Do what you love

By now it is pretty darn obvious that I'm going through some things inside my head. I don't want to drag it out, but I do need to get it out. It's part of the process, at least for me. For some time now I've been just a bit off. I haven't had that really strong drive. Don't get me wrong, I've still accomplished a lot and I'm really proud of some of my accomplishments, I just didn't have that drive to push just a bit beyond and get to the really good stuff.

Whenever I get like this, I like to recess into my own world. I've used the words "go into my cave" before. I like to go into my basement, hide behind my computer and read, learn and process images. It is my way of filing away things inside my head and it is my way to learn and be inspired.  

Recently, I read a post over on Chase Jarvis' Blog. It's titled "Stop trying to get everyone to like your stuff." I don't read Chase all that much. He's wildly talented and I do like his stuff, it's just sometimes he's a bit too glam for me. In short and in his words, "...by trying to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. Especially yourself." While these words could be spun in many ways, where I am at is not about trying to please everyone. Sometimes at work it is that way, but it certainly does not apply to all my stuff. I mean seriously, I've been out riding solo for hours on end so it's pretty obvious that I was doing things that were pleasing to me and putting off things to please others.  But...As I get beyond those words and that valuable lesson, what really hit me was his simply 3 step advice. 

1) Shoot what you love

2) Pimp that work

3) Repeat

Ok....Now for me I just need to replace Shoot with Do. I love to ride bikes, take pictures and share them. That is what I love. That is what I need to do. In looking back over the last few years, when I do those things the rest falls into place. It's when I get too serious about any one of those things and start to try to please others that things fall apart. So, that is what I'm going to do.

I'm also going to take this opportunity to not only do what I love but to pimp my work just a bit. First, I am sharing a picture of my friend Ben because I was supposed to go riding with him this morning but I had to cancel to get my work done so that I can do more of what I love. I am almost there.  Ben, thanks for understanding. 

Second, in the next month, my images will be featured in several upcoming publications. I've got images in cycling publications in Australia, Japan and USA. I also was contacted yesterday by another. Pretty darn cool. In fact, that image above was one of the images requested by the Australian magazine. I don't think it was the one chosen, but it could be. 

Third, repeat. I haven't been shooting much but tomorrow I'm going to pull out the good camera and get back to work while riding with friends. Oh yeah, now it's coming back to me.

Do what you love.

Photo Geekdom

This week has once again stunk for riding. However, at least I've gotten to geek out on my other passion, photography. This past week has been quite exciting. I've been courted to do a freelance project for publication, I've been contacted about purchasing an image, I picked up 20 large prints for my "May Artist's Hallway" project, and the image below was used in an ad in the April 2011 issue of Adventure Cyclist.  

Heading to the clouds in Big Sky Country

Oh....And this image was recently in a full page ad in a UK magazine. The name of the mag escapes me currently.  

Matt & Mike riding the dirt ribbon at Sea Otter 2010

Thankfully I've had this stuff going on otherwise I'd be a bit depressed about my riding.