There are some habits of highly creative photographers that have a positive impact on your work. But, of course, there are some bad habits that can slow down your progress. Artist and educator Bobby Chiu shares six bad habits you should avoid as a creative. And if you are in the photography business, you should avoid them if you want to improve your skills and get your career to grow.
1. Don’t get information from only one source
The more info we get, the more knowledge and options we get. In the world of creativity and art, this means you shouldn’t only be inspired by one artist or one genre and so on. Even if you’ve found a photographer whose work you absolutely love, allow yourself to be inspired by other artists.
2.Don’t stop posting on social media
When we finally decide to put our work out there, many of us turn to social media. As time goes by and they get more and more work, people can neglect this aspect of promotion. Bobby advises you not to “disappear” from social networks, but keep putting your work on social media.
3. Don’t be all about business
When your business tasks aren’t about people, it’s good to be as efficient as possible and focus only on business. However, sometimes gaining your clients’ trust isn’t just about being efficient in business. You should talk to people and form more personal connections with your clients. Get to know them better and allow them to get to know you better. This will make the collaboration more enjoyable, and it will have a positive effect on your work, too.
4. Don’t get jaded
Even if you love your job, you might feel jaded after doing it for a long time. Bobby Chiu shares a tip he got from Brenda Chapman, first-ever female director for the animated film to win the Oscar. She advises that, when you don’t feel good about your project, focus on the elements of it that you like. Focus on the things you love and expand them.
Bobby shares more advice that will prevent you from getting jaded: “feed your artistic soul.” Visit museums, galleries, exhibitions; get inspired all anew. Also, do something completely different from your everyday job. For example, if you’re a portrait photographer: try macro photography. You get the gist. Finally, if you get stuck and hate your own ideas, learn something new and expand your horizons.
5. Don’t tag other artists on your work so they’ll look at it
Here’s one thing I often see on Instagram and Behance. On Instagram, some photographers post a photo and tag other artists so they’ll look at their work. When it comes to Behance, artists often leave a comment on someone else’s project saying “check out my work.” Will it make the artist actually check out your work? Well, no. It’s even a bit annoying.
If you want other artists to appreciate your work, the formula is simple – you need to appreciate their work, too. Be personal and create a relationship before asking for a favor. Just like mentioned earlier, don’t be all about business.
6. Don’t stop learning
As Bobby points out, if you’re constantly learning, you’ll never have to worry about the first point he mentioned. You’ll never get information from a single source, but you’ll constantly be leveling up and expanding your knowledge and inspiration.
Bobby points out something previously discussed: even if you start with very little talent and skill, constant learning and practicing will help you become a great artist. It’s not only about talent, you have to learn, practice and grow all the time.
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