Promoting Passion Week 99: Moving On
Moving on…It felt like an apt title for this post since this is video #99, and I am aiming for 100. It is right around the corner, so I’ve had to think long and hard about if I want to continue creating videos or if I need to move on to something else. I’ll elaborate more on that in my 100th video, but for now suffice it to say, I’ll have to slow down a little bit, but not entirely. It isn’t just nearing home plate of my Promoting Passion video series that has me thinking about this topic. It is also the end of the year and start of a new one, as well as a couple memorable moments I’ve had in recent times.
One big thing that happening was that I had my work critiqued at a portfolio review. I’ve never done anything like that before and have never truly had the chance for someone to give me honest and raw feedback about what I do. I went in with almost no expectations and no questions. I was very simply: curious. I had a couple glowing reviews and a couple not so glowing reviews, and one downright bad review. And as we are prone to doing, I focused on the one that hurt the most. At least for a little while. I let it drag me down for a day. I let it really get to me. I let it infiltrate my usual standard of happy and confident. And that was when I decided I had to make a commitment to move on.
I took advice from that review that is invaluable to me. I am applying it to my new 2016 business model (oh yes, I have a 2016 business model. watch out.). But I can’t dwell on it unnecessarily. I think it takes a well trained person to do away with hurtful negativity. That review was filled with both – the hurtful kind and the helpful kind, and it isn’t up to the person giving the review to only give one type or the other. It was that person’s honesty, and my problem. And so we must move on.
I thought about all of the ways we must move on from our lives to create better ones. And these are the 5 ways I’m doing it.
- Move on from your failures and your accomplishments. Accomplishments lose their value when repeated too often, and failure is never the way you want to come to define yourself.
- Move on from the person you used to be. Stagnation does not announce itself when it walks into the room. It creeps up on you until you have no idea how to get out.
- Move on from the idea of perfection. I would rather start a project than never start at all out of fear of imperfection. I would rather finish a project and learn something than never finish at all.
- Move on from criticism. It exists to teach you a lesson. Take that lesson and leave the rest behind. We cannot carry the weight of it without being slowed down.
- Move on from what is safe. By the end of a year I have a pretty good idea of what made me feel safest and what made me feel most afraid, and it is in evaluating those moments that makes me realize when I feel most alive. Chase your adventure.
I thought I’d share this outtake from my Iceland adventure today to illustrate what moving on is for me. It is letting go of fears and anxieties and doing something that you might not want to do. It is falling into your natural flow and rhythm to experience all of life’s greatest moments. It is doing, not waiting to do. This image isn’t perfect. It didn’t turn out exactly as I had hoped. But I did it, and that is the greatest accomplishment for me. It is the person I want to be, not who I used to be.
7 thoughts on “Promoting Passion Week 99: Moving On”
Great video! It is hard to believe that it is has been 100. But they were all great and have helped me a lot, THANK YOU!!! (HUG)
In your new studio, are you still going to use natural light, or are you going to get ahold of some studio lighting gear?
You will have to post a nice long walk through video of it for us! 🙂
When I first read that you won’t be doing more videos, it almost felt like.. a breakup. Then I continued reading and watched your video and I feel better lol. Your weekly videos over the past two years always made my day. Thank you for putting in all that effort, and I’m super excited to see what you’re planning for 2016.
One thing I’m moving on from is the safety of creating on my own. I’ve been collaborating with photographers and different models and it’s been wonderful so far. Kinda scary, because I don’t have full control, but I always learn something new. With the help of a friend, I’m also slowly incorporating studio lights into my work which I’ve wanted to do for so long, but was too scared to.
Love you Brooke! <3
Brooke! Sometimes is so hard to explain the feelings that spring from my heart and soul, when I see your videos. These videos help me so much to grow up as a person, as artist, and move on. And for that, I can say that I used your 5 ways. Reading your post and thinking about this now, I can say for sure, that not move on was my biggest problem in the past. My dear friends, if you are with problems with that, I can assure you that is absolutely possible to move on. I move on, from my failures, from the person I used to be, from the idea of perfection, from criticism and from what is safe. And the result was the accomplish of an exhibition of my work that will finish next week. But I already was invited to do the same exhibition in another 2 different galleries. I don’t know yet, but I am thinking in accept only one. After that, I want to move on and negotiate the other exhibition with new works and also with another project I have in mind. Brooke! Thank you for your support and these beautiful and wonderful years. I’m hugging you right now, can you feel it? Stay well! xoxo
Thank you Brooke for taking the time to make and share ALL of your videos. Every single one is amazing and inspiring! And you are right, it IS time to move on! I spend too much time dwelling on things I have and haven’t done…. and it is time to say enough is enough! I’m still trying to find myself as a artist and just as a human, but I know in my heart I want to create. I know I want to create and to help others and to be someone.
I believe things happen for a reason, after watching this video I thought back about two years, about this time of year in 2013. At that point I had stopped creating and had almost given up on being a photographer. Then something amazing happened! I was at work (exhausted) and ran into a familiar face, two actually, classmates from photo class a year or so earlier. As it turns out they remembered me! Not only did they remember me but they were both inspired by me to create their own amazing art! I was brought to tears when she showed me her latest work and told me she was going to be in a gallery show! That she was looking for my new work to see what else I had been up to.Her work was beautiful and she had grown so much as an artist since I had seen her last. For her to tell me that I had been one of her inspirations…I had no words. I didn’t think that I was good enough, that I could inspire others…It was an amazing experience. Followed by panic, because I had no new work to show for myself and I was giving up on my passion! That moment inspired me to get my but in gear! It was definitely a gradual process but I started to create again, I took another photo class with these new old friends and we have been friend since. I knew at that moment that if my mediocre work could inspire someone else to create something beautiful then it was worth it to keep at it! She also introduced me to you Brooke, and to your blog. And I am so grateful for that, you all have been inspiring to me and I think that recently I have lost sight of how important that inspiration and PASSION is to me. I am tired of planning, and wishing, and hoping for things to happen in my life. I know that I need to starting just DOING these things even though I have no idea what will happen.
Thank you for giving me the courage and opportunity to share here!
XOX
Amanda <3
Wow, Brooke! You’ve left me inspired once again. You’ve got me feeling things and thinking thoughts I haven’t considered for 15 years or more. Sometimes what was once a dream world can become a prison. The colors that were once exciting, vivid, rich, and contrasty fade to matte gray tones so slowly that, like the proverbial frog in the pot, we don’t even notice the change. Sometimes we wake up alone and sometimes we need people to rouse us from the dream. I know I do, but I always hate the wake-up call until my eyes are fully open and I realize I have a brand new day ahead of me where anything is possible. 🙂
It is my intent to make major changes in the new year, to move on by leaving my day job of 27 years propelled only by a feeling that there’s something more out there, something undone, something bigger and better in front of me. To move on by acknowledging the desire to create things that are meaningful to me rather than to corporate America.
It’s especially scary to contemplate the social change that it will bring along with the new freedom because I’ll also be leaving behind people that know me better than I know myself. Many are in their own drab prisons and won’t notice for more than a few minutes, others will come with me, at least on occasion, to dip a toe in the waters of change themselves. A very few will encourage and cheer me on, will follow my adventure, wherever it may lead, recognizing their own dreams and mine for what they really are – transient bliss that cannot last but that provides the nourishment we need to grow mentally and spiritually. I believe we are all at our best when we fill our lives with these enlightened people.
I have no doubt it will be hard to slip off the golden handcuffs. I expect there will be siren songs – recognition and rewards – that will be hard to resist. I expect there will be loneliness and lots of angst and second guessing. But today I’m filled with purpose and intent. And confidence, thanks to you, Brooke, and the people I’ve met because of you.
Sometimes we need the perspective of distance to see what’s really going on. And from where I’m standing, Brooke, I can see the amazingly beautiful trajectory of your future. I can sense the turbulent feelings of butterflies and commitment, eagerness and wonder, anticipation and relief all swirling around together. We are all like balloons – lighter than air – and whenever we (judiciously) cutaway the ballast of that which no longer serves us, we can only float higher, see farther, and understand better. And the result of that is beauty and joy – in our creations and in our relationships with others and with ourselves. I can’t wait to hear more about the changes you’ve been inspired to make and to see how you grow as an artist and a person because of them! 🙂
Hi, Brooke! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us in your video! You are such a positive and influential artist, leader and photographer! However, I would like to share my own thoughts about having people review portfolios. As a professional photographer, I believe you should never ask a friend, or a relative, or a total stranger for an honest review of your portfolio unless that person is a professional artist in the same medium as you. Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of losing your passion to continue taking photos and be an artist. Receiving an honest review or blunt criticism from non-artists is not necessary in order to grow and develop as an artist. The most important supporter of your own art will always be you, and if you allow reviewers or critics to judge your work dispassionately, then you only risk hurting how you feel about yourself. If something is working for you as an artist, and if you are totally happy with what you are doing, then stay with it, even if you feel that you are not growing or nobody cares about your art. Stay with what you know and don’t begin wandering off into new territory that might be a greater risk to your art then what you are doing now. Believe in yourself and listen to your heart because nobody else will truly understand your dreams except for you.
Brooke, this was definitely a “hell yeah!” post 😉
My life over the last two and a half years has been nothing but change. Then on 1 September I made the biggest change of my life: I resigned. I am moving on. And as from 1 December I am no longer employed full time. It has been one massive change for me, but I am super excited about the possibilities! You can read more on my blog: http://www.margheritaintrona.com/#!New-season-new-dreams/c20iz/55e618930cf24e84f75e995b
As you can see from my blog post, one thing that all this change and moving on has prompted me to create a studio and work space in my home. I have been working really hard over the last few months to get everything prepared and things are finally coming together. It has been such a treat and value to have my very own “creative space”. Even though I am still busy with many tasks that need to be completed before I am ready to use it to its full potential, I have already started creating in the space. It has given me the freedom and tools to try new things and revisit things I have not done in years! I am already busy processing my first image, as well as a totally new series of still life to expand my fine art range. So excited!!!!
But one of the really big things I have moved on from is people that have hurt and betrayed me. I have had so much sadness this year from those I trusted to have used and betrayed me – this from people I have known for 15 years and 25 years. It left me totally crushed and saddened… it hurts to even write this here. But I know to heal I need to let them go and move on…