lost in the crowd
The time has come for you to stand out from the crowd. Now it doesn’t matter if you are a photographer, an artist, or an accountant. Being memorable and being important to others is the goal that you want. Do not strive to just fit in, stand in line with the others, and quietly prod through life. You can read some more of my thoughts about this in the posts ‘Get in Line and Follow‘ and ‘The Courage to Stand Out.’ So here are some suggestions to help you stand out.
1. Share your vision
Everyone sees the world a little differently. Just make sure to add that vision to your work. No one says that you have to do everything like everyone else is doing it. Think about what you are doing, how you are doing it, and if that really fits in with your personal paradigm.
2. Be unique
Why be ordinary? Oh sure it is safe and you may not get noticed. But is that your master plan? Do you want to just hide in the crowd and never be called upon or recognized for your own unique greatness? Some people unfortunately like this position. It is safe, it is predictable, it is boring. If you don’t take any chances then you will get very few opportunities. Remember what Thoreau said, ‘Most men lead lives of quiet discontent.’ That does not sound so attractive to me.
3. Speak up
Let the world know that you exist and what is unique about you. Don’t do this in an arrogant or pushy way, but in an informative way. Let other people you meet know what you do or how you are different. You can be subtle in this. For example, I can tell someone that I am a wedding photographer. But that does not tell them how I am unique. So I would rather say something like, ‘I am an artistic wedding photographer who works in a photojournalistic style.’ Or you can state your uniqueness by the customer needs that you fulfill. For me I could say ‘I help brides and grooms remember their special wedding day through artistic images and video.’
4. Stick to a plan
It is an old business adage, “Plan your work, work your plan”, but it is a good recipe for success. Decide on your unique selling points, make a plan to let the world know, and then follow through on it. The last step, the follow through, is the toughest, at least for me. I like the beginning part, the idea, creation, planning part, much more than I do the execution of the plan. You have to force yourself to do the things that you feel resistance to doing. The resistance is just a form of fear so you have to push through it.
5. Reinvent yourself
Periodically you should change things up, even if you are very successful with your current plan and self. Change is nice. Change is scary. But change is cleansing and will help to continue to challenge you to become better at what you do.
Now is as good a time as any to stand out from the crowd, take charge of your unique skills, and let the world benefit from all of these things.
Gary Miller
Houston Fine Art Wedding Photographer
Eye Candy and Brain Veggies
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