The danger of investing all of your ego into just one identity or thing:

If your passion, enthusiasm, or you change — you’re fucked.

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Genres are prisons

For example, let us say you put your ego into being a ‘bodybuilder’, and let’s say you get injured, or can’t make it into the gym. You might get depressed because all of your ego is in one bucket.

Or let us say that you consider yourself a ‘photographer’. If you suddenly change your mind about photography, then you’re stuck. What if you want to do other things, like paint instead? Or sculpture? Don’t constrain yourself to any one thing.

This is why I believe having more broad ways to brand yourself is better. For example, call yourself a ‘visual artist‘ instead of a ‘photographer’. Because with the visual arts; you can do so much more– so much MORE than just make photos.

For example, I also like to do calligraphy for fun:

Or I like to also do fun sketches and illustrations:

Don’t limit yourself to one genre of style of photography

For example, I love street photography. But I also love to shoot all forms of photography — of everything and everything!

The art of cross-pollination

Another big thing:

I often discover my biggest inspirations for photography and other forms of art OUTSIDE of photography or even the traditional arts.

For example, automotive design — my enthusiasm for Cybertruck:

Totally random stuff

Or sketching graphs from mathematics — discovering hidden beauty here:

The world is your oyster

No limits. Fly further!

ERIC