Break The Glass

This one’s a bit off the normal course but then again I guess a lot of what I’ve written lately has been. I think it’s just a product of where I’m at on a personal level if I’m speaking honestly. Recently I’ve had conversations with a couple of friends that kind of centered on blogging and where to go from the spot that they were at. I had to sit and think about it for a while before I could muster a response that was appropriate to it.

To me, we all probably started blogging just as a hobby. It was something fun to do that we enjoyed. It allowed us to put our thoughts, feelings, ideas, and photos out into the world. I know for a fact that’s where I started. Long before I blogged at all about SecondLife, I blogged about my own life. My thoughts ranged from one end of the spectrum to the other and man did it prove to be a vital outlet. It wasn’t until a few years later that I would venture out into the SL blogosphere.

In blogging sometimes you get into that feeling of being stuck on the treadmill. Things get all too formulaic and that leads to burning out. You do something so many times and it kind of loses its luster ya know? You get to thinking that you can’t improve and that this is what you are and all you can do. So how do you break that cycle? Sometimes taking a break is a good thing, and if you’re feeling extremely burnt out then I would never take that off the table

Another way to go, and the one I suggested to my friend, was to think outside of the box for just one photo. Do the one thing that you would never ever think to shoot any other time. That might be styling up some kind of roleplay-type outfit, it could be shooting a scene devoid of people, or something as simple as trying new things with lights or effects. Just do -something- to make it different. Break the glass.

I myself fell into the repetitiveness for a while. Thankfully I was in a place where I had help to break me out of that. I started to shoot photos of stylings that the usual me would have never done. I tried doing RP stylings. Some were good (you probably saw those) and some were not (you definitely did not see those.) I did some simple shots that were just me wearing something. I did more others that had more people or involved a more décor heavy scene to them. Challenging myself to do something different is part of the fun for me in this.

I think most of us, if not all, take a photo and you hope that it gets a good reaction. You amp yourself up and think “Yes this is going to be amazing.” and then for whatever reason it gets a lukewarm response. I know I always like to think that even though sometimes the ones I think are going to be great end up bombing and the ones I’m “meh” about do well. I’ve gotten to a point though where I look at it all differently. Maybe I’ve grown or maybe I’m just at the point where if I like it then that is good enough for me.

I have a simple set of rules for my photos, they are as follows:

1. Are -YOU- happy with what you did?
2. Is the reaction from others what you hoped it would be?
3. If the reaction isn’t what you thought it would be, then see #1 and forget about #2.

Yes. I know. You should care how other people view your work. I’m not saying to not care at all. That’s almost impossible and you don’t grow or improve by ignoring it all. What I mean is you can’t let the fact that you got 45 favorites vs the “magic number” in your head drag you down. You and your work are more than that number, no matter what anyone else claims or thinks. Keep working at it, push yourself. You can do this.

Now I also know that part of some sponsorships/partnerships/whatever you prefer to call them requires X number of favorites or views. I understand as a Brand owner/creator that ideally you want your bloggers to attract views. I will not nor do I hold that against anyone. You have to do what you feel you need to do. As a blogger though, at least to this blogger, you have to enjoy your work, and if you don’t none of the other stuff matters in the least bit. If I hate the photos I’m doing and I’m just doing them to meet a quota or fulfill an obligation then why am I doing it? I’ve done it and the past and it drove me away from this all together.

Just for the record when this was going on it was not all of the creators/products that I was working with that were a problem. I was and still am forever grateful for the faith and kindness shown by them. It was more that I had a number that I needed to make and sometimes the ideas for a shot just are not there. For me forcing it never worked out. You could see the difference between a shot that I loved doing vs one that I had to push to meet the deadline.

In the end, what I’m getting at is do this because you love doing what you do. Do not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone to try something new. You never know what the reaction will be and even if it’s not what you thought it would be, if you’re happy, screw the reaction. You’re happy and that’s what counts. -L

Credits:

Pose: :LW: BENTO Poses – Wide Awake, mirror 1 ~ LuaneMeo Resident

~Her~

Head: CATWA HEAD Catya v3.2 ~ Catwa Clip
Hair: TRUTH / Halona – Multitone 1 ~ Truth Hawks
Head Applier: L’Etre – Heidi Skin [Cotton Tone] ~ Dam1710 Resident
Ears: [MANDALA] STEKING_EARS_Season5 – Kikunosuke Eel
Body: Maitreya Mesh Body – Lara V4.1 ~ Onyx Lashelle
Skin Applier: L’Etre – Maitreya Body Appliers [Cotton tone] ~ Dam1710 Resident
Tattoo: -[TWC]- Bad Eye *OMEGA* ~ Jareth Cygnet
Lipstick: [CX] Calamitous Lipstick ~ Kamayari Resident
Nail Polish: Adoness: Maitreya Nails: Basics: Mono to Goth ~ Cruella Pennell

Bandages: CUREMORE / Patient Bandages RARE ~ GACHA ~ PsyQueen Resident/Kaorinette Resident
Feet Bandages/Blood: Astralia – Bloody Bandage feet accessory (maitreya) ~ Astralia Resident
Talons: [CX] Salient Talons – Silver ( Maitreya ) ~ Kamayari Resident

~Scene~

Flowers: E.V.E Dystopia Flower M03 S Black/Bronze: Noke Yuitza
Fans/Daggers: Bauhaus Movement – Flying Daggers PROP / SHINY ~ LouLou Teichmann