Support Your Friends
What I love most about creativity is that it is unique to the creator. It’s an idea that we run with & blow up into a masterpiece that most cannot see until it’s completed. There isn’t a right way to expressing your creativity, so long as it’s expressed & experienced. Your gift—share it with the world.
I find that most people don't support fully until they see the end result. It's no judgement on their part, but I believe that if you support someone...really support them...you'll do so from the beginning. You'll be present when they announce their idea, when they start developing it, when they test drive it, when they finally announce it. Every idea they have might not be golden or "the one," but knowing that someone was in their corner is more than enough.
Trust me.
If you want your friend to support you, you should support them, too.
This past week, I spent the day photographing with my friend Derek. Derek mostly identifies as being a videographer, but asked if we could do a shoot so he could expand his portfolio & work closer on photo composition. In the midst of working together, we were able to discuss
future plans & bounce ideas off of one another. I got to talk about some of the projects I'm currently working on, as well as flushing out some of the ideas I've been developing. It's always nice to have a second pair of eyes & a different/less subjective point of view on a subject.
My biggest take away from working with another artist is this. As human beings, we are innately selfish. All of us, to some extent, are selfish. In the midst of being selfish, we believe that our lives & our goals are most important. By no means am I throwing any shade here, I have my moments of selfishness too.
I'm human; sue me.
So, sometimes it's hard to put ourselves on pause & watch someone else's reel. It's important to understand that we can still shine & put our goals first, while also allowing our peers to shine.
It's not rocket science.
It's simply saying, "My goals are important, but so are yours! Let's do this together!" I feel this statement so much more as an artist. Being an artist is HARD. Please, don't challenge me on this statement. Being an artist means being vulnerable, being "undressed" in a room full of critics, being put on display. If you ask me, being an artist is courageous. We pour ourselves into our craft & share it with humans, asking them to understand, to feel, to see what we see when we put our projects out there.
This is why it's important to support our fellow artists.
The ones taking a risk.
The ones putting themselves out there.
The ones who willing showcase their projects knowing criticism often awaits.
It's important because we know what it feels like to be on the receiving end. So, why not support & be a voice of reassurance? It costs nothing to be kind & present.
As a society of artists, we need to understand that there is enough room for everyone to flourish. It's not minimizing competition. It's saying, "Hey, I know that we're both in the same field & we both want to succeed, but we can still root for each other while wanting the best for ourselves."
That, to me, is a true artist.
It's a true leader.
It's a true & good person.
& we need more of those in the world.
May your day be ever filled with love, light, and of course, an abundance of chicken tenders💜🌻✨
Cheyenne Pajardo