What do you want to be when you grow up?


 In the 2006 indie breakout hit, "Little Miss Sunshine" actor Paul Dano plays an angry young man who seemingly hates the world, but is set on becoming a pilot in the military. Half way through the movie he realizes he is color blind, which automatically disqualifies him from being a pilot. In my favorite line of the film, he responds "If I want to fly, I'll find a way to fly. You do what you love, and f**k the rest."

 This line blew me away, and has stuck with me ever since. If there is one secret to happiness in life, it's to spend it doing something that makes you happy, something you're passionate about, something you love doing. It's such a simple concept, but one of the first sacrificies we make when faced with growing up and adult life's responsibilities. I think that does nothing but doom you to a life of complacency at best, and utter misery at worst.

 Why do we make this sacrifice, slave away at jobs we don't like, go to school for degrees we have no interest in, or live somewhere that doesn't make us happy? Because we give in to the pressure of the adult world, we lose that sense of childlike wonder and the big dreams we had when we were younger. You were asked it all the time when you were a child, but what do you want to be when you grow up? Now that you are older and know the world better, you're more qualified to answer that daunting question. If you know the answer, the thing you truly want to do more than anything else with your life, then you should spend every day making it a reality. If you don't know, then get out and try new things until you find something you fall in love with, don't use that as an excuse to let yourself be unhappy.



My story

I didn't know until after college that I wanted to spend the rest of my life as a photographer. I started at USC as a music major, then switched to engineering for a summer and journalism for the rest of my time there. After school I worked at a newspaper and ended up being the main photographer and that is when I realized that it was more than just a hobby or something I enjoyed. I knew that this was it, what I wanted more than anything else. So that was it? No, once I knew that's what I wanted I had to work hard at it for a long time before I could be a full time photographer. I never took a photography course in school, so I had to teach myself everything. Working day jobs and shooting portraits of friends in the evenings, waiting tables on the weekends while spending the weeks learning and planning everything I could for my business, it took hard work and sacrifice for years to get to where I wanted to be, and I still have a long ways to go. 

I'm in the process of opening a studio in Florence this summer, and that's just another big step in my journey to make my dream a reality. People often ask me why I would choose to start a business in this economy, and my response is that yes, small businesses often fail, but my chances of succeeding are better this way than trying to find a traditional job that will make me happy, and I would rather bank my success on my own talent and drive than a manager deciding to hire me for a position that I don't truly want. The truth is, there are a million people doing photography as a side job or even for free, but I can't let that discourage me, I will continue to stay my course and I think that as long as I work hard I will succeed in more ways than one. 

I know I'm not the only person in my generation that has realized this, our's is a generation of enterpeneurs and start-ups. Look at the world changing innovations we have already introduced, things like Facebook and Twitter have had enormous impact on the world, and they started from a simple idea from a single person. The most successful and happy people from our era will be the ones that created their own path, made their own job out of what made them happy. My good friend Dylan Sneed is a great artist that has worked hard as an independent musician for years, and some of his latest projects are inspiring others, such as the Artsville house concert series (pictured above) to get involved and do the same. Stacie Fields (pictured above right), a dancer from Hartsville, moved to New York City after school to pursue her dreams, and what could be a more competitive or hard world to throw yourself into. That's what it takes to truly succeed in life; risk, dedication, and drive. It's not about having a bigger home, a brand new car, it's about being happy with your life, every day, not just the weekends.



So where do you start?

You have to realize that chasing your dream and making it a reality is a lot harder than living a typical life, but the reward is more than worth it. You may have to go back to school, work an extra job, spend late nights working on whatever it is that you're pursuing. And it won't happen overnight. It will take years to see minor progress, especially if you're starting from scratch. 

Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell proposed a theory that if you spend 10,000 hours practicing something you can master it and become an expert in the field. Whether you want to be a writer, painter, cyclist, or musician, if you dedicate enough time and effort you will reach a level of success, guaranteed. Olympic atheletes, world-class musicians, and yoga masters all spend countless years on their craft. Now, you don't have to become world reknowned for what you want to do, but if you want to succeed you have to realize that if you don't take constant action then it's not going to happen. Drastic changes in your life require drastic change in your lifestyle. 

But what if you're too young, too old, have a mortgage? Those are all parts of life that you have to deal with regardless, why not be happy with what you're doing in spite of those excuses? Kristen Booth, a great photographer from Southern California, started her business at 18, and now at 21 has achieved success most people never know. Not financially, but in her happiness. She loves what she does and made it her life. Paul Miller, a recent Youtube hit, recorded his first album at 65 after retiring from a day job that had him waking at 5 am for 40 years. He is finally pursuing what he has always wanted to with his music. What is holding you back from doing the same? Nothing. Go back to school, take lessons, stay up late learning everything you can, stay in on the weekends when everyone else is out having a good time, and you can start to pursue your dreams as well. I promise you, it's worth it. 

Check back Friday, I will have a great tutorial post for you lightroom/photoshop users!