{"id":32860,"date":"2017-08-01T12:12:46","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T19:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=32860"},"modified":"2017-01-21T20:46:44","modified_gmt":"2017-01-22T04:46:44","slug":"how-to-find-satisfaction-in-your-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/01\/how-to-find-satisfaction-in-your-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find Satisfaction in Your Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"eric<\/p>\n

As humans, we will never be satisfied. As creatives, no matter how great a photographer we become, we will never be 100% satisfied with our work. We will always want to achieve better. We want to shoot more. Travel more. Get more social media followers, likes, and prestige.<\/p>\n

But how can we ever find satisfaction in our photography, and should we?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Dissatisfaction drives us<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Humans couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have gotten to where we are if we were easily satisfied. We wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have invented cars, the internet, and space ships if we were simply satisfied living in huts.<\/p>\n

So part of dissatisfaction is good \u00e2\u20ac\u201d it drives us to innovate, and make the world a better place.<\/p>\n

Yet on the other hand, dissatisfaction leads to misery. We can become billionaires, own a hundred yachts, and several private islands\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but still be depressed.<\/p>\n

Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t having everything, achieving everything, and having the whole world sing your praises. I think happiness is a combination of achievement<\/strong> and appreciation<\/strong> for your work (credit Tim Ferriss).<\/p>\n

Achievement<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

You want to achieve great things in your photography. You might want to travel the world, make photos that bring you personal satisfaction, have an exhibition, get a book published, or become \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcinternet famous\u00e2\u20ac\u2122.<\/p>\n

These are all external achievements, which help drive and motivate us. Yet achievement tends to be quite shallow \u00e2\u20ac\u201d because once we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve achieved some, we will always want to achieve more.<\/p>\n

And the funny thing is that when we become very very successful, we will be more dissatisfied. Because we start comparing ourselves to others who are even more<\/em> successful than us. We forget to look back, and see all the others we are more successful than (we always compare ourselves to others ahead of us).<\/p>\n

Appreciation<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Appreciation is one of the keys to satisfaction in life. Appreciation is finding the joy in every small thing in life. The appreciation for the air, a soft breeze of wind on a hot day, the gentle smile of a stranger, the chance to walk in the streets, snap a few photos, and the appreciation for modern technology.<\/p>\n

To combine appreciation with achievement is tricky. We want to make the best use of our natural resources to achieve the best we possibly can. We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to just become Zen monks, and meditate in a cave for the rest of our lives.<\/p>\n

Yet how much achievement should we strive towards? And at what point can we just rest \u00e2\u20ac\u0153satisfied\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and appreciate what we have, and not strive for more?<\/p>\n

Altruism<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

I think the solution is this: aim to achieve more (for the benefit of others); not for yourself<\/strong>. Once you work really hard in life to meet all your basic needs, devote the rest of your life helping others.<\/p>\n

For me, I have everything I need. I have financial security, a camera, a laptop, a phone, and a group of loved ones that I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t trade for anything in the world.<\/p>\n

Now I know that it is my life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s duty to help empower and help others. I try my best to do this via blogging, making videos, teaching, or producing information that can be useful. My focus of my life is to produce as much useful \u00e2\u20ac\u0153open source\u00e2\u20ac\u009d information as possible \u00e2\u20ac\u201d to help street photographers, regular photographers, and just normal human beings become the best versions of themselves.<\/p>\n

So to sum up, the older I get, the less ambitious I am for my self-benefit. But the more ambitious I am to help serve others.<\/p>\n

Also at the end of the day, to keep myself motivated, I count my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153small wins.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found the best way to measure your own achievement isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t via how may page views, comments, traffic, social media likes, and followers you get. Rather, it is by your own measure of yourself. Whether you can go to sleep, peaceful at night, and knowing that you did everything in your possible ability to do the best creative work to help the largest number of people possible.<\/p>\n

Or if you feel like you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had a shitty day, just count your other blessings in photography:<\/p>\n