{"id":124802,"date":"2019-01-08T17:55:54","date_gmt":"2019-01-09T01:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=124802"},"modified":"2019-01-08T17:55:59","modified_gmt":"2019-01-09T01:55:59","slug":"onto-the-next-one-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/08\/onto-the-next-one-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Onto the Next One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Anti-statis in life; we must always be “onto the next one” if we hope to continue to evolve, change, and move forward!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Life is too long to be consistent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Hov’ on that new shit, niggas like “How come?”<\/a>
Niggas want my old shit, buy my old albums<\/p>JAY-Z – ONTO THE NEXT ONE<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

My buddy Nietzsche wrote an interesting idea in his book, ‘Human, All too Human’:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we were to live to be 80,000 years– could we imagine a man who stayed the same?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Why do others want us to stay the same?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Eric<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is my theory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we admire another individual, we create our own image of them in our mind (according to our own ideals). When we see that person (in real life) changing, it creates ‘cognitive dissonance’ with our own mental representation of that person. Thus in order for our own idealistic vision of that person to stay consistent with reality, we will try to PREVENT others from changing. We prefer stasis, stability, and predictability.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What is best for your follower isn’t what is best for you.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Let me give you a personal example: when I started to transition on writing about philosophy, marketing, business, and entrepreneurship– a lot of people didn’t like it. They said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric, stick to street photography. It is the only thing you’re good at.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This, of course, is said in a partially disparaging tone. The weird thing is that this is actually coming from someone who is supportive to me; they are partially complimenting me (saying that I am good at street photography), but they are also disparaging to me (saying that I am only<\/em> good in street photography, and thus I am incompetent at anything else).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hidden jabs and poison mixed with a compliment — every compliment has a hidden jab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why you must ignore what others want<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Nobody can predict the future. Nobody knows what they want before they see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody knew they “wanted” an iPhone before Steve Jobs<\/a>, Jony Ive, and the Apple team designed it. But once it was created, everyone wanted it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why you cannot trust ‘study groups’ — you must have the imagination to create something TOTALLY NEW; something that people don’t yet know they need or want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, you become the taste-maker, by creating something NEW — something that nobody says they want (yet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow your own curiosity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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For example, nobody told me that they wanted to read articles on photography entrepreneurship<\/a> and marketing<\/a>. But it was something that I was personally interested in, and I had a gut feeling:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I am interested in photography marketing and entrepreneurship, I am sure that there are a lot of other people out there who are interested in the same thing as me!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I believe much of innovation comes from simply following your own gut, and following your own intuition of something that the world desires to see. As Wayne Gretzky said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t skate to the puck. Skate to where the puck is GOING TO be!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Don’t just keep following the same formula<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Let us say you find a certain formula that works, I say — don’t just keep repeating that time-tested formula. Instead, risk breaking something in the search of creating something new and better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, the conventional wisdom: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t apply to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or in the words of JAY Z (onto the next one song<\/a>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I move onward, the only direction<\/a>
Can’t be scared to fail in the search of perfection<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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We disdain the same.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Processed<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As humans, we love novelty. We hate repetition, and the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider, if I forced you to eat the same single dish (like dumplings from the Korean film, ‘Oldboy<\/a>‘) for 10 years straight– wouldn’t you want to kill yourself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when my RICOH GR II broke, I hesitated on buying another RICOH GR II. I tried out a new system (Lumix G9<\/a>) and fell in love with the video and vlogging<\/a> abilities with it. And ever since my buddy Aaron Fesser sent me a Fujifilm XF10<\/a>, I have been loving it! We cannot just stick the old for the sake of it; we must love the new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Don’t seek to make an ‘ultimate’ work.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I think this is the problem we think of as artists:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All I need to do is make an ultimate ‘magnum opus’, and once I create and publish it, it will continue to make me a bunch of money, and continue to give me a bunch of fame. Thus, I will no longer need to work hard, strive, or pain myself anymore.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For example, I have always wondered to myself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are there so many “one hit wonders”, but very few people who seem to stay relevant for DECADES?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Aim for longevity.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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For example, in the rap game– there were so many rappers who blew up really quickly and (just as quickly) faded, while there are certain rappers who have stayed consistently prolific for DECADES (Eminem, JAY Z, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Nas). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It means, “Don’t rest on your laurels<\/em><\/strong>” — which means, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you achieve success and fame, don’t become complacent. Keep hustling hard!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Even Kendrick Lamar has a tattoo on his arm that says, “Hustle like you’re broke”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our entrepreneurial motto<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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