Before reading the article, you can find just below the Vimeo web link of a SUPER CUTE video advert made 10 years ago by brilliant film-maker Alice Carcelli, who is a friend mine. EAP stands for Elena Arvasi Photography and I am pretty sure that nowadays, this ad could pass for a “vintage” thing ðĪŠ Oh man, I still love so much that tune! My Italian accent whilst speaking English a bit less!! In your place, I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to watch it!
Between 2012 and 2014 I seriously considered working as a freelance photographer. At the time this thought caressed my mind on several occasions! However, after careful reflection, I realized that this wouldn’t be an appropriate or fitting choice for me, on a long term basis. I believe that being a freelance is a matter of character. When you do this kind of job, you need to have the ability to financially support yourself. You have to be willing but also naturally predisposed to fight all the time, and this is a constant. You must be driven and an inner energy is pushing you towards reaching your goals. You need to establish a solid business mindset to deal wisely with numbers and pricing. You have to believe firmly in yourself but you also have be lucky when it comes about making good encounters and establishing purposeful connections (people or customers).
In hindsight, I do not regret my choice of keeping photography as a side hustle whilst my first income comes from a stable office job. I no longer feel the bitterness and the sense of frustration that hurt me years ago about the fact that my life’s purpose was not matching with my dream job. Over the last decade I have evolved, I have become more aware of myself and I have even discovered other passions! Don’t get me wrong, a big part of my heart is in photography and this activity gives me a purposes, it is a devotion, a kind of “service” that I am doing to other people. I have understood and accepted that the fact of not earning my life by “living the dream” doesn’t diminish my qualities or my talent nor label myself. Most of us, we have some form of artistic talent or skills, the important thing is to bring it out, somehow, to make an enriching experience it, to share it and to let it enlighten us.
Young freelancers, please note that this article doesn’t mean to discourage any of you from embarking on a beautiful and challenging career’s type. On the contrary, I admire, respect and cheer for some of you, but at the same time this is a realistic invitation to reflect on your character and needs, as life’s call demands us to discover ourselves and to open up to the world, to understand who we are and what our deepest, truest meaning is, staying honest and loyal to ourselves.
About the photo below, although you cannot see Alice’s face, hidden behind the camera, you can tell you that she was smiling!!
Elena Arvasi Portrait Photographer 