Boxing in an Art

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Hi everyone, here’s a bit of inspiration for you today. This doesn’t just relate to photographers. It can relate to any form of art. Male or female, anyone can be an artist. I chose Muhammed Ali as an example for today.

A boxer (photographer) may not be born a champion, or know he’s going to become one. He finds his passion and pursues it with all of his heart. He has to train (learn the camera), practice (take pictures of his dog, babies, flowers, landscapes, models, insects), exercise his mind (learn photoshop, lighting, composition) and body (carry camera gear upstairs, hills, and cliffs). He sacrifices social events (partying, going to the beach, watching tv) to remain focused. He listens to his coach (constructive criticism) because it’s crucial to his growth.

He can do this his whole life, but all of his knowledge and training won’t be put to the test until he faces his opponent in the ring (the photoshoot and the photographs taken).  He will apply everything  (bug spray in the jungle, light meter, softbox, filter, actions, layers, masks, brush strokes) to defeat his rival. This battle may take 10 rounds (10 hours of editing) to complete, but he will win (he is never a loser because trying is winning). It may not be the knockout (crowd-pleasing photo) he hoped for, but during the battle, he learned something about his style, technique, and himself. He will apply all of this to each of his future opponents, and if he continues to learn from his mistakes, sharpen his skillset, and remain focused, he will become the champion he longs to be. He will look back at those first fights (pictures) and realize how far he has come, for those were his stepping stones to victory. You may think he has sacrificed dearly to become champion but is it really a sacrifice if you accomplish your dreams?

(this analogy came to me in a dream on 12/28/12)

Here’s an awesome highlight reel showing how Muhammed Ali would create art for the world to enjoy. The ring was his canvas, and his hands were the paint brushes.