One thing I find rather frustrating is that whenever I send out emails, do Facebook or other social media posts in relationship to "Families of the Dump", people reply and do the ME thing over and over again. Those who read my messages often compliment the fake Gerry Yaum dude. "Good for you!, Glad your having success!!, You have earned the praise your getting!, Great your getting exhibitions! etc.
Who the f-ck cares about me? It is not about f-cking Gerry (fake name) Yaum. In my messages about the families, I try to always use terms like them, we, our and talk in depth about their stories. I try to avoid the I, I , I thing. But when I get replies instead of we, our, them, it always goes back to Gerry. My social media friends most often always talking about me, not them, it's all about Gerry, how great Gerry is, f-ck that! This is especially prevalent in the people I have known the longest
I know people are just being polite, kind etc. I just get so tired of the I first thingy. The modern world is much to concerned with themselves, its not always about YOU!! or ME, think of the other guy/gal/child sometime! Put them first. Their stories matter most not yours or mine.
I think people have a hard time understanding that I do not make pictures as some sort of self promoting fantasy. Everyone of course likes credit but that is not a motivating factor for me. Getting compliments always makes my skin crawl a bit. That is one of the reasons I made up the Yaum name. I did not want credit, did not want my real name on a wall, it seemed wrong, exploitive some how.
I simply make pictures to tell the stories of the people I am photographing, they allow me into their lives, I try to tell their stories in pictures.That is all that should matter. Talk to me about them, not Gerry the photographer, who cares about that dude.
I have to incorporate this thought somehow into the beginning of my art talk, with out all the f-ck stuff :).
Who the f-ck cares about me? It is not about f-cking Gerry (fake name) Yaum. In my messages about the families, I try to always use terms like them, we, our and talk in depth about their stories. I try to avoid the I, I , I thing. But when I get replies instead of we, our, them, it always goes back to Gerry. My social media friends most often always talking about me, not them, it's all about Gerry, how great Gerry is, f-ck that! This is especially prevalent in the people I have known the longest
I know people are just being polite, kind etc. I just get so tired of the I first thingy. The modern world is much to concerned with themselves, its not always about YOU!! or ME, think of the other guy/gal/child sometime! Put them first. Their stories matter most not yours or mine.
I think people have a hard time understanding that I do not make pictures as some sort of self promoting fantasy. Everyone of course likes credit but that is not a motivating factor for me. Getting compliments always makes my skin crawl a bit. That is one of the reasons I made up the Yaum name. I did not want credit, did not want my real name on a wall, it seemed wrong, exploitive some how.
I simply make pictures to tell the stories of the people I am photographing, they allow me into their lives, I try to tell their stories in pictures.That is all that should matter. Talk to me about them, not Gerry the photographer, who cares about that dude.
I have to incorporate this thought somehow into the beginning of my art talk, with out all the f-ck stuff :).
