the Founder and Lead blogger here at the Dear Photographer, she’s an avid film critic on the down-low. Her passion is creating a community where the artist feels encouraged and pushed to be better. She resides in Chicago and even though she’s technically a suburbanite she has explored all of the best unknown spots in the city. She is a wife of nearly 7 years to a wonderful man, and has the best + craziest kids in the world.

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