I hate the term “Rockstar”
The use of the term “Rockstar” is one of my pet peeves. I’m sure you’ve heard it tossed around at your local, state or national photography convention.
“That guy…he’s a real rockstar!”
Maybe it was when the next speaker was introduced,
“Please welcome one of the newest photography rockstars…”
It’s a favorite description for good photographers on photography forums. You see it on photo blogs.
Bleh.
3 reasons I hate “Rockstar”:
- It elevates a few while minimizing most. Everyone has something to give and share, and while a few might have big ideas, it doesn’t make others less important.
- It creates separation. If a few are rockstars and the rest of us fans (or paparazzi) a barrier exists to connect with the chosen ones. Real sharing and education begins when everyone is accessible.
- It’s too easy to miss. Organizations today are all scrambling to find the “next big thing”, so it’s inevitable that they (we) will elevate the wrong person to share the wrong message.
An end of an era.
This summer something has shifted in me. To be honest, I think one of the reasons I hated the term “rockstar” was I wanted to be a “rockstar”. That has broken in me. I simply want to be available. I want to help.
Rockstars have a hard time being available or truly helping people. Not because they don’t want to (though I’m sure some don’t want to help), but because it’s a lot of work to be a rockstar.
The summer shift.
So the question is, “What has changed?” “How did I shift my mentality?” Actually, it’s been pretty simple. It also hasn’t been altogether intentional. Looking back through, here are 4 steps I’ve taken to stop the “Rockstar” focus (on myself):
- I looked away. Part of running The Collective meant promoting me. Nothing wrong with it really, it’s just one way to grow a blog. Because of several circumstances, I’ve begun working on some other projects. It’s taken me away from The Collective, and looking at other opportunities that are built less around me.
- I took time off. This summer I’ve taken 3 separate weeks off (2 weeks and 1 week). My goal was to be with my kids and my wife, so I purposely spent less time online. I didn’t look at Twitter, Facebook or Instagram as often as the past few months.
- I’ve party-hopped with a purpose. That’s a phrase I picked up from Catherine Hall at WPPI 2012, and it means I’m only focusing on 1-2 social media sites (that I most like). I’m on Facebook, Google+, Linked-in, etc on occasion, but I focus on Twitter and Instagram. Yet, even in the last few months it’s been less and less.
- I am living in reality. Add all of that together, and you’ll find I am focusing on living in the here and now. I want to live in the real world. It’s caused me to focus less on me and my circumstances and more on others around me.
Are we at the end of the rockstars?
On the song Kite, Bono and U2 sing these words in reference to himself:
Life should be fragrant
Rooftop to the basement
The last of the rockstars
When hip-hop drove the big cars
I don’t know if we really are at the end of the “rockstar” era, but I sure would like to see it.
Living in the Here and Now is definitely the place to be. 🙂
Yep 🙂
This is funny – Karen Carey was just talking about this on her fb page. The thing about the industry constantly promoting “rockstars” is a big part of what I think is encouraging the “Debbie Digitals.” Now I know there are some great photographers who started out this way, but most cannot sustain their business at the price point they are charging. I really wish that the industry would focus more on the studios that have actually stayed in business rather than the next new hotshot.
This is why I still promote organizations like PPA. While they tend to hype the next big thing like everyone else, they still have great, solid standards to fall back on.
I began to notice a lot of so called “rockstars” stopped shooting and started “teaching” speaking
marketing their materials etc.
I noticed their associates were keeping their studios going while they were traveling around being “experts”. I wondered if they loved it so much and were doing so well why they were spending 90% of their time away from their studios and their families.
They had deemed themselves “rockstars”.
It’s a tough position to be in. I believe sometimes people feel trapped in a life they never saw coming. The question becomes, “How do I get out?” It’s not an easy one to answer…