PHOTOGRAPHY ENTREPRENEURSHIP: YOU ARE ENTITLED TO HARD WORK.

PHOTOGRAPHY ENTREPRENEURSHIP 101

Dear friend,

I had a thought: we are entitled to nothing in life, except having the privilege of hard work and hustle.

One.

Amazon growth chart.

To start, we are all given the privilege of life. We were put earth, not by our choice. But we’re alive, and being alive fucking rocks.

The joy to enjoy a nice meal. The joy of walking and looking at trees. The privilege of going to a hipster coffee shop, and enjoying a lovely bright espresso, with bronze accents around.

Hanoi, 2017

Photography to me is playing. Of appreciation. The joy of being alive.

Work is the same. To me, I only show my value or self worth through the work I do. Not by the stuff I own. Or what I wear. Or my tools, car, or home.

My work.

Two.

Picasso made on average 1-2 art works a day until he died.

We’re told that we should not put our ego in our work. I disagree.

The good thing about your work: you can choose your work.

You’re not just playing the cards you’ve been dealt in life. Rather, you force the card dealer to re shuffle the deck. Or, you can just bluff with your hand, and win the whole pot.

Three.

Paul Rand NEXT logo iterations

For me, my life is all about control. Control over my daily schedule, my food, my attention, time, and who I love. I refuse to do shit I don’t wanna do, besides my taxes.

I don’t wanna control nobody else. Too much stress. And I don’t need no more money. Just enough money to pay rent, pay coffee, and food.

That’s ultimate creative freedom.

Four. Hustling is fun.

Saigon, 2017 shot on iPad.

To me, it is fun to create. I only work on stuff that is fun for me.

Of course, not all of us have that privilege. But we do have the privilege of what to do in our free time.

For example, after work (let’s say 8pm-11pm) you have a good 3 hours to do whatever you want.

I’d recommend using that time to create.

Another tip: block out distractions.

Ok ok, I know you’re tired as shit from work and you deserve a break. I get it.

But honestly, life is fucking cruel. Life doesn’t care.

If your joy is in creating and making art, work hard, even when you’re tired. Maybe have a single shot of espresso to power up.

Five.

by CINDY NGUYEN x HAPTIC PRESS

Some ideas on how you can use your (little) free time to hustle, and follow your passion:

  1. Make digital illustrations: iPad and Procreate tool. Photoshop or Illustrator on your laptop. I taught Cindy how to make a photo cutaway in 20 minutes in Photoshop. Of course she worked on it for 3 hours, but don’t feel intimidated with learning a new tool. Just learn on YouTube.
  2. Choose your best photos and publish them: you might not have time in the evening to make photos. But you can edit your portfolio.
  3. Make your own photography website: 1and1.com and WordPress.org. Or bluehost.com. Make it and pay like $10 a month. It’s worth it. Publish your words, thoughts, ideas, videos, and photos to your own website. You will feel more in control of your creative life.

Lastly, know that the harder you work, the more “lucky” you will get in life.

Playing by Cindy.

And,

The harder you work, the happier you will be, because you will end up having more freedom and control over your life.

BE STRONG,
ERIC

PHOTOGRAPHY ENTREPRENEURSHIP 101

ERIC KIM x HENRI NECK STRAP  by HAPTIC INDUSTRIES // Portrait by Benjamin Thompson

If you want to make a living (or a killing) from photography, download:

PHOTOGRAPHY ENTREPRENEURSHIP MANUAL by ERIC KIM

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Table of Contents

Learn how to make a living from your passion:

Photo collage by Frank Steltzer and Rabban

Photography Business 101

How to Make Money with Photography

Photography Marketing 101

SELLOUT ERIC KIM

How to Hustle.

Entrepreneurial Principles

How to be a Full-time Photographer

Photography Blogging

How to Teach Photography

Social Media

How to Save Money

START HERE >

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