What got you here won’t get you to the next level. What I mean is that if self-deprecation inspired you to create, it won’t serve you in the long run. For years, I beat myself up over how bad my photography was, and in the beginning, this criticism got me off the couch and out making photos.

Eventually, I started making money from my photography, but I was still focused on what I was doing wrong rather than on what I was doing right and could double down on. At some point, I looked around at the photographers I admired and realized that the niches they had fallen into were simply a result of doubling down on their strengths over the years.

As corny as it sounds, I’ve always loved the practice of making and curating images, even if it was just on a family walk. But the truth is, there are two parts to making images: one is the practice, and the other is how you feel about yourself.

Don’t let your head get in the way of your work. Making and enjoying the process is the most important part; everything else is just noise.