How to Succeed in Commercial Photography : Insights From a Leading Consultant

creation enough that I will take whatever steps are necessary to

bring the creation into the world. This is how it is for all

creators, although we have been taught not to admit it, for

when we talk like that we can be accused of being mystics,

elitists, or fools.”

Ian continues, “What about the real world? You can’t live

your life doing what you want. You must be realistic; you need

to come down to Earth. But, if the only love we experience and

express is the love that happens to us, the love we fall into and

not the love we originate, then we miss an entire dimension of

love. So we need a way to combine our love and our real-world

responsibilities.”

Clustering

This exercise has been created by Ian to take you to the

next step of bringing your love into your work.

In the middle of a large piece of paper write the word

“loves.” Draw a circle around it. Then free-associate something

that you love. Try a person, place, thing, animal, activity, or

something that matters to you.

Write it down and draw a circle around it. Draw a line

between the two circles. Ask yourself what you love about what

you love. There are many things. Draw circles around the

words and connect them to the root love. Keep going until

you are stuck. Go to another root love and continue the

process.

Work quickly and easily. Don’t let your analytical mind get

too involved. Don’t judge your words as you write. Free-associate.

Be playful. Let it flow randomly. Have faith your loves are in you

and you are just letting them out. At some point you will sense

you are done. Go back over your love clusters. Place a red circle

around the things you love that are not present enough or may

be missing from your work and your life.

I Am...

Using the loves you identified in the clustering exercise,

write at least thirty sentences starting with the words “I am.” You

will notice that you are not only what you love, but also what you

love about what you love, which is very significant. Here are a

few examples.

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