![\"Eric](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-PENTAX-645Z-Madison-1024-800x600.jpg?resize=800%2C600\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Dear friend,<\/p>\n
A key to success: INTENSITY x FOCUS.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
DOWNLOAD PDF: Intense Focus<\/a><\/p>\n I see the dual input of intensity and focus like a jackhammer: if you want to put indentations into the earth, drill deep, and break through resistance and concrete, you need both intensity and focus.<\/p>\n In today’s world, I think intensity and focus can be your two best allies and mates. But trust me, cultivating intensity and focus in today’s distracted world is one of the most difficult things to do.<\/p>\n Personally, I have studied a lot of Zen Buddhism and looked up to my hero Steve Jobs to cultivate intensity and focus. I am easily distracted, thus I had to prune away all sources of my distractions in order to focus on the intensity of my creative production. I pruned out email, text messaging, I got rid of my phone, I stopped reading distracting websites\/blogs by blocking them on my browsers, and started to subtract negative energy from my life.<\/p>\n It has been a difficult journey– probably about 2-3 years in the making. But I would say that these last 2-3 years have been phenomenal: the most creatively productive, happy, and uplifting years of my life.<\/p>\n Sometimes when I get into deep conversations with friends, family, or other people, they tell me that I often get “too intense.” I cannot help it– when I am deeply passionate about something, I get “into the zone”, and cannot help but be intense.<\/p>\n Similarly, when I get into a zen-like intense focus in my creative work, I also get intense. I get drunken off the Dionysian wine of creation, and usually type in a frenzy, and produce things in some sort of intense frenzy. I often like to listen to pretty heavy hip hop music and dance around with the bass-heavy melodies while at it.<\/p>\n I feel that if I weren’t so intense, I wouldn’t have the courage to say what I really desire to say, and if I weren’t so intense– I wouldn’t leave an impact\/imprint on others.<\/p>\n To be honest, I don’t think you can just practically “will” yourself to focus. I think the best strategy is to be like Ulysses: tie yourself to the mast, knowing that you will be distracted by the sweet songs of the (distracting) sirens. One strategy I have used successfully in the past is to use the “Freedom<\/a>” app on my laptop to block out the internet for certain intervals: let’s say 3 hours in the morning, so I forced myself NOT<\/em> to get distracted online, before doing creative work. Other ways you can prevent distracted is by making a hard-set rule: DON’T check your email first thing in the morning (this puts you into ‘defensive’ mode, not offensive\/creative mode, which is more desirable).<\/p>\n When you wake up in the morning, that is when you are the most fresh, energized, and powerful. Why waste your creative power answering emails, checking social media, or the news? I suggest the following: take an icy cold shower (to ramp up your metabolism\/mitochondrial-energy production), drink some very strong black coffee, and do your best creative work in the morning. You can use your mornings to write blog posts\/essays, make photos, paint, write poetry, shoot video, edit video, make music, or edit your photography projects.<\/p>\n Or you can use your mornings to build up your business on the side (assuming you have a full-time job). Use the mornings to contact potential clients, work on your website\/blog, write a free ebook to attract more followers\/subscribers, or hash out some ideas for monetization, or start working on a rough business plan.<\/p>\n Why waste your most fruitful hours in the morning to others? Why not dedicate\/devote that time to yourself?<\/p>\n Personal tools I use:<\/p>\n To be frank, I think the extreme measure of complete 100% abstinence is easier than “moderation”. Moderation is not objective. For example, if you want to lose body fat, it is hard to say that I will only “moderately eat sugar”– what does that even mean? 1 teaspoons of sugar a day, 5 teaspoons of sugar a day, 50 teaspoons of sugar a day? It is easier to cut out sugar all together (including fructose).<\/p>\n Thus I encourage you to completely cut out one distraction everyday, if your goal is to intensely focus on what is really meaningful and important in your life.<\/p>\n When I had my phone, a daily practice I had was to uninstall one app from my phone everyday<\/strong>. Eventually I got to the point where I literally had no apps left on my phone, and I just ended up getting rid of my phone (ultimate zen). I found that most apps that I thought I needed, I really didn’t. And of course, if you end up uninstalling an app you really need, you can always reinstall it.<\/p>\n And when I encourage you to intensely focus– remember, the decision is up to you. I have just found that intense focus has been beneficial to me in my photography life, entrepreneurial life, and personal-philosophical life. It works for me, it might not work for you.<\/p>\n So just experiment with yourself. Create your own lifestyle that accords with you.<\/p>\n But realize if you want to create something truly great, you must be intensely passionate about it, and you must be able to focus and carve out immense chunks of time to dedicate\/devote yourself to that creative project.<\/p>\n The world is waiting for you.<\/p>\n BE BOLD, Marketing, Branding, Entrepreneurship Principles For Success<\/em><\/p>\n MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER<\/strong><\/a> is your new philosophical and practical primer to succeed as a modern photographer in today’s digital world.<\/p>\n ##<\/p>\n Take control of your own photographic destiny:<\/p>\n Learn how to make a living from your passion:<\/p>\n
\nWhat is intensity and focus?<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/r0150527-2_21241391300_o-660x437.jpg?resize=660%2C437\")
<\/p>\n\n
Why intensity and focus?<\/h2>\n
![\"eric](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-PENTAX-645Z-Madison-1026-800x600.jpg?resize=800%2C600\")
<\/p>\n\n
Zen Capitalism<\/h2>\n
![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-PENTAX-645Z-Madison-9833-800x600.jpg?resize=800%2C600\")
<\/p>\n
\nIntensity<\/h2>\n
![\"Cindy](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-PENTAX-645Z-Madison-9908-800x600.jpg?resize=800%2C600\")
<\/p>\nFocus<\/h2>\n
![\"Red](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-PENTAX-645Z-Madison-0312-800x600.jpg?resize=800%2C600\")
<\/p>\n
\nLife hacks\/Tools for intense focus<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ERIC-KIM-PENTAX-645Z-Madison-0982-800x600.jpg?resize=800%2C600\")
<\/p>\n\n
\nCut out one distraction, everyday<\/h2>\n
![\"iPhone](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-27-at-4.38.03-PM.png?resize=664%2C701\")
<\/p>\n![\"brain](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-27-at-4.37.02-PM-1000x500.png?resize=1000%2C500\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/thumb-up-like-keep.png?resize=509%2C481\")
<\/p>\n![\"left](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Screen-Shot-2018-03-27-at-4.41.03-PM.png?resize=900%2C520\")
<\/p>\n![\"espresso](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Eric-Kim-Photography-Osaka-v5-2018-0613467-1000x663.jpg?resize=1000%2C663\")
<\/p>\n
\nERIC<\/p>\n
\nPhotography Entrepreneurship 101<\/a><\/h1>\n
![\"ERIC](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/ERIC-KIM-x-HENRI-NECK-STRAP-800x533.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
How to Succeed as an Entrepreneur<\/h2>\n
\n
\nThe Modern Photographer: Tips, Strategies, and Tactics to Thrive as a Visual Artist in the Digital Age<\/a><\/h2>\n
![\"THE](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/The-Modern-Photographer-Product-Pictures-76-800x535.jpg?resize=800%2C535\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n
\n\n
\nHow to Monetize Your Photography<\/h2>\n
![\"EURO](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/IMG_3868.jpg?resize=1180%2C803\")
<\/p>\n\n
\nWhy Become a Photography Entrepreneur?<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/eric-kim-hanoi-vui-red-2000x1325.jpg?resize=1180%2C782\")
<\/p>\n\n
\nTHE MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/D006A8AB-32BA-4D58-AF85-DFF2F6A9F092-800x600.png?resize=800%2C600\")
<\/p>\n\n
\nPhotography Entrepreneurship Articles<\/h2>\n
![\"Google](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/FD8BF7FF-D794-4298-9E93-66A9F1988B88-800x520.jpeg?resize=800%2C520\")
<\/p>\n\n
PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS 101<\/h2>\n
![\"CAMERA](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/IMG_3760-800x554.jpg?resize=800%2C554\")
<\/p>\n\n
\nKEYS TO SUCCESS<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_1895-800x530.jpg?resize=800%2C530\")
<\/p>\n\n
Table of Contents<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMG_1701-800x530.jpg?resize=800%2C530\")
<\/p>\n\n
\nPhotography Business 101<\/h2>\n
![\"CAMERA](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/IMG_3713-800x551.jpg?resize=800%2C551\")