Ask yourself this:

Are you a photographer shooting for fun, money or art?

If you answer yes to all three, making clear goals to delineate between these differing threads is critical for survival.

I began as a hobbyist photographer, shooting in my spare time and without much careerist ambition. Hell, I was even tentative to call myself an artist. Enjoying myself and simply learning to develop my technical skill set was the sole objective. That wasn't enough though, I soon began to move into a creative mindset, more interested in the art than purely having fun. Seemingly overnight, it all became serious.

Guess where that took me? Yup, I decided I needed to make this my career. I quit my job, switched careers and built a portfolio…making money would be the natural outcome of doing photography full time, right?

Well, let me say it's not that straightforward, but that's an entirely different post. Let's fast forward to actually achieving some success. Currently, as a product photographer, it appears I have come full circle with the triumvirate of fun, art and money.

As a professional photographer, I no longer can legitimately say photography is a hobby. Nope, it's too involved for that - I now paint and sketch to look after my mental health. But do I still shoot for fun? Hell yes. Do I shoot for art? I couldn't justify the money side without the art.

Within my photography journey, I always had one eye on projects, publications and future goals. The trick is maintaining motivation and avoiding burnout by the overwhelming emotions felt when looking into the future. The hardest trick repeatedly is to keep one’s focus on the today.

After all, it is today that the work is actually achieved.