Finding Inspiration and Happiness In Your Business

Finding work in the photography industry is always a challenge, and becoming uninspired is always a fear. Through his couple years of being a photographer, Phil Chester has found some ways to help find happiness in his work, and help build his craft into a successful business. He shared his experiences recently on The Define School blog and we're sharing it with you here.

I've never considered myself a writer or good with words (maybe that’s why I’m a photographer), or even someone worthy giving “advice,” so bear with me as I try and conjure something worth reading. This will resonate with some and probably will not with others. This is not an essay on how to be a better photographer, but at the same time, it is.

Although I haven’t been in this industry very long (not even two years), I feel like I've learned a ridiculous amount in that brief time- mostly about myself, but also about fine-tuning my craft.

When I was first starting out- and damn, I still feel like I am starting out- my biggest hurdle was my own self doubt. It’s still my biggest hurdle. I see inspiring work and think, “Man, there’s no way I can create that, there’s no way I could book those clients, there’s no way. I don’t have the gear, the knowledge, the talent, the vision, etc.”

I thought getting better was achieved by hustling and working crazy hard. It was rough- finding work was hard, I wasn't shooting what I wanted to be shooting, and I wasn't making enough money. I even went door to door one weekend leaving promotional cards in ten different neighborhoods thinking that my effort would bring me work. I was fighting against some serious self-doubt, and self-doubt is dangerous because whatever you hold in your mind as truth becomes true because you believe it. But somehow, I stayed positive because I knew there was nothing else in the world I would rather do than shoot photos for a living. I just didn't know how the hell that was going to happen.

So instead of having narrow, detailed goals for myself, such as shooting for specific, high-end fashion magazines or shooting in specific, exotic locations- goals I couldn't believe in- I made my goals broad. I had to change my pattern of thought. I started expecting the unexpected. Instead of trying to pinpoint the exact avenue for my photography, I thought, “I simply want to create inspiring work.” Instead of thinking, “I want to make this dollar amount from photography,” I thought, “I just want to be happier.” By broadening my goals I kept from pigeon-holeing myself and avoided the let-down of not reaching the specific dreams I thought I wanted.

It became more and more obvious that the harder I tried to force things to work, the less things actually did, and the more unhappy I became. Once I started relaxing and focusing on simply being a happier human, things started moving pretty quickly. A lot of random people started entering my life- some industry pros and some who had nothing to do with the industry. I started attracting work I never thought I would and I started getting exposure from avenues I could never have dreamed up. Simply put, it was way more exciting and easier to sit back with anticipation and watch how the universe was lining things up for me instead of trying to predict and work towards the specifics. Apparently I’m a pretty crappy fortune teller.

I've come up with 3 basic intentions for my life:

• Continue to always be happier
• Continue to attract exciting work in unexpected ways
• Continue to create things which people respond to

That’s it. Of course it’s always harder when starting out to believe in yourself, but if you can bring yourself to a place of relaxation, contentment, excitement, and expectation, the world will line up things/circumstances/people you can’t even imagine. Simply think and believe the thought that, “Things are working out for me,” even if the pace at which you’re moving doesn't match what you think is normal. If you can see even the smallest amount of progress towards being happier with your life and your work, you’re doing just fine, my friend. Small victories. Anytime you create something you’re super proud of, marinate in that moment as long as you can. Hold that thought that “this is better than what I've done before. I’m moving towards greatness.” If you shoot a whole set and are only stoked on one image from it, focus on the one image you love and not how there are a bunch you don’t.

We always measure ourselves to others- it’s hard not to. It’s human nature to judge if you’re on the right track or not by comparing your work to others’. But the only true way to assess if you’re on the right track is to monitor how you’re feeling when you’re creating. If you’re excited and crazy-happy when you’re creating, you know you’re doing what you’re suppose to be doing. And that, literally, is all you need. Everything else will work itself out. If you’re passionate about what you’re doing, people will find you, people will respond, and the momentum will snowball. Stop trying so hard. Just focus on being happy. Keep life simple.

The biggest thing I've learned over these past (almost) two years is stay open to any and all opportunities – even those that don’t seem like opportunities. Any conversation you have with another human is an opportunity. Don’t be afraid to just start a conversation with a stranger. Maybe they’ll remember your name, maybe they’ll remember you’re a photographer, maybe they’ll check out your site, maybe they’ll like it and tell someone about it. And maybe they won’t- who cares. Maybe you’ll never see them again. Maybe they’ll end up being one of your best friends. It’s all about potential and possibilities. The point is, absolutely every moment in your life is an opportunity.

People like happy people. It’s addicting. Stay happy, stay positive, stay calm, stay eager, and you’ll be blown away with what you attract.

- Phil | Phil Chester portfolio

Phil Chester is a portrait & wedding photographer based out of Portland, OR. For more information on who Phil is and what he does, check out his website. Article originally posted to The Define Journal - Re-posted with permission.