Artists are content creators. They create the stories for the community, and communities need the support of artists to flourish. However, pursuing a career in creative arts in our community can be challenging.
Vipoositha Gnanenthra is a fashion-inspired wedding photographer who loves to incorporate fashion into weddings. From initially striving to be a doctor, to following her passions for fashion and photography, Vipoositha carved out her own career. While it could not have been easy to walk away from pursuing a profession with a seemingly defined path in favour of pursuing a less predictable career, this aspiring and influential artist has learned much along the way about the value of following your dreams.
“What pushed me to do well was that I did not have my parents' support."
1. Support from family will come over time if you do what’s best for you.
It may be difficult to gain support from your family at the initial stages if you are in the field of creative arts. However, it is important to do what is best for you. Your parents will come around once they see the fruits of your labor.
I wanted to express my life through fashion photography, I love creating, designing, painting, and drawing. I not only wanted to do something meaningful, but enjoyable as well. My parents did not immediately recognize that photography and fashion would be my future, but I used that as my driving force and I worked extra hard to earn their support. For instance, recently my father pulled me aside and said "I know this is your career now, and I saw this Henry's sale flyer and saved it for you. Do you need anything from this?" I keep it as a reminder that support is shown in many different ways. Having my parents support is very important to me.
2. Don’t compare yourself to others because it hurts you more than it helps you.
You will run into perceptions that you should be doing more traditional work like others. However, define who you are and the type of work you want to produce. Have the courage and confidence to stand up for your ideas and work. Learn from others who are better than you and strive to be as great as they are, but do not be them.
3. The content you produce will move you forward.
Do not wait for the perfect moment and allow your work to collect dust. I have seen many artists who are afraid to showcase their creative work because they believe it is not perfect. There is no better time than the present time to allow the community an opportunity to react to your work. However, realize that in the first few innings of your creative work, it is important to embrace the process of constant improvement to move forward. With my own work, I kept on admiring my photos for five months before publishing it to the broader community.
4. It is important to have a critic as much as you have a support network.
You need a trusted advisor that can play highly pivotal role in the successful pursuit of your career in creative arts. Luckily, my husband has been supporting every step of the way while providing me feedback to bring the best out of me every time. There are times he said some things that would hurt me, but I would use that as my driving force to do better work. When you ask someone for criticism, be willing to take everything they say (good or bad). Never forget that we are work in progress and always have room to learn and grow.
5. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Our culture is based on what is considered comfortable, but we cannot use that as an excuse. We have to take risks, step outside of our comfort zone and into the discomfort of uncertainty to reap the biggest rewards. When I first started photography, I was part excited, part scared, and outside of my comfort zone. No worthwhile aspiration can be accomplished if you do not pursue an untraveled path.
Your mindset will also be different when you’re working for yourself because you do not have anything to fall back on. As a result, you push yourself further every time to take on bigger challenges.
To see more of the Oviyan Photography world, visit www.ovyian.com.
