January 2012 … one of my first paid jobs

Dear Past,

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try. It’s the first time you’ve ever picked up a camera. Your work is….not so great. But we all must start somewhere. The important thing is to START. Get messy! Make mistakes! You will not regret putting out mediocre work as much as you will regret not putting out any work at all.

Dear Present,

Please try not to compare yourself to other photographers. Admire them, be inspired by them, but don’t compare. They are not you. They don’t see the way you do, feel the way you do, or live the way you do. Only you can be YOU. Embrace the artist that you are. You have a voice, you have a vision that is uniquely you and deserves to be celebrated. You are on an incredible journey of learning and self-discovery. Don’t limit that by doing only what others are doing. Keep experimenting. Keep making mistakes. Keep pushing and creating something new EVERY DAY. Keep being you.

Dear Future,

I hope you still think you are as terrible of an artist as you do now. It is the only way to continue to grow. I hope you never stop trying new things. I hope you never stop learning. I hope you never, ever, put the camera down.