8 Excuses Serious Photographers Need to Stop Making Today
Do you ever sit and wonder about how much easier life would be if you could just get out of your own way?
How we sort of know what we need to do and how to do it but we just never do it?
Or maybe we give a friend some great advice and we think to ourselves, “Man I should really do that myself. And maybe like…take my own advice for once.”
But of course we never do and we never change and our lives never improve.
This is because of the little lies we tell ourselves.
The subtle excuses we make in our minds to get out or around doing the things we need to do.
That’s what we’re going to focus on today.
The 8 excuses serious photographers and creatives need to stop making.
Plus, at the end we’ll talk about some healthier alternatives we can say instead.
I’ll frame it in the context of creativity and photography, but just note that this can apply to any and everything you do in life.
Some of these might be tough pills to swallow but they’ll make us better.
Buckle up, this is gonna be a long one - let’s get started.
Excuse #1 - If I Had
An all too common problem of many creatives is blaming their gear.
This is especially true in photography, but you’ll see it in other disciplines as well.
Photographers will say things like “If I had the same gear as this person, I’d take just as good photos.
Or “Did you see the new sony, fuji, canon? It’s a game changer! - I need it.”
Some of this is simply gear acquisition syndrome (trying to justify a purchase).
But a lot of it is just making excuses and trying to cover up the real reason for your crappy photos: that being, you just suck.
You see, it’s not a gear issue - it’s a skill issue.
And if you were good enough, it wouldn’t matter what gear you used - you’d still make good art.
For example, many of the great artists of the past had worse tools to work with than you.
Did you know that back in the day, blue paint was ridiculously expensive to get?
During the Renaissance, blue paint was obtained from a rare and expensive stone “lapis lazuli”.
It’s high cost made it so that it was only used for elites and royalty.
Which also meant many paintings that required blue were sometimes left unfinished.
And yet nowadays, blue paint, blue ink, blue colored pencils are accessible at nearly every hobby store near us.
Even our digital devices allow us to work in any color imaginable.
So chances are, you do have good enough gear or tools to make what you want.
Because the artists of the Renaissance had worse - and they still made better stuff than you.
So although you’re probably sick and tired of people saying things like, “A good photographer can take a good photo with a crappy camera”, there’s some truth to it.
And you can blame the gear all you want, it’s not going to make you take better photos.
This new feature might help a bit, but I’m willing to bet that once that camera becomes outdated and newer better ones come out, you’ll be saying the exact same thing.
So stop saying “If I had”.
Stop making the excuse that you don’t have what you need to make good art.
It’ll only give control of your art to externalities like objects and the outside world.
And no matter how good you actually are, you’ll keep blaming these externalities.
Where if you actually want to get better, it means taking control of that for yourself, and taking responsibility for your creativity.
That’s the point of creativity after all: making something, not acquiring the fancy tools.
Excuse #2 - I Can’t / I Don’t Know How
Another bad excuse to make as a creative is to say “I can’t, I wish I could, I don’t know how”.
Because although on the surface it seems harmless, it’s still an excuse nonetheless.
When we say “I don’t know how to do something”, we are admitting our skill deficit, yes.
But we don’t typically follow up that phrase with anything more.
There’s no action to improve that skill deficit.
Plus, in the real world, admitting our inadequacies gets you a pass.
“Oh, why don’t you do this?”
“I can’t.” “I don’t know how.”
“Oh.”
And then it kind of ends there.
It’s like a humble honest statement because “he’s not being cocky or arrogant”.
The person’s admitting a deficit, which in turn feels more acceptable.
But it’s still an excuse nonetheless and nothing comes from it.
And just because you don’t know how to doesn’t mean you can’t learn.
And the follow up question to ask yourself is: “So I don’t know how to…now what?”
“Am I just not gonna do anything about it just because I don’t know how?”
So the reason why we use these statements “I don’t know how” is to get out of doing the thing.
The underlying reality is that we don’t want to learn and we don’t want to change.
Because if we actually did, we’d say, “I don’t know how to, but I’ll learn”.
Maybe you don’t know how to shoot manual - you can google it and learn.
Maybe you don’t know how to edit photos well - you can watch some tutorials and learn.
Those are the actual responses of someone who wants to improve.
And without the addendum, it’s just another excuse.
Because deep down you know you can learn even if you currently don’t know how to.
And deep down you know you’re just saying that because you’re avoiding the work of change and improvement.
So it’s tricky.
We have to be careful with the words we use.
And it’s important to catch ourselves when we say these things because they can really hold us back and lead us to believing we’re inadequate.
“I can’t” isn’t a fact, it’s a belief.
And beliefs can be changed.
You can, you just haven’t learned how, right?
Excuse #3 - They’re Lucky (I’m Not)
You’ll see and hear versions of this one all over the internet.
“They’re lucky (and therefore, I’m not).”
They were born with some unfair advantage, like rich parents, that I don’t have, and that’s why they’re successful and I’m not.
They’ve got connections and that’s why their prints sell and mine don’t.
Which is also why I’m exempt from trying or doing anything to improve my current situation, chase my dreams, whatever - because I’m “unlucky”.
It’s similar to the “if I had that gear” excuse.
It’s a form of self pity that is really just a bad excuse.
Because…who cares?
Who cares what that other person has that you don’t?
Who cares if they were born into money and you weren’t?
Who cares if they’ve got the connections that gets them into doors that you can’t get into?
The world doesn’t care.
People who buy your work don’t care.
Only you care because you’ve chosen to see this thing as something to hold you back.
Think about it for a second: them having some unfair advantage you don’t doesn’t change your current circumstances.
It may be true in the literal sense; this advantage has helped or allowed them to succeed.
But how does that affect you and what you do?
It doesn’t. (unless you let it of course)
You’re still gonna have to get up in the morning, do the thing, and work to make your life happen.
This is the hand you were dealt.
You can either choose to play it as best as you can, or fold from the get go by wallowing in your own self misery.
Which is like choosing to lose from the start simply because you didn’t draw a pair of pocket aces in poker.
It’s silly.
Furthermore, understand that if you’re in any capacity to pursue or even do something creative as a hobby, you’ve got it good.
Photography and creativity is a luxury 99% of the world can’t afford.
Remind yourself of that.
Who cares about what they have and what you don’t have?
It’s not a good excuse.
Plus, if these are the problems you’re worried about, you’re probably much luckier than you think.
Excuse #4 - This Person Doesn’t (so I shouldn’t)
This excuse in particular has an underlying air of egocentricity to it.
Sometimes you’ll hear the excuse, “well, so and so doesn’t do that.”
Almost implying that: because this person didn’t, I don’t have to either.
“This guy takes doesn’t take his photos that way so I’m not gonna either.”
“This guy doesn’t like that lens, so I’m not gonna use it.”
This can apply to practicing more, working harder, and even giving up stuff (like drugs and alcohol), the list goes on.
And people will even use famous and successful people to leverage their point.
But really, the argument falls apart when you point out: they’re not that person.
So maybe this famous person doesn’t practice every day.
You’re not that person.
Maybe they got to where they are without taking it very seriously.
You’re not that person.
And trying to use their lives as an excuse for how you should live yours doesn’t always work.
It’s important yes, to take inferences from role models and people we look up to for inspiration, but you have to be careful with this.
Because there’s a difference between saying:
“This person did this, what an inspiration.”
and “This person didn’t do this, so I don’t have to either.”
One views the thing as permission to go down this path and aim higher, another views it as an excuse to get out of doing the work.
So it’s tricky and you have to be careful to not lie to yourself.
It’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to get away with the same stuff Leonardo da Vinci got away with, because you’re not da Vinci.
Replace “da Vinci” with any artist that comes to mind.
And thinking you can will only lead you to taking shortcuts, cutting corners, working less hard, and overall creating worse work.
So this excuse harms you in the long run.
It leads to less effort, less productivity, and more f*cking around.
Get it out of your head.
You are not that person.
It’s much better to assume you don’t have the leeway or special talents these other artists have so you take action, put in the hard work, build the good habits, and profit from it.
Make sense?
Excuse #5 - I’m Lazy (not feeling it / not motivated / not inspired)
This one drives me up the wall.
It’s perhaps the most used, most infuriating, and most silly excuse out there.
“I’m lazy.”
“I’m not feeling it.”
“I’m not very motivated or inspired right now.”
And of course, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
People say these things like it’s okay, and people use it for everything.
Why aren’t you working on the project, painting the thing you said you were gonna, cleaning your room?
“Oh, I’m too lazy…”
*Proceeds to scroll on their phone…*
Right?
So let’s think about it rationally.
“Lazy” and all these other excuses aren’t good ones.
They’re excuses, but not good ones.
Because we all feel lazy, and we’ll probably always feel lazy.
And we can always say we’re lazy whenever it’s time for us to actually do something.
So it works in a way when we’ll never not feel lazy.
The realization we have to come to is: who cares if you’re lazy?
Right? Seriously, who cares?
Even if you’re lazy you can still clean your room.
Even if you’re lazy you can still work on that photography project.
Even if you’re lazy you can still do something.
How lazy you are doesn’t matter and it’s not a clever excuse.
For example, imagine if your boss asked you to do something and you say, “I’m not feeling it right now”.
It’s like…you better start feeling like it or you’re not getting paid, right?
Or maybe your kitchen’s on fire and you say, “Eh, I’m too lazy to put the fire out.”
In that moment it doesn’t matter how you feel.
Either you do something about it or your house burns down and you along with it.
Being “lazy” in that situation is just ridiculous.
So we should treat that phrase with the same kind of scrutiny anytime we want to use it.
It doesn’t matter what you’re feeling - because you can still do it regardless.
This also applies for all the alternative phrases like:
“I’m not feeling it today.”
“I’m not very motivated right now.”
“I don’t have the inspiration today.”
These things sort of trick us into thinking this feeling is temporary and then tomorrow we’ll all of the sudden feel motivated or inspired to do the work.
But what if tomorrow never comes?
And what if tomorrow does come and you’re also lazy then?
Because let’s be honest, you probably will be…
So understand this cycle.
It’s a trap and it’s just your brain tricking you.
Plus, it’s the reason why you have all these awesome ideas about things you wanna do and you never end up doing it.
“Lazy”, “not feeling it”, “not motivated”, “not inspired” - they’re all bad excuses.
Cut them out of your vocabulary and get outside and take more photos.
Excuse #6 - There’s No Point (so why do anything?)
This is perhaps the favorite phrase of the pessimistic or nihilistic creative.
“Why do it? What’s the point? None of it matters anyways.”
And the problem is…they’re not wrong.
It’s true: none of it actually matters.
Because if you zoom out far enough, there really isn’t any point.
Any and everything you make will eventually be forgotten, even your little photobook.
Especially your little photobook.
And you’re just a tiny insignificant little ant, on a speck of dust, that exists for a blip of time, in an infinite universe.
So really, what’s the point?
Even the works of famous and great artists known throughout history like Da Vinci or Van Gogh, will eventually be forgotten.
Don’t believe me? - wait a thousand years.
I bet back in human history there was a renowned cave painter, famous throughout the lands for his/her scribbles, that no one knows about now.
The same will be for any and everything made today.
So the “there’s no point” argument isn’t wrong.
But it also doesn’t help us become more creative, productive, and live a fulfilling life.
Because the end action of that phrase is to always do nothing.
It’s simply a negative interpretation of a truth of the world.
But there’s a positive interpretation of this realization as well.
Let’s explore that.
Think about it like this.
Everything fades and nothing matters, right?
Those are just the facts.
But what are the conclusions we draw from these facts?
The pessimistic or nihilistic artist will conclude:
“If everything fades and nothing matters, there’s no point to doing anything, so I wont.”
Whereas the mature and/or optimistic artist will conclude:
“Well if nothing matters anyways, then I’m free to create and make whatever I want.”
Same evidence, two completely different conclusions, right?
The point is: we get to choose.
We get to choose the conclusion we make from the evidence we’ve gotten from the world.
And if you want to lie around and lay down scrolling on your phone all day and never do anything with the talent and artistic vision you have, that’s your choice.
I just think you’re gonna have to come up with a better excuse than “there’s no point”.
Because there is a point - you’ve just chosen the other route.
There’s a great quote I’m reminded of in this moment:
“If there’s no reason to do, there’s no reason not to do.”
Those who pick the “do nothing” route have done so because they’re lazy, and it’s a convenient and easy justification to save them the effort of creativity by saying, “there’s no point”.
But those who understand what it actually means, unlock a creative freedom that allows them to do any and everything they want, unhindered by the excuses of irrelevancy.
Because if you need there to be a point for you to pursue your art, that means you were in it for the benefits.
But those were never the point to begin with.
The point of art is to make art.
That’s all.
Understand this, and you’ll finally be free to create.
Because if there’s no reason to do, there’s no reason not to do, right?
Excuse #7 - It’s Not Realistic
This applies more to the career side of art.
Say you want to make money or a living off of what you enjoy.
Maybe you have an underlying passion for something, but always kept it hidden because “it’s not realistic”.
And sometimes you think back to your childhood and remember the things you enjoyed the most.
It could be playing sports, drawing, painting, playing music, whatever.
And upon doing these things you immersed yourself and lost track of time.
It’s when you felt the most alive and got the most excited about.
Deep down you know you wanna do this thing, but keep shutting it down because “it’s not realistic”.
The first thing you have to understand is: it is realistic.
You can make a career off your art, especially in this day and age.
Simply think about people you look up to in your respective discipline.
They are living in the same time era as you and they’ve done it.
That means you can too.
Furthermore, think about the changes in technology and social media.
We’ve explored this a little in other creative videos but, this isn’t the 1800s.
This isn’t the 1900s.
This is the 2020s.
Maybe back then it was irrelevant and impractical to pursue art or photography as a career because things were different then.
But guess what?
People still did it.
And nowadays with social media and technology, it’s more possible than ever to create a career talking about and doing what you love.
It doesn’t mean everyone has to turn their creativity into a career - I’m just saying it’s possible.
The second thing to understand is that: that voice is not you.
The excuse “it’s not realistic” was planted into your brain by someone else.
It could be your parents, it could be society, it could be your past art teachers.
People who are perhaps looking out for you and don’t want to see you suffer will say this.
People who’ve failed at their own dreams will also say this - to disincentive other young artists not to try.
These voices are all playing back and forth within your head, and you’re simply reciprocating it.
So whenever anyone asks you “what do you wanna do; what do you like doing?”, you’ll say, “I really enjoy photography but just as a hobby because it’s not realistic.”
Even just typing that out and saying it to myself makes my stomach and chest hurt.
Because I used to be like that.
Back in elementary school if you’d talk about photography, music, art, creativity, writing, the first thing that would come to my mind would be: “oh, but it doesn’t really make money”.
I wasn’t wrong persay, but what’s an elementary kid doing thinking about money??? Right?
It’s only after time had passed that I realized that I got that response from somewhere else.
I wasn’t born with it.
And I’d probably acquired it from my parents because we were very money conscious at the time (reasonably so).
But if I think back to what I was good at, what I enjoyed the most, what I felt more “natural” doing as a kid, it was always reading, writing, and drawing.
And maybe running around the playground chasing a basketball.
So fast forward many years later and my life has ironically come full circle: a lot of the work I do now is writing and visual arts based.
If you feel similar or are on the precipice of making a decision about art as a career, I’d think about this.
Forget about the “it’s not realistic” thing.
Because there are plenty of examples of people just like you who’ve made it work.
Your favorite musicians, artists, writers have all had a period of struggle.
And overcoming those challenges have allowed them to make a career out of what they love.
So it is possible.
Plus there’s a whole entire industry of people doing art for a living that aren’t necessarily in the limelight.
Background artists, producers, etc.
There are plenty of options at your disposal, maybe you haven’t learned about them yet.
So forget about it being realistic or not realistic and think about this:
What is the thing you enjoy doing the most?
What makes you feel alive?
What is something you really enjoyed as a kid but have somehow lost because of life and growing up?
What would you do if you could? Truly could?
Stop saying “it’s not realistic” and think about that.
Excuse #8 - It’s Too Hard
By now you’ve probably seen a trend within all of these excuses.
They’re all partial truths that try to squeeze us out of doing the work.
And there’s an element of ego to them, but also an element of self pity.
“It’s too hard.”
Why do people say this?
They use it, because like the other excuses, they want a reason not to try.
People are lazy - that’s the biggest takeaway.
They’re lazy and they’ll say any and every thing to get out of doing the work.
Even bullsh*t like “it’s too hard”.
Let’s play this one out.
Okay, say it’s too hard.
Now what?
What does that even mean?
It’s too hard, so you’re not even gonna try?
You’re just gonna give up on whatever it is that you want just because “it’s too hard”?
Who cares if it’s too hard - that doesn’t mean you can’t do it.
It being “hard” doesn’t mean it’s “impossible”.
Think about it - any and every day there are people who do hard things.
And you yourself have done plenty of hard things in your life before.
So just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
And the hard that we photographers and creatives deal with is probably much easier than what other people deal with.
And if you’re gonna use this excuse, you may as well stop saying you want things in the first place.
Because saying you wanna do something, and then saying “oh but it’s too hard”, can be quite annoying to other people.
Like what do you expect the other person to say?
Do you expect them to give you sympathy? That what you’re doing is “so hard”?
Or do you expect them to offer a solution that will make it easier?
A solution you probably won’t take anyways, because it’s “too hard”.
So don’t complain about the price.
You’re the one who wants to do whatever creative thing you want to do.
You can’t say you want something and then complain about how much it costs.
I mean, you can I guess, but it’s a pretty ineffective way to go about it.
So, let’s sum this all up.
Here are 8 excuses all creatives need to stop making today - and 8 better things to say instead.
“If I had”
“If I had this, I’d be better”, “If I had this it’d be easier”.
But you don’t, so who cares.
Take whatever imperfect action it takes using whatever imperfect tool you have right now.
Because chances are, you have everything you need right now.
So, a better phrase to say is: “I don’t have this, but Ima do it anyways using what I have now.”
“I can’t”, “I don’t know how”
You don’t know how to do it?
Time to learn.
Because the world was built on the backs of people who didn’t know how to do sh*t.
But they figured it out and made it happen.
And you can too.
So instead of saying that, say “I don’t know how, but I’m gonna learn.”
“They’re lucky” (I’m not)
They have this that I don’t. They’ve got money that I don’t. It’s not fair.
Life isn’t fair.
And people are born with stuff they didn’t earn.
That’s how it works.
So you can either get up and play your hand the best you can or choose to lose by default just because your cards suck.
It’s your choice.
Better phrase: “Yeah, maybe they’re lucky, but I’m pretty lucky too. Look at the cards I have. Someone’s probably thinking the exact things about me.”
“This person doesn’t” (so I shouldn’t)
If you’re every tempted to say “well they don’t”, stop yourself real fast.
Because you’re not that person.
And you can’t get away with what they do.
Better to assume you’re untalented and unlucky so you put the effort in.
So instead, say “they don’t but I will.”
“I’m lazy” (not motivated, inspired, don’t feel like it)
You’re lazy, so what?
I’m lazy too - I do it anyways.
If you’re lazy today, you’ll be lazy tomorrow, and you’ll be lazy forever, and you’ll never do anything.
That sounds like a bad way to spend our time, waiting for things to happen.
Instead say, “I’m lazy, but I can still do the thing.”
“There’s no point” (so why do anything)
But in actuality, there doesn’t need to be a point.
You don’t need a reason or incentive to do everything.
You can do it simply just because.
Because if there’s no reason to do anything, there’s no reason not to do anything.
So instead say, “the point is to do the thing”, or “it doesn’t matter if there’s a point or not”.
And then do the thing and be on your way.
“It’s not realistic”
Art as a career or way to make money is scary.
And because of that uncertainty, adults scare kids away from even trying to chase their dreams because “it’s not realistic”.
But it is realistic - it’s just hard.
And anything worth getting in life is hard.
So although it may be hard, if it’s something you really want to do or enjoy, it may be worth it.
So stop thinking about it being realistic or not realistic and instead ask: “What is it I really want to do, and am I willing to suffer for it?”
“It’s too hard”
If it’s this is your line of defense, you’re gonna have a bad time in life.
Because life is hard.
That’s just the truth.
So saying that it’s “too hard” doesn’t help you in any way - it just makes you feel helpless.
Better things to say would be:
“It’s hard, but it’ll be worth it.”
“It’s hard, but I can do it.”
“It’s hard, but I’ve done plenty of hard things before.”
“It’s hard because I’ve gotten better - life has simply given me new challenges to overcome.”
So there it is - I hope you found something valuable to take and improve your photography, creative process, and life in general.
If you’d like to help support me, you can grab a copy of my latest photography zine “The Sinking Sun”.
And if you want to learn more about photography, go to “Photography Essentials” - it’s free.
Thanks for reading, have a great day.
