Being Open

It is so important to be open as an artist. You need to be devoted to your individual vision but its also so so important to be open to other art forms, other styles of work. We photographers should be open to other types of photography (nudes, portraits whatever), its also very important to be open and learn from other types of art, great painting, sculpture, literature, poetry, abstract art etc.

To often the people I know in the arts seem to be pigeon holed into what they like. If you like b/w landscape, also be open to color nudes. If you love painting, also be open to alternative process photography. We can all learn so much from each other, shuttered minds leave you limited as an artist.

We all love our own work, thats normal, its important to have a passion for what your doing. A greater threat as I see it is not the guy who loves his own style of work, but the guy who loves his own style work to the detriment of any other types of art. Love your work thats fine, but also learn to love and appreciate the other arts, take from those arts things that can make your work more expressive and help you become a better artist.