I feel like I have plateaued in my photography recently. The money and jobs still come in but I find no inspiration and fun with them, and, as such, have been rejecting more and more of them. What should I do?
It sounds like you are in the “Dip” phase of any skill.
Consider a line graph. At first when we learn there is such excitement because we actually improve every time we practice, huge upward line, the beginnings of a mountain. Then, we typically hit a hump. For many of us it is a flat line. For others, it’s a downward slope. If you improve daily, you will see growth again. If you do not choose to improve daily, you may stay in the flat line slump forever (i.e. wasting your time). Or you can bail now.
You may have had enough joy/energy to get through your first hump and grow again or perhaps you’re hitting your first hump. In any case, now is the time to choose: are you on the path to mastery or are you just farting around?
Getting small gigs is nice, but totally a distraction. Turning your art into a profession requires you become a professional. That means taking jobs you may not love – not just for the money but for the opportunity to improve your craft, filing invoices, taxes, etc., and figuring out how to get even better every day.
It may be easier to take a professional who is not a photographer and turn him into a professional photographer. Continuous process improvement can meet the needs of many who seek the help of a photographer.
For more on the Dip that you appear to be in:
Mastery, George Leonard.
Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment: George Leonard: 9780452267565: Amazon.com: Books
Don’t wait for the fates to pick up your spirits. Build what you want.
Please login to submit your question