Are You Stubborn Enough to Make It? It's a Cold World for Those Who Compromise Too Much
Some people confuse perseverance with stubbornness. Fine, Deal with it and press on.
Happy Tuesday, everyone.
Thanksgiving week in the US, so we are all a bit busier than usual since it is a three-day workweek. But that’s fine, staying busy is one of the things I am good at. I think.
Anyway, I am happy to announce that I found my Bronica cameras that were temporarily lost in the move. Yeay!
To celebrate, I am going to shoot a roll of film of the Cholla field down the way. Chollas are also known as “jumping cactus”. And no, they don’t actually jump. Their spines are so thin that they are hard to see, and getting too close can be painful.
Very painful.
We have a small area that is covered with them. It is interesting how some of the cacti grow in the Sonoran Desert. An entire mountainside may be covered in one kind of cacti, while a half mile away, there won’t be a single one.
Like photo gigs.
I hope you are thinking about attending the free workshops this Friday. Or at least just one of them. I think you
“You’re too stubborn…”
We hear this a lot. Whether it is something said to us or something said about someone else by us, the idea of being stubborn is usually seen as a negative trait.
We see stubbornness as the ability to not move from a position, not see things our way, or continue to do the same things that may not be in our best interests.
However, stubbornness can be an asset for an artist.
I do not know a single successful artist that compromised their work.
Warhol didn’t.
Avedon didn’t.
Stravinsky didn’t.
Now, for sure, do not confuse the idea of doing work for the cash flow (commercial work, catalog, a commission from a terrible orchestra) as compromising. A good artist delivers what the client paid for in the best way they can.
That’s business, not compromise.
Remaining true to your goals, your vision, and the spirit in which you create your work is the most important aspect of being a better artist, photographer, writer, or gardener.
The road to success is littered with the talents of those who compromised too much in order to not be thought of as stubborn. Even to identify as it to themselves.
However, being stubborn can also mean persevering and pushing through, while not being led by the crowd.
I love the quote above.
Being true to the mission, the values, and the force that is your art can be seen as being stubborn, but that stubbornness can lead to big wins.
James Altucher wrote dozens of books before getting a hit with “Choose Yourself”. He was rejected again and again. People told him to give it up and stick to writing about finances. But perseverance, also known as stubbornness, won out and he had a long-time best-seller book that made him rich.
Steven Pressfield drove cabs, wrote ad copy, worked as an editor, tried his hand at writing for TV… and wrote dozens of books that were rejected.
But he was stubborn, and finally one of his books hit; “The Legend of Bagger Vance” was a very successful novel and then a successful movie. Pressfield’s stubbornness was his fixation on the vision and the flexibility of the details.
Positive Aspects of Stubbornness:
Persistence in the Face of Challenges: Stubborn artists often possess a strong will that prevents them from giving up easily. Working in a creative field like photography or design can bring myriad challenges. Some small, some large. Finding the will and the power to push through is one of the strongest assets you can have in your arsenal.
Upholding Values and Principles: This is the measure of your conviction in the craft and the business of making art. Will small setbacks make you doubt yourself? Does a negative review or comment ruin your week? When you know you are on the right path—your path—those negativities should fall by the wayside and forgotten about as you press forward.
Resistance to Peer Pressure: Peer pressure will always be a part of the artist’s life. If you are down and out, you can be the butt of many jokes. When you are successful, well, you can still be the butt of jokes, but now with added jealousy from small-minded wannabees who will never hold their own values high. Learn to let them twaddle on, and stay focused. “Twaddle on…” I like that.
Motivation to Prove Oneself: Stubbornness can fuel an individual’s desire to prove their naysayers wrong. Winning feels good. Knowing that you were right feels good.
It felt good to Led Zeppelin after they were told that Stairway to Heaven was too long and had to be cut down. They refused and stubbornly released it anyway.
It felt good to Gordon Parks who defied all odds to be not only a war photographer, fashion photographer, writer, screenwriter, director, and composer of classical music.
It felt good for Grandma Moses when she became a highly collected painter after beginning to paint at age 78. "Impossible,” they all said.
Some Negatives Should Also Be Noted
Impediment to Growth: Refusal to change one’s mind or consider alternative perspectives can hinder personal and intellectual growth. You should listen to alternate views, for sure, but only adapt the ones that can work with your vision. You don’t have to follow someone else’s path, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to explore a bit.
Missed Opportunities: Being overly committed to a specific direction or idea might cause you to miss out on new opportunities. Make sure your stubbornness is not simply a denial of failure. There can be situations where denial will cause more pain down the road. “Know when to hold ’em, and know when to fold ’em”, Kenny said. Be like Kenny.
Difficulty in Decision-Making: Sometimes, stubborn individuals have trouble making decisions because they fear that changing their minds will be perceived as a weakness. This can lead to decision paralysis, where no choice is made, potentially leading to lost chances or delayed progress. The search for the elusive perfection can sometimes be shrouded in the mist of self-destruction. Stubbornness should never be a cover for denial of the situation.
I can be a very stubborn fashion photographer, but if I live in Ajo, AZ, I am most likely going to fail. Being stubborn can also be a way to procrastinate from making needed changes, a particularly pernicious type of resistance.
And change, as well as being true to your mission, is an inevitable part of your success.
You will be faced with a lot of situations when you must decide if compromise is best at that moment. And ask yourself if it is truly a compromise or simply a cash flow opportunity that won’t swerve you off your mission path.
One last thing about being stubborn: do it with complete transparency. Don’t hem and haw around the subject and simply tell them why you are making the choice. This is a measure of the type of artist you are, and it lets potential partners and clients see your character as true to principles, not a stubborn primadonna.
Choose wisely, choose with conviction, and make sure that you are staying mission first.
Can you be stubborn about your mission as you compete for gigs in a wildly changing market?
It is important that you answer yes.
Annual Black Friday Free Event:
Three cool classes!
More information and Zoom links are on the Black Friday page.
Great article Don. If we weren't stubborn, we wouldn't be here for sure.