Switching our mindset to getting thirty rejections is subtle, but the change is massive. For a start it takes our eye off the boiling pot, and stops us from hoping for a result, rather than creating one. This “law of thirty” can be applied to photography or filmmaking - finding access, pitching, grants, exhibitions, in fact everything in the workflow of a producer that requires us to reach out to other people.

This path that we’re all on - the exploration of our literary and visual ideas requires trust. Trust in our ourselves, that whatever our abilities we’ll improve over time. Trust that we have the motivation to follow through. Trust in our subjects to let us in with honesty and transparency. Trust that the topics that we’re exploring will interest others. And trust that once we begin down the road to our goal, circumstances will present themselves that’ll spur us on.

For all of us, regardless of our subject, narrative, or choice of equipment, when selling our personal projects or self-directed work, the method is always the same and it’s quite straightforward.

This why we’re all here. It’s why we do what we do. If we had chosen a direct path to riches, we’d have embarked on careers in finance or commercial real estate right? So perhaps this is the key that keeps us all walking this creative path - how to express what I feel inside visually? How to communicate thoughts, feelings, and ideas to our peers with grace and poetry? How to unleash my personal style?

This is not a time for excuses. If you have an existing job, it’s a blessing. While creating that first project, a steady income is a fantastic thing. There is a freedom in being able to explore, create, and consider without the pressure of needing to sell a photo or a video to put a meal on the table. That can wait until later.

There are three methods of selling work and receiving assignments. But you’ll need to conquer the first before the last two are possible. And the toughest part? The first method is entirely up to you!

I’m a documentary journalist. I find a narrative that intrigues me and set out to explore the topic in as much depth as I can, whether it’s the genocide of the Rohingya in Western Myanmar, cultural responses to school shootings in Texas, or paramilitary summer camps for children in Ukraine.