Truths that I once believed as an adolescent have shattered one by one every year that I’ve gotten older. Now, I see that everything is optics: how something seems vs. what actually is. Is a photographer incredible because of the art direction or because of the aperture and lighting abilities of a $6,000 lens and $7,000 camera? Is the CEO incredibly innovative or had enough money at the right time and place? Is understanding timing a talent? I think I’ve been at the right place at the right time with very few dollars and somehow created something for myself. How?
A part of me wants to believe that being gifted is an innate energy. You’re born with it, it belongs to you, it is your destiny. Honestly, to believe that it isn’t more complex than that would be incredibly irresponsible. A stylist. An inventor. A photographer. Those who evolve to become the most successful in their industry do so because they’re actually the best or could afford to become it? To stay competitive, you need to be an investor. You have to understand that you need to have something to give in order to continue to receive.
Creating is an exchange. The difference between the best, the “average” and those on day 1 is all the same thing: your investment. If you’re smart, you understand that investing doesn’t always mean money, though. Being incredible at something doesn’t always mean that you have the best gear, the best idea, or the best method, it just means that you spent the most time on it. You can buy the most expensive camera on the market, but if you haven’t spent the time to understand it, then you’re only as good as anyone on day 1. You can buy the most expensive athletic wear and gadgets, but if you never train, you suck.
Do you need money or time? I think long term you might need both, but I focus on time. Time is the most expensive currency, period. Wealth alone doesn’t assume talent, but the wealthy do have more expendable time. You can have a $100 camera you bought 7th hand, but spend 12 hours a day shooting and learning lighting, angles, and storytelling. Anyone can find someone to sign them into the library at a fashion school and sit there for 10 hours learning illustrator and that doesn’t cost them a penny. Spend $700 a month for a trainer or spend more than 45 minutes at a gym? You can spend $4,000 on a Soho House membership, or take the time to GENUINELY and authentically network on Instagram for free.
I don’t think you need as much money as you think. Talent is free, but expertise is expensive. Whether it’s your pocket or your day, you need to spend.
To be the best content creator, you don’t NEED the Sony A7. What you need is a good shot list and lighting. What you need is to spend time in post production and learn how to edit. You need to spend your time. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you have the same amount of hours in the day as Beyoncé. She has more money. Because she has more money, she doesn’t have more time than you do, she has more disposable time to SPEND than you do. Am I making sense? How do you spend your leisure? How do you spend the time that you think is free?
If you’re broke and you have a job (same), I’m going to tell you that it’s okay that you have only a few hours to spend because it’s HOW you spend it. Time management is as if not more important than your money management, honestly. That’s just my opinion on it after a lot of problem solving, introspection, and therapy. I used to waste my time more irresponsibly than I waste my money, and once you master that your time is the most expensive thing that you own, I promise you, you’ll start living differently. You’ll realize that how you spend your free time and your spending habits are sisters. The 20 minutes you waste here and there getting distracted and prolonging something you know that you should do add up to the reason why you never became what you wanted to become. Sit with that.
Written for Flawed Talents, LLC.
The gut punch at the end was sooooo good in this one . I am SAT. What an eloquently framed wake up call.