Motivation

Treading the path toward a freelance career requires nothing but self-motivation. You can cut the ties to your office job, or make some cash on the side through your craft, but how badly do you want it?

In the beginning there’ll be no one inviting you to make photographs or produce feature-length documentary films. You’ll have to work hard to find stories that are fresh, and even harder to find access long enough to make deep work.

I had a mentor in the early stage of my journalism career, George Getschow, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and ex-Wall Street Journal writer famous for covering labor camps

After a story critique session, I remember asking Getschow how to progress as a journalist.

His advice stuck with me and is relevant to so many endeavors. He said that journalism, publishing, and creative pursuits are “self-invite,” - if you want in, you’re the only one who can open that door.

I’ve tested this theory again and again and found it true. There are no gatekeepers, you don’t need formal qualifications, and you don’t need to be a member of a club. Did we see Hunter S. Thompson asking permission? The only thing you need is solid work.