Don't Let the "Brick Wall" Hold You Back

by Skip Cohen

I started writing Sunday Morning Reflections as a way to maintain my sanity. It's become therapeutic to step away from marketing and business at least once a week. But the pandemic has changed all that. The pandemic has made every day almost the same and created a routine, that after four months, if I let it, becomes uneventful.

The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out;
the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. 
Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough.
They're there to stop the other people. 
Randy Pausch
Computer Scientist

The pandemic is our brick wall right now. I don't want to be like so many photographers staring at the wall like a deer caught in your headlights. The challenge is how to break through the brick wall and stay focused on something new - that carrot of inspiration dangling in front of me just beyond my reach.

Sheila and I laugh when each morning, I ask, "What do you have going on today?"

Every day has become the same, but there are highlights if I pay attention. For example, I'm back to keeping a camera by the back door and chasing butterflies when they appear. And last night before bed, I was spraying the bougainvilleas, winning the battle with bugs that keep eating them. Business-wise, I'm catching up with more old friends every day on Facebook, along with email and the phone. I'm reading more FB pages and following more people than ever before.

And technically I'm working hard to up my game in imaging. I just rebuilt my webcam setup with Platypod goosenecks and Litra lights. Plus, I'm jumping into more online programs being taught by some of the industry's finest educators.

Note: There are some great ones out there...Coming up this week, Kelby Media's hosting the Kelby One Photoshop Online ConferenceTuesday and Wednesday; stay tuned for new announcements about ClickCon Nation coming up in August; there are ongoing programs like my buddy Lee Varis with his Photoshop Rant, and Jay P. Morgan never slows down with The Slanted Lens.

So, here's my point - go back and read that quote above one more time. We've all got a giant brick wall in front of us, but it's opening new doors for creativity. It's pushing us all out of analysis paralysis and taking more risks in answering that age-old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Take your time and answer the question! You'll be surprised at how many options there really are, even hunkered down during a pandemic!

This past week I shared my new favorite quote in another post, and it's the foundation for everything we need to do during this new norm:

​"Don't think outside the box. Think like there is no box!"

As always, wishing everybody a terrific day of staying healthy and focused on peace and the love you have for your family and friends. Even under today's restrictions, you can still reach out and touch their hearts.

​Happy Sunday or Monday for my friends on the other side of the world. ​