Improve Your Success With This 3 Word Mantra

Do you truly want to improve your creative work, or are you content being an inconsistent dabbler?

For the record, I’ve been an inconsistent dabbler. I think most of us, despite our good intentions, periodically fall into this morass of creative mediocrity.

The reason why is that it’s easier to slip into a soothing hot tub of procrastination and excuses than it is to dive deep into the frigid waters of a creative practice, where sharks of criticism and crushing depths of rejection make it hard for us to find the sunken treasure of our potential.

Inconsistent dabblers proclaim their creative passion with great fervor and verbosity, but then we never seem to see their work. They remind me of urban cowboy posers.

“All hat, no cattle,” as the Texans say.

And the hurdles are many

We admire people who achieve excellence in their creative work because we know the road getting there is not easy. Even with God-given talent, one must put in the time and navigate the hurdles.

And the hurdles are many.

Showing up on time for appointments. Endless, focused practice. Shaking off rejection. Deep study. Sacrifices.

Yes, some creative souls are blessed with good luck. Maybe they came from money or met the right people who opened doors. But more often than not, they put in the time. Even with lucky breaks, they must sustain the quality and excellence of their work. Be in it for the long haul.

It’s not easy. Which is why many of us can’t get past the inconsistent dabbler stage.

Surely you’ve met a few inconsistent dabblers? They seem to linger in bars and coffee shops. Perhaps the following conversation will resonate with you.

“I’m a writer,” he proclaims in the coffee shop whilst scribbling with an obligatory Mont Blanc fountain pen in his brand-new Moleskine notebook.

“That’s great,” she says, admiring his tattoos and thick black reading glasses. “Have I read any of your books?”

“Oh, I haven’t published yet. But I have an idea. Actually, a couple of ideas. I’ve played around with them, you know? Sort of built the spines and story arcs in my mind. I just need to flesh them out now.” He smiles and sips his latte.

Cartoon by John P. Weiss

“Do you have a blog?” she asks.

“Amateurs have blogs. The best writers focus on their manuscripts. You know?” he says, admiring his empty notebook.

“Uh-huh,” she says, realizing that the coffee shop writer is just another inconsistent dabbler. A poser. A dreamer, enamored more with the idea of being a writer than with the deep reading required and the years of wrestling with prose and failed manuscripts.

A lot of people are in love with the idea of being a brilliant creator, but less attracted to the discipline and hard work required.

Sharpness is a bourgeois concept

A few years ago I discovered the monochromatic, dreamlike, blurry images of self-taught Croatian photographer Olga Karlovac.

Karlovac is an economist by training who embraced photography later in life as a way to relax and relieve stress. She prefers shooting all her images in black and white, which she believes has more strength and essence. She uses Ricoh GR point-and-shoot cameras, instead of more expensive, interchangeable-lens cameras.

Photographers on YouTube often chatter about the sharpness of lenses, going to great lengths to compare them and examine things like barrel distortion, softness, chromatic aberration, vignetting, and more. But the success of a photograph often has more to do with the photographer’s unique vision than the precision of the camera and lens.

Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. — Henri Cartier Bresson

Karlovac self-published three books of her photography and her work on social media caught the attention of the art world. She now enjoys gallery representation and has over 101K followers on Instagram.

Not bad for a photographer who only shoots blurry, black-and-white images.

One of Olga Karlovac’s books. Photo: John P. Weiss

The online world is awash in color and laser-sharp imagery. Smartphone makers compete to improve the megapixels, bokeh, and sharpness of their phone cameras. Not to mention all the traditional camera companies, tantalizing photographers with the latest, greatest upgrades and features.

But none of that matters to Olga Karlovac.

While many of us photographers have been wasting time watching camera and lens reviews on YouTube, endlessly searching for the latest upgrades to improve our work, Karlovac was busy shooting blurry photos with point- and-shoot cameras. She was honing her craft and unique, expressionist vision.

Karlovac exemplifies a three-word mantra that can greatly improve your chances for success in any creative pursuit, from writing and fine art to photography and music.

What is this powerful, three-word mantra?

Do the work

Olga Karlovac stripped away all the fluff of photography to pursue the essence of her artistic vision. No bulky, expensive cameras and zoom lenses. No tripods or hours of fancy, post-production trickery.

With point-and-shoot cameras, Karlovac employs simple tweaks to the exposure triangle. Slow shutter speeds, camera shake, and shooting through windows help to conjure her compelling, dreamlike images. Her monochromatic photographs look like lost memories, full of mood and ambiance.

Sometimes, when you strip away the fluff, you make room for what matters.

You create space for the essence of the thing.

There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going

There’s a little sign my wife bought for me years ago that hangs in my writing office. It’s a quote from the late opera singer Beverly Sills:

There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going.

We all want to find success with our creative passions, but we sabotage ourselves with endless diversions, procrastination, excuses, and self-doubts. The positive results we long for won’t be found in endless YouTube videos, TikTok nonsense, or mindless scrolling on social media. There’s only one way to move forward, closer to our dreams.

Do the work

Olga Karlovac did the work. She remained true to her photographic vision and went out shooting countless images. No doubt she experimented. Maybe even had doubts about her work. But she stuck to it. Developed her skills, craft, and unique vision. She did the work.

Now it’s your turn.

No more excuses. No more talking yourself out of the creative vision that makes your heart sing. No more mindless hours envying the work of others. No more fretting about what others will think.

Of course, it won’t be easy.

The best stuff takes time, effort, sacrifice, and trial and error. But when you dive in and chase your creative dreams, a kind of positive synergy happens. And there’s only one way to keep it going.

Do the work

It’s time for the world to see your art. Your creative vision. Strip away the superfluous. Get rid of the fluff and double down on your art.

Do the work, and the world just might be your oyster.

Before you go

I’m John P. Weiss. I write elegant stories and essays about life, shoot artful photos, and draw whimsical cartoons. To receive the latest creative work, check out my free Saturday Letters here.

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This post was previously published on Medium.com.

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