ERIC KIM

Think Decades

Dear friend,

Practical idea:

In your photography, art, and life– think decades (the long game).

30 years

Benjamin

If you want to become a master photographer (or master in anything), strive to thrive for 30+ years.

And better yet,

Seek to make immortal artworks.

I know for myself, I strive to make at least 1-2 pictures which will last for at least 300 years.

Eventually, everything will be forgotten, and that is fine. But like in the words of Steve Jobs, I aspire to “put a dent in the universe.”

Why long-term thinking?

Family photo

99% of what we experience on a day-to-day, with technology and the news is just noise. The ultimate filter for signal is time. Time dictates what is important. Things, ideas, and artworks which survive must be powerful enough to withstand the ruthless jaws of time.

We are living longer

Another important idea to think long-term:

We are living longer.

It is my personal ambition to live to be 120 years old, in excellent health. With modern technology, I think this will become a reality within our generation.

Lucie cone

Wouldn’t it be miserable if you continued to exist for 120 years, and you had no inspiration, motivation, or hope/optimism for the future?

This is why you must live your life in accordance with the long game.

Avoid hype

Black shopping Friday

I like to try to think about the future; 30 years into the future. What will everyday life look like in 2050? What parts of our lives will stay the same, and what parts of our lives will change?

How will photography as an art form change, evolve, or stay the same?

Ideas

Balloons

As a futurist, some ways to approach this:

  1. Invent the future: Things don’t invent themselves. If you truly desire to see something built, you must undertake it yourself.
  2. Procrastinate on buying technologies that you don’t consider as being that innovative or revolutionary. 99% of what we are marketed nowadays is just empty hype.
  3. Continue to hustle hard in your photography and personal vision. Hustle hard on the day-to-day, but recognize the fact that mastery takes decades.

Never stop!
ERIC