Great read Joshua. I think the most important thing I keep in mind while on this creative journey is continuing to make work that I'm happy with first and foremost. If it happens to resonate with anyone else, it's a bonus. Still, making ourselves vulnerable is never easy.
In a time when the world is increasingly "fake", being authentic is a breath of fresh air, Joshua. Life isn't a popularity contest - and photography certainly isn't. Platforms such as Instagram would try to have you believe that this isn't so. However, using the "follow the money" principle, it's easy to see that Instagram (and its like) only exists by offering "free" subscriptions in return for your personal data which they sell to companies which want to use it to sell you things. Professional photographers will argue that an IG presence is essential and, in some ways, they are probably right. However, for the rest of us unpaid fun-seekers, we either live with it or leave. I left. Living fully off-grid is virtually impossible so I just try to be as "me" as I can be.
I appreciate this. It’s something I think about a lot, how to stay true to my work while still playing the social media game. I get why people walk away from it completely, and some days that sounds really appealing. But for now, I’m trying to use it in a way that feels right for me. Still figuring it out, but yeah, being ‘me’ is the main thing, because you’re right, in today’s world, authenticity is so important. I don’t share for like, I share in hopes of helping even one person who might be dealing with the same things I do on this creative path. Always appreciate your perspective, Paul thank you!
No worries, mate. I did hobble along with IG for a while but the incessant flow of "shorts" and ads drove me nuts. I'm the same with FB. I use it to keep in touch with a few people I've worked with in different parts of the UK. I joined a few groups and it was"okay". Recently, however, I'm bombarded with all sorts of crap; mostly people and groups that I have zero affinity with and some pro-Musk and pro-Trump garbage which I can only assume is being pushed because Zuckerberg is hanging onto their shirt tails (I'm being polite there....) I've deleted the app from my phone. I wish I could delete it completely but I presume that would result in the loss of the "Messenger" app. Anyway, keep up the good work....
Wow this really hit home for me. Thanks for the great read!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you walked away with something from it too.
Great read Joshua. I think the most important thing I keep in mind while on this creative journey is continuing to make work that I'm happy with first and foremost. If it happens to resonate with anyone else, it's a bonus. Still, making ourselves vulnerable is never easy.
I agree Tom. The goal should always be making work you stand behind 100% and being yourself.
wow, like reading some of my own thoughts. thanks for the reminder a lot of us creatives think like that and some ideas to get through it.
Thank you, Phil. I'm glad you enjoyed it and got something out of it. It’s the whole reason I write, so I really appreciate it.
In a time when the world is increasingly "fake", being authentic is a breath of fresh air, Joshua. Life isn't a popularity contest - and photography certainly isn't. Platforms such as Instagram would try to have you believe that this isn't so. However, using the "follow the money" principle, it's easy to see that Instagram (and its like) only exists by offering "free" subscriptions in return for your personal data which they sell to companies which want to use it to sell you things. Professional photographers will argue that an IG presence is essential and, in some ways, they are probably right. However, for the rest of us unpaid fun-seekers, we either live with it or leave. I left. Living fully off-grid is virtually impossible so I just try to be as "me" as I can be.
I appreciate this. It’s something I think about a lot, how to stay true to my work while still playing the social media game. I get why people walk away from it completely, and some days that sounds really appealing. But for now, I’m trying to use it in a way that feels right for me. Still figuring it out, but yeah, being ‘me’ is the main thing, because you’re right, in today’s world, authenticity is so important. I don’t share for like, I share in hopes of helping even one person who might be dealing with the same things I do on this creative path. Always appreciate your perspective, Paul thank you!
No worries, mate. I did hobble along with IG for a while but the incessant flow of "shorts" and ads drove me nuts. I'm the same with FB. I use it to keep in touch with a few people I've worked with in different parts of the UK. I joined a few groups and it was"okay". Recently, however, I'm bombarded with all sorts of crap; mostly people and groups that I have zero affinity with and some pro-Musk and pro-Trump garbage which I can only assume is being pushed because Zuckerberg is hanging onto their shirt tails (I'm being polite there....) I've deleted the app from my phone. I wish I could delete it completely but I presume that would result in the loss of the "Messenger" app. Anyway, keep up the good work....