I have not posted in a few weeks, but it led to the inspiration behind this blog post; the importance of resting. Through this rawly honest blog post, I am hoping you can be reminded that you are not alone in feeling the way that you do and that it is ok to take some time to just disconnect.
No matter where you look on social media, online forums, and books, it is all related to gear, tips/hacks, what to do and not do, and etc. As much as being knowledgable in all of that is, one thing that is not talked about enough is taking time to yourself and resting.
In 100% complete honesty, being a concert photographer, whether local or touring, is very taxing emotionally, physically, and mentally. If somebody tells you it is not, they either have not done it very long or are lying to you. Yes, having a passion for it helps you push further along where most will throw in the towel or become complacent, but even that passion and drive needs to rest and recharge.
If you are like me, you probably get told by a lot of people that concert photography is just a bunch of "point and shoot" or "hitting a button" while having no idea of what all goes into it. Just for starters, they do not see how with social media evolving to what it is currently, you are no longer just a photographer. You are now a social media manager, brand builder, content creator, videographer, and editor. Along with wearing other hats like being your own clientele consultant, managing your own booking, and being your own personal assistant; all while operating on almost no sleep while always having to be on the go and at the top of your game. You are essentially a walking, one man business that is trying to constantly evolve and prove to bands why they should make a special place in their limited, and almost nonexistent, budget to work with you.
Sadly, many do not always understand that just because the show is not going on at that current moment, it does not mean that our work is done. I can not tell you how many times we will be on the road and while everybody is sleeping or sound-checking, I am having to edit photos and schedule posts for social media so they can post while I try to get at least some sleep while we are traveling or during soundcheck, just to start it all over again in a few hours and trying to network along the way.
Now, just because you might feel frustrated, tired, and just "blah" at times, I want you to know that it is totally ok and that does not mean you do not appreciate what you do, it just means you are human. Just like all humans, you also need downtime and to take care of yourself because despite how hard we try to push ourselves for the sake of a facade, possible career, finances, etc., we are not a machine. That is ok. It is a very honest and humbling thing to accept, but it reminds us that even with a passionate drive to do what we love, there is nothing wrong with taking a breather to rest and regroup. Our end goal is to breathe and enjoy our adventure, not burn out and quit.
So while I am just like you and having to navigate through this new territory of learning how to rest, just remember the cliche "you are not alone" and to show yourself some grace and love while trying to achieve your dreams. Until the next blog post, happy resting.