As the 2019 year is gone, it's time to start setting goals and making this your best year to date. In this article, hear the most important piece of advice to creators in 2020 and learn how to maximize your creative growth.
What sets the new year apart from all the other ones? Ask yourself: "Did I accomplish everything I set out to do in the previous year? How can I continue to grow and improve?"
One of the biggest things I find that stands between people and achieving their goals are the excuses we make, which ultimately lead to procrastination. In this short, but inspiring 10-minute video put out by Toronto-based YouTuber and filmmaker Matti Haapoja, he has a heart-to-heart honest conversation with his audience about his advice for upcoming creatives. Even after Haapoja released over 150 videos for his channel this past year, he reflects on the fact that he wants to level up his cinematography and push the quality of his videos to to the next level. He tells us that in order to grow and improve your craft, you must:
Learn. Make. Repeat.
This simple sentiment could not be any more relatable. When we first pick up a camera, we have all the glamorous ideas in our heads, but have no clue how to get our vision into the world. So, we learn, and then, we repeat. We go on YouTube and spend hours a day learning, but in turn, neglect to go out and create. Without going out and applying that knowledge, the next day disappears and the cycle begins again. So, by the time I finished the video, I was instantly inspired to just start making things next year and taking action.
What goals do you have planned for 2020? Share them in the comment section below!
I wish everyone would stop calling themselves creators, it's ridiculous and makes photographers and videographers sound idiotic. We are using tools built by camera companies to make videos and photos the same way chefs and bakers are using ovens, stoves, mixers and blenders, etc., to make culinary dishes. They are creating things too but they don't call themselves creators. If you meet someone and they ask you what you do for a living, do you respond with "creator"? No...because there is already a term for our jobs: videographers and photographers. If you're a "creator" instead of a photographer then start calling your camera bag a "creation bag". I could go on and on about how dumb this is. Millions of jobs could call themselves creators FFS, but they don't.
Enough for now, I think I'll go read my new book. The creator who wrote is really well reviewed. The guy who wrote, excuse me...created, the foreword, the co-creator, is really well known too. Together as creators they really created what looks like a great creation that I'm looking forward to reading. I think I'll go create some homemade mac and cheese before I sit down and get started.
Amen and amen!!!
Based on what you wrote you don't seem to understand that the term creator is a catchall for EVERYONE who creates things. Pretty sure no one is going to title something, "Important piece of advice for: bakers, photographers, writers, artists, painters, musicians, videographer, graphic designers, video game designer, sculptor, fasion designer.............................................................."
Understand now?
If that's true then why are photographers and videographers the only ones in the group of "creators" that use the term? That's a pretty obvious reply/question that you clearly didn't see coming when you responded. Have you ever heard a baker call themselves a creator? Have you ever walked into a fine dining restaurant and asked "what is the creators special of the day?" No. Because they are comfortable calling themselves what they are. And by the way the title to this article could have EASILY been written as:
"The Most Important Piece of Advice to photographers and videographers in 2020."
It doesn't need to be such a self-appreciative title does it? Did he have to add "from a creator" at the end? Like, was that even remotely necessary? And to prove my point, the title of the video he linked to is titled "My Biggest Advice for Creators in 2020." So there you are. And it is still annoying but at least it's less self-glorifying.
Photographers and videographers running around calling themselves "creators" is such a dopey, self-obsessed thing to do. This is long but follow me if you can Jeff; It's the kind of thing that paints all of us as $7 coffee drinking, went to university but can't use my degree because no employer has ever heard of it, went to Bali on my parents credit card and photographed my outstretched hand reaching toward a waterfall, entitled losers. Understand now?
If not, head down to your local bakery, excuse me....creative-ery, have a cupcake and think about it. It'll come to you.
Probably because he's a photographer and was speaking directly to them, but isn't limited to them. Plenty of others use "creator" as a catchall. maybe you dont know what catchall means. If I'm talking to photographers, I'm not going to refer to them as creators unless I'm using the term to express a thought that goes beyond photographers.
But at this point, it seems you just hate the term for the sake of hating the term. I'm sure it gives you a sense of pride to be so counterculture. Keep on doing you good sir. Bye
I'm well aware of what catchall means. But I just told you that you don't hear bakers or chefs using the term, as an example, which is true. It's only in photography and videography that we've adopted this self-glorifying term "creators" and you can't give me widespread proof of any other industry using this term extensively. I'm right, you're wrong. You know for a creator you're not creating a very good argument.
By the way it's not me who's counter culture. It's every self-obsessed person with a camera who is trying to be counter culture by calling themselves "creators". The term photographer and videographer have been the norm for a long, long time.
I had some other stuff typed out, but then I went back and read your whole earlier response. Never mind, your "$7 coffee drinker" paragraph says more about you than anything else you wrote. I now understand why you're so angry over something as stupid as a title of "creator."
Haha, Ooooh :) Looks like someone's mad they lost the argument.
yeah, that's it
The good thing he did was to give the three key points in less than a minute. Learn Make Repeat.
Since this site is pretty much dedicated to certain interests the term photographers and film makers would cover 96% of the fstopper crowd. But it's fun to call oneself a creative.