I literally pumped my fist in the air when I saw the scene below featuring Dwayne Johnson's character, Spencer Strasmore, on HBO series Ballers.
He expressed exactly how I think right now.
And yet it's also so true that some people DO NOT think this way or relate to this moment.
Before you watch it, let me set the scene. His character and his sidekick Joe, played by Rob Corddry, are two guys kind of low on the powerful, mostly rich white guy, NFL totem pole. They are trying to change that, esp Spencer. They both have way too many high stakes fires going in this moment, and they are stuck in traffic and very late to a make it or break it meeting. Joe, who is pretty ballsy himself, is freaking out and starting to question why they are going through all this stress and craziness. That is when Spencer gives his uncharacteristic speech below. As a fan of the show, it's a welcome glimpse into the psyche and motivations that drive this charismatic, but highly flawed central figure.
Check out the clip. And PS - apologies for the minor f-bomb - you would not believe how much we had to edit out to get it THIS clean. I mean, it is HBO.
What do you think? How did this moment (and it's obvious audio flaws - doh!) strike you?
Meh?
Heck yeah!
That's not me.
?
I talk to a lot of photographers in my job. I hear a lot of "I'm an imposter, everyone is going to find out" or "Who am I to charge $10,000 for a portrait?"
And I GET IT.
It's very scary to run your own creative business. To put your work and your craft out there. And let's face it, be judged for it.
But I think it's scarier to hide. I prefer to shout to the world who I am and what I do.
"Some of us believe that we can do anything. Some of us believe we can't."
"That guy" charging $10K or $40K or $100K for a portrait believes she can do it, so she does.
I know it sounds too simple. And it is. It's a simple mind set.
You believe that you can do it, and you will. Or you don't.
I would love to hear from photographers about this. I know I say that in every article. And I mean it.