2024 10 21
Lately I’ve been doing too much. Or, better put, I’ve been trying to do too much. Spreading myself too thin. The blog has suffered as a result, nearly missing some days and putting in bare minimum effort others. I’ve missed writing my Morning Pages more days than not. I find I’m most successful in life when I focus my attention into one or two things. This blog isn’t a thing because I’m trying to make it into a business, but it is a thing because I’m using it to focus my attention on something. Get my thoughts down onto digital paper. And to keep me motivated to make and share new images. It has been successful at times and less so at others.
There are a few more in-depth posts I will make a priority to share this week when I’m not busy doing my “real” jobs. Today, we are filming a documentary project as part of my slow and reluctant pivot towards video. Wednesday I am photographing a different project. Otherwise I am printing, working on art, working on a book shop, studio managing, event planning, life planning, invoicing, catching up on my personal life. It’s all too much, really. I’m starting to get the sense that if I continue to try and carry all of these bags, I’m going to drop them.
We recently lost a few photography jobs because we were too expensive. Today, we took a call with a prospective client who is looking for someone cheaper then their existing photographer partner. It all feels a bit too on the nose. It’s like life is delivering me a clear choice and I need to decide which path I will go down. Work for less or work less.
-Clayton
Eve of Funeral Potatoes in the kitchen at Moonflower. Chicago, Illinois. July, 2024. © Clayton Hauck
Lately I’ve been doing too much. Or, better put, I’ve been trying to do too much. Spreading myself too thin. The blog has suffered as a result, nearly missing some days and putting in bare minimum effort others. I’ve missed writing my Morning Pages more days than not. I find I’m most successful in life when I focus my attention into one or two things. This blog isn’t a thing because I’m trying to make it into a business, but it is a thing because I’m using it to focus my attention on something. Get my thoughts down onto digital paper. And to keep me motivated to make and share new images. It has been successful at times and less so at others.
There are a few more in-depth posts I will make a priority to share this week when I’m not busy doing my “real” jobs. Today, we are filming a documentary project as part of my slow and reluctant pivot towards video. Wednesday I am photographing a different project. Otherwise I am printing, working on art, working on a book shop, a bar, a creative studio, studio managing, event planning, life planning, invoicing, catching up on my personal life. It’s all too much, really. I’m starting to get the sense that if I continue to try and carry all of these bags, I’m going to drop them.
We recently lost a few photography jobs because we were too expensive. Today, we took a call with a prospective client who is looking for someone cheaper than their existing long-term photographer partner. It all feels a bit too on the nose. It’s like life is delivering me a clear choice and I need to decide which path I will go down. Work for less or work less.
Allison & I had a very nice dinner at Houndstooth last week. While the food was delicious, my biggest takeaway was how calm and orderly the kitchen prepared our food while we sat and watched at the chef’s counter. It was inspiring! It made me dream of a life so structured and orderly… being able to do something you’re passionate about in a calm and sustaining manner. But as is always the case in life, there’s so much more going on behind the scenes, for the better and for the worse, in order to be able to get to a place of such stability.
-Clayton