How to Make a Photography Website* (If You’re a Procrastinator)

*This is not a post about how to technically make a photography website. It’s about what inspired a procrastinator to finally be able to make a photography website.


Introduction


For my first blog post, I’ve decided to write about how I’ve come to create this photography website. It doesn’t have much to do with photography, but it is the truth.

More photography-related blog posts will follow, but for now, read below about how I was inspired to make this site.


 

Here I am, still deep in the Dark Woods of perfecting a photography website, yet I’m far enough past the Critical Entrance that I will not waste away in the Dark Playground when I have free time. I’ve even made it to Flow recently, and I when I enter the Happy Playground, I feel like I’ve earned it.

You’re probably asking yourself what the above is all about. Well, the metaphors I used are from Wait But Whys interesting post about procrastination. In the coming paragraphs, I’ll be explaining how that website and the metaphors are linked, so just stick with me for now.

How to make a photography website

In the Dark Woods now, but there is light up ahead…

 

I’ve wanted to create a business-orientated photography website for years now, but I’ve not been able to. First of all, I’m a terrible procrastinator so whenever I start something, I rarely finish it. Secondly, I have a ten-month old daughter who I have to (happily) help to take care of throughout the day and night which makes it hard to accomplish things in my free time. Finally, I have never really had much of a portfolio or aim which has made me want to move forward with my photography talent and passion.

However, recently I’ve been more focused with my photography projects and goals, and I’ve made the time to create this website which I’ve dreamt about for so long. How have I done it? Well, this may sound silly, but it’s because of two things: the Wait But Why website, and Elon Musk. Simple as that. Let’s start with…

 

Elon Musk

Don’t know who Elon Musk is, or enough about him to realize how this is possible? Well, I’m going to link you to the article which was the initial catalyst that made me want to make my own website: Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man, from the Wait but Why blog.

It’s a fascinating article and when you have the time, I highly recommend reading that and the other three articles on Wait But Why about Musk and his companies. The gist that I have taken from all the articles is this though:  Elon Musk is an extraordinary man who is changing the world as we know it, up there with Steve Jobs and Thomas Edison.

Elon Musk is the creator of three revolutionary companies, all founded with the millions of dollars he made when he sold PayPal to Google in 2002.

First, he’s the CEO of SpaceX, a rocket building space-exploration company, which is currently delivering satellites and other payloads into space for countries around the world.

Second, he’s a chairman of SolarCity, a renewable energy company, which is developing and producing the highest quality and cheapest solar panels for the USA and the world.

Finally, he co-founded and is the CEO of the Tesla automobile company, an American car manufacturer featuring premium electric cars which will no doubt change and make better the highly carbon-polluted and oil-reliant world we now live in. Did I mention that his long-term goal was to make space travel cheap enough to colonize Mars with a million people, thus making humans a multi-planetary species? Honestly, read about it here.

Musk is the real deal when it comes to moving our species forward in a positive and helpful way. He is one person who is truly “furthering humanity.”

 

What does Musk and his pioneering companies have to do with me and the making of a website? Simply put, when I start procrastinating and time-wasting, I think of Elon Musk and I get inspired. I set about doing some work.

 

Elon Musk has three thriving companies. Three. And he basically runs all of them simultaneously on a daily basis. Think about that and think about what you do in your daily life. I sometimes struggle to even wake up to make breakfast in the morning. How the hell could someone run three companies like that?

I’m amazed that such a human being lives at the same time that I do. He has inspired me to be a better human being than I was before. I’m only beginning on my path, but I feel more than ever that I can succeed at anything I put my mind to with enough hard work and perseverance.

 

 

Wait But Why

The wonderful thing that happened after I read about Musk was that I kept reading the articles at Wait But Why. The excellent two-part post about procrastination (Why Procrastinators Procrastinate and How to Beat Procrastination) was such an eye-opener for me that I printed out the clever image of how to understand the feelings of procrastinating and how to overcome it. It’s now taped above my computer.

 

You’ll have to read the articles to really understand this picture, but it makes so much sense once you get it. (Image: Wait But Why)

 

Honestly, the day after I read these posts, I began distancing myself from the Dark Playground (Facebook, Youtube, bad News sites, random click-baiting links, games, TV shows), and entering the Dark Woods (focusing on the task at hand, making this site, continuing my growth as a photographer/businessman).

Of course I often drift back into the Dark Playground, and until I delete Facebook I always will. But I can say that recently when I spend thirty minutes a week watching Last Week Tonight and having a beer, I feel good because I’m in the Happy Playground.

Sometimes I even experience the unique feeling of Flow (right now, for instance), whereby I can focus intently on the task at hand. I’ve realized that I don’t need to continuously check Facebook updates. I’ve found that it’s better to keep my phone on flight mode throughout the day and focus on my own tasks.

Essentially, I’ve come to realize that what we procrastinators and idle dreamers need is just a kick in the ass to put our minds to work, because we are ALL able to do more than we think we can do, and too many of us really do waste our time away too often these days.

 

Conclusion

 

Elon Musk is running three businesses today. And all three of them will likely change the world. What have you done today? I’ve put a few photos on my site and learned about and then started optimizing the SEO (site engine optimization) of this site. Not world-changing stuff, but I am following my dream and finally doing something. And dammit, it feels good to finally be doing something with passion and a belief in myself.

Here’s a last little quote by Elon Musk which I quite liked (this is the guy who became a rocket scientist in his free time by reading books like this).

How to make a photography website

If you’re going to waste your time, at least do it being motivated by Elon Musk.

We can all learn and do so much more than we think we can. Pick up that old hobby that you gave up years ago, or learn something new. Just stop time-wasting and procrastinating. You’ll feel much better about yourself and your life. Maybe you’ll even finally learn how to make a photography website like I did.

Thanks for reading my post and looking at my new site. Check out my Galleries to see some of my photos! Next blog post will be about cycling around Jeju Island, which I did during the Korean Chuseok holiday!

Cycling and camping around Jeju was quite an adventure. Stay tuned…

 

 

1 comment
  • CharisseOctober 17, 2015 - 6:31 am

    Thanks for sharing this article! I do know who Musk is and how his motivation has landed him his succesful companies. I never know about his metaphors and articles. I too have been delaying creating a photography site, only becuase I think I still need practice by take photos of our new home overseas. Once I think my photos are up to par, then I plan on creating the website. For now, my blog is a lot of work already. Thanks, again and so glad you joined us on Facebook.

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