A Realistic Welcome
“What I’ve learned is that success is not about talent. It’s really about putting yourself out there”
Poulomi Basu
While I would certainly pertain that success can be easier with talent, Basu’s words to me are like a comforting warmth following an icy plunge. For me, I have always lived in the belief that life will simply ‘work out’, and I feel that notion is common among people my age. Today, however, I truly came to realise how much determination it takes to build a career – particularly in the photographic industry.
Jess T Dugan makes a great statement on such, founded from her lived experience:
“Things don’t happen quickly, and even if they do, sometimes you don’t want them to.”
As someone who hasn’t garnered a great deal of photographic experience outside of university (and one gallery exhibition), Dugan offers a realistic and honest insight into building a photographic career. She is profoundly clear that building a career and an identity as an artist is something to go about carefully,
Reflecting on it now, I can see that sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to take a step back and assess the larger picture. For me, I found Kolb’s model of experiential learning a good structure to follow as it simplifies what it takes to grow as an artist. Building a career is not one continuous straight line from start to finish, it is more like a staircase with each step being a small yet attainable goal.
References:
Basu, P., Dugan, J. 2022. Interviewed by Fletcher, G. 2022. How to build a career: Alec Soth, Poulomi Basu, Justine Kurland and Jess T Dugan on survival strategies, adapting to change and making a living. 1854 Photography. Available at: https://www.1854.photography/2022/07/how-to-build-a-career-alec-soth-poulomi-basu-justine-kurland-jess-t-dugan/
Kolb, D. 1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Featured image is property of Abigail Towler. This image is not to be used without consent or credit.