Patience, and Not the Guns n Roses Song

Right now I’m really frustrated with work.  I’ve only been here a month but I get upset that I’m not a superstar photographer in Delhi.  That the work isn’t pouring in.  So what the heck am I doing here if I’m not killing it?  Maybe I suck as a photographer.

Coming from NYC, working for and with the best and constantly being busy, I just thought, yep, that’ll happen here, no prob.  But I fail to realize that it can take time to build business relationships from scratch and overall find my photographic voice.  Although frustrated and feeling down, honestly, I’m lucky.  I could still be dreading every Sunday night because I have to go to the office (which I did 10years ago working in dot-com).  Or I could be on the train every morning and evening pissed off and fighting with all the folks here who jam into the Metro and will probably crush some poor passenger one day.  Instead I can and will make a good living as a photographer.  I work for myself.  I make my schedule, as hard as it is to stick to.  Through work I’ve gotten to travel to Europe, the Caribbean and around the States staying in nice hotels I’d never be able to afford on my own.  I can spend the next three hours catching up on magazines - that’s actually part work.  Yes, we are lucky as photographers.

Part of the reason I moved to Delhi was to travel, work on my own projects and to begin building my “voice”.  But somehow I got stuck in this notion of OMG, I should be working.  I’ve always worked.  Where’s the work???  Really, I just need to chill and enjoy the ride.

I found this video from Zack Arias which was great for when you’re feeling like a hack.  It’s from a year ago, but still relevant.