More, Hopefully: My Survival Guide :)

Hello, all, and welcome! If you have not been staying tuned then you would know that this will be the last blog that I publish as a GCE student as I am graduating in one week. However, let's not get into that just yet! If you are familiar with my blog, you would know that this course is called Endurance, and it is a class in which we discuss the importance of self-discovery as well as self-improvement.

As of last week, the class watched a movie called Wild. It was about a woman named Cheryl Strayed whose life goes into complete shambles after her mother's passing along with her toxic marriage. So, she decided to go on a three-month-long hike along the Pacific Crest Trail and continues on her endurance journey. Personally, I really enjoyed the movie as I feel like it gave me a visual representation of the saying "don't think, just do."

But anyway, let's get into the Action Project! The journey of this AP was to create a guide of our lives prior to/post-college and/or our alternative careers. I decided to write about my dream of becoming a traveling photographer and the things that I will have to do leading up to that point. If you would like to know more, please continue reading below 👇

       More, Hopefully: My Survival Guide

                                        By: S.S.

                                                                                S.S., Grassy Lands PA, 2020.

                                                                    

My Mission

My mission is to become a traveling photographer. I want to pursue this dream because I enjoy traveling and learning about different people as well as cultures and I enjoy photography because it is an activity that I enjoy doing as a mental getaway from reality. I will be pursuing this mission by attending Columbia College Chicago’s Photography BD (bachelor’s degree) Course in Winter 2022. By pursuing this dream, my hope is to positively influence others through my photographs by overcoming my fears and anxieties of transition. I would like to lead the example for others who feel as if they are stuck in a certain situation that pertains to social anxiety and/or depression.

Land of the Lay

In order to become a professional photographer, I would need at least a bachelor’s degree. The college that I will be attending in January of 2022 - Columbia College Chicago - there is a photography bachelor’s degree program that allows me to meet award-winning photographers to which will help place me at the appropriate level that I need in order to be successful in the future. After receiving my bachelor’s degree from Columbia College Chicago, I will have the photography skills that I need, but I will still need a job. The average salary that a photographer makes in Chicago, Illinois is around $70,000, but the range falls between $56,668 and $80,580. So, if I were to fall into the $80,000 then I would have enough money to start my traveling photography process.

Timeline

2021: Graduate from high school and take a GAP semester to continue working on my photography skills.

2022: Wrapping up my GAP semester and start my photography BD course. This first year is an exploratory source where we jump right into the process using a variety of different approaches.

2023: Start the second year of my photography BD course. This year is where we are introduced to core courses which consist of the crafts of making a photograph, the history of making a photograph, and image strategies depending on the concentration. And hopefully, taking on a study abroad opportunity.

2024: Start the last year of my photography BD course. This last year consists of a Capstone where we put all of our photography skills to the test and assemble all of our work together for our final exhibition.

2025: After completing my photography BD program, I will take on a job that consists of photography and, hopefully, traveling abroad.

2026: I will be starting my traveling photography career by visiting at least two states that I have not visited before - New York and Atlanta.

2027: I will then start traveling internationally by having traveled to at least two countries that I have always dreamed of visiting - Barcelona and Greece.

2028: I will be continuing my career by having traveled to at least four countries - one of which will be South Africa and/or Japan.

2029: I will be continuing my career by having traveled to at least six countries - one of which will be Paris and/or Brazil.

2030: I will be continuing my journey by having traveled to at least eight countries - one of which will be Dubai and/or India. And the journey continues...

Resources

•  The basic equipment that I will need includes a full-frame camera, a variety of camera lenses, and memory cards.
• I will need to learn basic phrases in different languages as well as a passport.
• A job that will allow me to travel or a job that requires traveling.

Roadblock

If I were to hit a roadblock in this journey, I will be willing to work past it because that is what my family taught me to do. I am not sure what I would sacrifice, but I know for sure that I will not be sacrificing my pride. Life as well as my family have always taught me that life will not always be kind to me and that is okay, however, I must always remain my most authentic self no matter what. I did not really understand what that meant growing up, but now that I am older and I see what the world is really like, I know that it means to always stay true to yourself as well as the character that you want other people to see.

Worse-Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario that I can imagine happening as I pursue my dream is having to move back to my hometown. Do not get me wrong, where I am from - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - has a variety of great schools, however, there are not many great opportunities for people of color as there are for others which is the reason why my mother, as well as other members of our family, have moved to various locations around the country - so that we can have better opportunities in terms of school/career opportunities.

Inspiration

• “Be your most authentic self.”

This quote is from my own mother. I have mentioned this before, but she has been saying this to me for my entire life and I did not really understand the meaning behind it until I got older. It was not until I got to high school when understood that the world would not always be kind to everyone and the best thing you can do is be your best version of yourself.

• “No matter who you are, where you’re from, your skin color, your gender identity… speak for yourself.”

This quote is from Kim Namjoon who is also the leader of the popular k-pop boy band, BTS. It has always stuck with me as the album that came out soon after this was said was called Speak Yourself, and it was about self-love and putting yourself in the world no matter what they think of you.

• “You are your problem, but you are also your solution.”

This quote is from the movie Bridesmaids. I always think about this when I know that I need to get my life together and stop acting like a victim to the world instead of a victim to myself.

• “Your past experiences are valuable lessons to you now, learn from them.”

This quote is from the movie The Lion King. Whenever I do something that is not exactly smart, I think of this line, and try my best not to do the thing that was not exactly smart again.

• “Keep moving forward.”

This quote came from the movie Meet The Robinsons. It is one of the many movies that will always have a place in my heart as it reminds me to never give up and always keep my mission in mind.

Advice for Others

My advice for others would be to always keep your dream in mind. Reminding yourself of your dream is what is going to keep you moving and keep you motivated.

Closing

In closing, these are a few of my personal favorite photographers that I have taken throughout these last couple of years.

Works Cited:

Columbia College Chicago, “Photography Course,” 2021.
Salary.com, “Photographer Salary In Chicago,” 2021.
JobAccept.com, “Photography Jobs,” 2021.

Farewell

Like I said at the beginning, this will be my last blog post as a GCE student since I will be graduating in one week. However, I would like to give a shoutout to my instructor who has provided me with this eye-opening content. I truly appreciate everything and I mean that with everything. Thank you again! ✌