Believe in your friend’s talents.
We all know somebody famous. We all know a friend of a friend that has attracted huge amounts of attention. We all know of a person whether through music, make up, art or sports, that is succeeding. People who are proactive with their interests should always be celebrated. It should fill us with joy, make us feel like proud, supportive spectators and make us feel inspired. However, sometimes this is not the case. More often than not, we may find ourselves feeling subdued or revelling in self-examination, desperately trying to find out what we are also great at. Nowadays many people are pursuing and excelling in areas they enjoy and this is something that should always be encouraged, but as a result many others end up feeling like they do not have the capability to pursue their interests and put those who do on a pedestal.
While I have been guilty of doing this myself, I feel that it is important for everybody to feel like they have the potential and the ability to do extraordinary things. I believe no one person is born better than the other. One thing I have always been thankful for is that I am surrounded by many people doing great things. Frustratingly none of them believe that the things they are doing are as great as I do. I would not say my friends are modest, however I think because being famous is such a lusted notion, anything that falls beneath fame is not considered worthy of praise.
To deal with this issue. To try and get people to pursue their hobbies and explore their talents, I have started a photo series on Instagram (link found above). This photo series aims to break down the (mental) barrier between those who do take their hobbies and interests further and those who feel like they ‘cant’ pursue things that interest them. My main goal is to firstly, celebrate people that are actively pursuing their dreams. Secondly, to allow for insight into other people’s achievements and all the steps involved. By giving other people an insight into the processes involved in pursuing hobbies, I am hopeful that others will be encouraged to push themselves and be proactive in achieving great things in fields they are interested in.
An example of how this photo series works is shown below. Somebody I have photographed in this photo series is George Okello, (instagram; omoiza). Who describes his relationship with photography and film making:
“My relationship with photography started when I discovered that I could fill up my sketchbook pages faster than when I drew. Film-making was the unintentional bi-product of this process. My camera could always record videos — and so about 5 years later I challenged myself to make my first vlog, and from then my first steps as a filmmaker were made. I enjoy stills, natural photography, documentary film-making, and really celebrating where i’m from as a person. I take heavy influence from my East and West African heritage and the struggles that brought my parents here. My work speaks to the socially-conscious and I take pride in celebrating and taking influence from our very diverse society.”
This project series of mine does not have a deadline, it will be something that I will always do because I feel that it is important that people are celebrated and that people are encouraged. If you would like to get involved, please do message me on instagram or send me an email! Rashaunblack@hotmail.co.uk.
Thank you,
Believe in your friends’ talents.
