Hey everybody! Look at me!

We like to say that recognition is not as important as seeing your ideas come to life. But that’s a lie. It doesn't matter how much you love or hate your job, hobby or craft, recognition is key in keeping it going. You learn to perfect your craft, not only because you enjoy it, but to also share it with friends, family and people who share your interest.

When people show interest, it makes you more absorbed in what you do. It drives you, it inspires you, it pushes you to be better and accomplish greater things. Constantly creating, without recognition, makes you stagnate. It makes you uninterested; you lose your drive; you lose your purpose. While you still produce pieces of art or crafts, it becomes difficult, it seems harder. Though, most people may have started for love and not for the praise, once others show interest, it motivates you to want to continue. To be better...

Others being interested in the same things is essential to producing quality work. Not just to share an interest, but to bounce ideas off other people, to discuss topics, to learn and to educate. It is essential, especially in a creative field. Andy Warhol had the factory, which did exactly that. Not just painters, but musicians, actresses and writers, all different people with common interest. Today while it should be easier to connect with similar people, (thank you Internet) I still find it most difficult.

This kind of sharing, in the Warhol example I mentioned, has little to do with recognition, and more about critiques from your peers. In an informal setting, critiques really help you see your work from a different perspective. It helps you grow, and shows you your strong points and weak points. It’s like a screening, and you get to go back and tweak things, to make sure your end product is the best it can be.

Maybe recognition isn't really the word I should use, but, just as interest from your peers is fulfilling, so is genuine interest from a total stranger. It is easier to produce work knowing your work inspires others. When you have support, the juices keep flowing. While, personal satisfaction is great, and gives you energy to keep doing it. Recognition is a whole other energy on its own.

When I take a good picture I'm always excited to share it. When I paint or design it's the same thing. The more people recognize, the more fulfilled I feel, and the more I want to create.

Maybe it’s just me; maybe I’m just an attention whore. Maybe I’m sitting here writing this like, “Hey everybody! Look at me!” Maybe this whole blog post was just an attention seeking ploy to get you to read this entire BS article and make you feel guilty enough to hire me… or maybe not.

You can contact me for jobs at priyamahabir@gmail.com