Dear friend,

An idea: rather than trying to root dissatisfaction out of our lives, let us try to HARNESS dissatisfaction, and use dissatisfaction as a stimulus to DRIVE US FORWARD!

OPEN SOURCE

DOWNLOAD PDF: Let Dissatisfaction Drive You Forward!

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1. Be the change which you wish to see in the world (Gandhi)

I think a lot of innovation happens from dissatisfaction.

For example, horses were too slow. Henry Ford made the modern-day automobile (Model T) which made life better and more free and flexible, for many Americans.

Steve Jobs was dissatisfied with how complicated computers were. He sought to make computers very simple, and made Apple computers with Steve Wozniak.

Sergey Brin and Larry Page were dissatisfied with Yahoo, Altavista, and other search engines that sucked and weren’t effective. They made Google, to make indexing the internet better.

2. Dissatisfaction drives me forward

I know for myself, I have always been dissatisfied.

Dissatisfied with my personal looks (I was a fat kid). Dissatisfied with my photography (which drove me to make better pictures). Dissatisfied with lack of free information online about photography (I sought to fill that gap).

Even now, I’m quite dissatisfied. I want to find MORE purpose and meaning in my life. I’m quite satisfied with my material possessions, but dissatisfied with my ideas, my personal artistic ambitions.

I want to make more “dope shit”. I want to empower more people.

I’m dissatisfied with social media— dissatisfied with Facebook and Instagram as wats to share and publish your pictures. I’m dissatisfied with (almost) all digital cameras—there needs to be a more simple, affordable, good digital camera (RICOH GR II x ERIC KIM PRESETS are currently the best in my opinion).

There is still a lack of information, or encouragement on the link between art, visual arts, visual perception, philosophy, photography, and picture-making. I hope to fill that gap with Cindy and HAPTIC.

3. Zen

I thought that dissatisfaction was a disease that needed to be eradicated— like cancer. Now, I’m starting to think—dissatisfaction is in fact, good for us. Dissatisfaction is what drives us forward. If we were 100% satisfied with everything in our lives…what impetus would we have to live another day?

4. You are a visual artist.

Caveat:

Be satisfied with your material goods, but DISSATISFIED with your artistic achievements or aims.

I think ultimately, all of our callings is to be an artist.

Anything that empowers you to be more confident in your art, and anything that motivates you to MAKE MORE ART is good. Anything that discourages you (like gear acquisition syndrome) is bad.

5. Practical suggestions

So for me, I don’t wanna sit and complain about how shitty the world is. I want to be the panacea, the cure, or at least offer solutions or options.

For example,

1. Instead of using social media, use ERIC KIM FORUM (free, open platform, to join a positive community, not to care about likes, followers, etc).
2. Instead of buying expensive photography educational books, or attending expensive photography or art school, read my free articles or books, or YouTube video lectures.
3. Instead of wanting to buy an expensive camera to make good pictures, just buy a RICOH GR camera, or use your phone.

I am still seeking ways how I can channel my dissatisfaction in a positive way— as a stimulus to help me MAKE MORE. To CREATE MORE. To empower myself more, and empower others more.

6. Find the truth for yourself

So friend— how can you channel your dissatisfaction today in a positive way? How can you make new creative things— and do it today?

How can you empower yourself, and doubt yourself less? How can you find more self-confidence, to hesitate less, and to just make and build?

How do you create more creative will power… and make fewer excuses, and more pictures?

I don’t got the answers for you— you gotta discover the answers for yourself. But the more curious you are to finding the answer, the closer you will discover the truth for yourself.

BE STRONG,
ERIC

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