Don’t Be Shy
Are you an introvert, an extrovert, or a combination of both? Either way, to be successful at your passion, let alone photography, you will have to throw shyness out of the window.
Being a quiet artist or an introvert is perfectly fine. I am a fairly quiet man. I speak when spoken to and listen even more. On the other hand, I am also a loud man, who when engaged in meaningful conversation, can become animated, humorous, and all-round a whole vibe.
However, to get those truly amazing shots, to make those truly amazing pictures, you will come to know that being shy is about as useless as a trap door on a canoe.
How many potentially wonderful pictures have you missed out on because you were too shy to ask for what you needed. For me, I have missed out on plenty of pictures because I couldn’t muster the nerve to ask for what it would take to get the shot: I just didn’t want to bother the manager of the establishment with great patterns and shapes if I could take a couple shots; I told myself I’d come back another day and ask the barista if I could get a couple shots of her making my coffee, or the time I didn’t reach out to acquaintances, who had tons of connections, for marketing and promo assistance because I thought that they were probably too busy.
You see, we all do it. We all let our shyness get the best of us at times. And what happens shortly afterward? We regret it, then we tell ourselves, “Next time I going for it.” My mother used to tell me, “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed.” I think we all have heard this advice enough to know what it means.
To guarantee that you will actually go for it, you need only this one truism: It’s about peace and love.
What you do, as an artist, is rooted in love, your love for your craft, for reaching people, for sharing your work. And maybe what you do is how another human being becomes at peace. The truth is you never know who you are impacting by your work. Your number of followers and subscribers and likes may not reflect just how your affecting others.
I’ll end this entry with some words from Marcus Aurelius, one of history’s greatest deep thinkers:
“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself, ‘I have to go to work—as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for—the thigs I was brought into the world to do?’”
He ends with:
“Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?”
I suggest we all get to work, shyness be damned.
