Thinking about my plan for the future most definitely warrants a mind map to sketch out a few of the ideas that I bouncing around my mind. It is very clear to me that I do not want to live a “normal life” and much of what I want in the future evolves around a lifestyle more than a career. Don’t get me wrong, my priorities are always going to be photography and my lifestyle is hopefully going to be able to fund my practice as that is what will be at the heart of my life.
My plan starts in 3rd year of uni...well no...my plan is starting to find its foundations now! I have just brought a new van which I am going to convert into my home for the final year of my degree. This has been a dream of mine for a long time and now I am in a position where all the hard work is paying off and I am able to turn this dream into a reality. There are so many reasons why I want to do this. Waking up wherever I want every morning, being able to hop out of the van, go for a hike with the camera. I am always more creative and motivated when I am working in an environment that I am photographing. I think that it will enhance my workflow and put me in a better position to make work. If studies continue online it will able me to travel across the country and make new work as well which is an exciting thought. There is also the practical side to it...I am going to save so much money once the initial cost of the van is paid for. I will not be paying rent to some dude to pay 1 of 100 mortgages. I will be completely financial autonomous which is something I want to stay throughout my life. A big pro to this also is that I will already have a home when I graduate. I won’t have to worry about bringing in loads of money each month just to pay for somewhere to sleep. I also won’t have to move back in with my parents. So once I graduate I will have the financial freedom to find my feet in the creative world.
After I graduate, I will then start to focus on new projects. I will most probably stay in the UK for a year and carry on building my portfolio. I would like to carry a project out in Scotland and this will also give me the chance to do a bit of commercial work in order to fund and save up for future travels. I would then like to road trip Europe and photograph untold stories and learn new ways in which people live there lives. All through photography I will slowly build an online audience, entering competitions and trying to get my work seen by as many people as possible.
I think this will be my life until new opportunities come my way. I do not like to plan...just work hard and move forward. I think it is too narrow-minded to focus on a goal as then you may never know what your full potential is. While tackling the adventures of life I would also like to document this in video format and share my life with the world on YouTube, It is a pipe dream but if I was able to use my online presence and influence to support my lifestyle financially and shoot projects then that would be amazing...but I am just going to see what happens in that department and enjoy it without putting too much pressure on it.
Hopefully, after a few years and big projects completed, I may be recognised for my work and be able to sell books and prints. But if I don’t then I will just carry on making work until I have a breakthrough.
When the money comes I would like to move out of the van and onto a yacht. I love the idea of living on the sea and travelling the world by the oceans. This is all something that I would document with photography and video...while travelling around the world, meeting new people, sharing stories and learning about how people live there lives.
This is as far as my plan goes. Its a lot and I am very keen to work hard in order to chase my dreams. However, I am not going to be dead set on following an adventure. Whatever life throws at me all I can work for and ask for is happiness. So if these pipe line dreams do not come true then I will find something that will make me happy in another area. I can always see my photographic practice being at the centre of my life so I am excited to see where it takes me in the future.