MENTAL NOTE #148: WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?
And….DON’T be deceiving yourself by saying, “I’m motivated all of the time!” I never heard of anyone who was motivated to do stuff (e.g., work, projects, clean-up, painting, etc.,), 100% of the time. Sometimes we find it helpful to see or hear people who are doing interesting, or adventurous things.
I am pretty much NOT motivated by other Photographers anymore. Of course, I enjoy seeing video interviews and documentaries about Arnold Newman, Albert Watson, and Richard Avedon: I love and respect their work and contributions to the craft of Photography. NEVERTHELESS, I have more trouble nowadays, getting motivated by seeing their work, or documentaries about them — not like before.
Me…I said that.
Nowadays, when I’m feeling less than motivated to do work, I like to watch REALLY gnarley (när′lē ) VERT — Transition Skateboarders who can RIP THE FŰCK out the pools, bowls, skateparks, pipes, and ramps!
The video attached here is of John Worthington, and this dude RIPS! Other skaters who I like watching skate are Danny Way, Bob Burnquist, Elliot Sloan, Giorgio Zattoni (one of my favorites), Chris Cope, Jeff Phillips (R.I.P.), Neil Blender, …. and many more. AND THESE DUDES DON’T CARE HOW MANY TIMES THEY SLAM (‘eat Shite’), they get up and DO IT AGAIN a Hundred Times until they Land the Trick! That is MOTIVATION!
It’s not just that these Professional Skateboarders RIP, it’s about hearing their stories: Many of these people grew up in horrible family situations, dealt with, and overcame drug problems, etc. And, many of them overcame problems in life by COMPLETELY DEDICATING LIFE to skateboarding.
The skate culture is also very supportive: the skaters have their ‘homies’ that they skate with, and these people are POSITIVE Boosters for each other, especially when someone does a crazy trick. I don’t see this type of support in photography.
In the skate-world, for seriously-talented amateurs, and especially pros, skateboard companies, clothing companies, shoe companies, and others, often offer products (flow) to skaters, and best case scenario is that they are offered to be on the companies’ skateboarding teams. I have never been hit up by NIKON to be on their “Professional Photography Team” (LMAO). And, they’ve never sent me any flow, and I’ve never been published in NIKON’s version of THRASHER MAGAZINE. I don’t have ‘photography homies’ to lend motivational support. Big Fat Bummer, right.
I guess, I would have liked the Photography Culture to be more like the Skateboarding Culture, but it isn’t.
Yeah, I FŲČĶĪŇĞ said that!
Behind the Lens 