i am Chris Barker

It seems like all I hear anymore. People talking. Talking about what they’re plans are, what they would do if they had the time, or the money. What they want other people to start doing.

What happened to doing? I say do something, don’t just talk about it. Maybe talking about an idea is the first step to getting it done, but you’ll never get further than that first step if you don’t take a 2nd one.

I think people become intoxicated with their own ambition. Drunk on it. They find it grand to have these plans and audacious goals and ideas. All that’s fine, but if you’re using those as a crutch just because it sounds good in conversation, think about how much better it would feel to talk about what you’re DOING instead of what you want to do.

No one can do something for you. You have to make the decision to do something for yourself. Change the conversation from what you want to do, to what you are doing.

Check out the behind scenes video for a shoot my wife did! Also, check out her new portfolio website: www.kristenbarkerportfolio.com

I couldn’t be more proud.

kristenbarkerportfolio:

©Kristen & Chris Barker

Video By- The Barkers & Matt Rice

Edited By- Matt Rice

Song- We Are Young | fun.

This morning my wife was talking to me about her best friend from when she was younger. He was a musician, and he was one of those people that was always good. Always honest. Always what a friend, or even a person in general should be. When he was 21 he passed due to liver failure and other complications from Leukemia.

When he first found out he had Leukemia he was being held at the hospital a lot. At the time though, his band had a rather large summer show to play. It was something he was excited about. He was opening for his mentors band. The hospital wanted him to stay. They didn’t want him to leave, they didn’t think it was safe or a good idea. But he pushed. He wasn’t going to let something like Leukemia stand in the way of his passion.

They released him for the day. He played the show with an IV in his arm the entire time. He was a drummer. There is no way that could have been easy. There was also no way that he wasn’t going to play that show.

If only we all could experience that kind of clarity. If he didn’t make an excuse, then how dare any of us? If you love something, do it.

It’s time to start being the person you want to be. No more excuses.

…that people should stop trying to figure out what everyone wants from them, and instead do what they want for themselves. Then, let those who like it come to them.

I want to see art created for the individual, which in turn shakes the masses. This is what most success comes from. Those who create what they want to see in the world.

“The market for something to believe in is infinite.” - Hugh MacLeod

When you believe in what you are doing, people see it.

Do what you believe in. Believe in what you do.

Do you think that artists in the past that didn’t become successful until after death were possibly just lacking the people skills? It seems that one needs to be their own PR to succeed as an artist. Maybe they were just really hard to get along with? Maybe they couldn’t sell themselves? Thoughts?

“To the youth who think they are silenced by the media and alienated from the world: The future is yours.  Have the patience of a pregnant woman.  But don’t wait for the world to reach you. You are the aware ones.  Reach out.   Reach out.  Reach out with love.  Love communicates, whereas hatred, in the end, doesn’t. Extend your hand to middle America with love. There cannot be a true world revolution without the support of the silent majority.” - John & Yoko on the “Feminine” Revolution

My friend posted the above quote yesterday and it struck me deeply. It would seem that history is cyclic. With the Occupy movement in full swing it would seem that the above words have once again proven to ring with strength and truth.

To the youth who think they are silenced by the media and alienated from the world, I have something to add. You are no longer silenced by the media. You are the media, this has never been truer. You are no longer alienated by the world. You are it’s strength. Stand up and speak your opinion as you are entitled to do, but do this peacefully. Show your strength in your resolve. Show your strength in your honesty. Show your strength in your love and compassion for each other as human beings.

Love speaks loudly while at the same time begging for others to join the conversation. Hatred and anger have no interest in sharing opinions. We must keep this in mind no matter what our stance is with the current rumblings of our world.

We’ve all over heard a conversation like the following:

Bob: Dude, these photos are totally awesome! That Moose looks so close you could touch it!

Chad: Thanks man.

Bob: You should totally be a photographer for a living.

Ok. We’ll stop there. So Bob suggests to Chad that he should be a photographer because he can take a nice photo. If this were the case then wouldn’t everyone be a photographer? This makes it sound so easy!

 The first problem is that nature provides us with a beautiful backdrop. That beautiful photo that Chad took, of the ocean, of the mountain, of wildlife, that’s great but anyone there at that moment could’ve taken a picture and gotten something beautiful.

 Being a professional photographer faces you with a much more difficult challenge. Creating a beautiful image. The reason professional photog’s can make money is because the person paying for the artwork is guaranteed a specific outcome. The photographer has spent years building a portfolio. Years networking and showing people their work. Years trying to make enough to pay for the overhead of a nice studio space that will in turn make them look even more professional so they can get more work. Think of it this way, a professional has to be able to deliver EVERY TIME. That’s a lot of stress and takes years of work to build up that kind of skillset.

 If it were as easy as taking a nice photo everyone would try to be a photographer. No one talks about the 20+ hour workdays. No one talks about not having days off. No one talks about the fact that being a creative for a living is ultra competitive and you could lose a job to the new next great thing. No one talks about the fact that art is entirely opinion based and that if no one thinks your good you don’t get paid.

 So maybe before you suggest to that friend of yours that they should be a professional at whatever their hobby is you should consider the fact that if they had the drive and ambition to do their hobby for a living they probably would have already thought of it and would already be working towards it.