You Are Who You Surround Yourself With

On connection, collaboration, and choosing the people who lift you higher.

The Power of Your Circle

I have spoken about this before, about being surrounded by people who lift you up and push you forward, not the opposite. Today I wanted to expand on it for a few reasons.

First, I just finished Jimmy Carr's book (sensational). How a man can make a career out of inappropriate dick jokes and then go on a podcast and talk like he is a self-aware monk who meditates for hours a day is beyond me, but you get both sides in the book.

He makes a really great point about friendship, one I have really taken on. I highly value the people in my life, both personally and professionally. Not for what they do for me or what I do for them, but for who I am when I am around them.

I think we do that a lot when we think of our relationships, particularly with our partners, but who here does it with their friends?

Think about it. Who here has ever walked away from an interaction and thought, "I am not sure I like who I am around them"? Not many people. I know I didn’t for a long time.

This book had so many nuggets and I am very grateful I read it. I cannot recommend it enough if you are reading this. Whatever you think you know of the man from his stand-up or his TV appearances, read the book.

This leads me nicely into today's topic: Collaboration.

As time has started to move really quickly, I have become more aware of this word and its power than many others. I got asked a great question the other day and I will put it to you.

What business are you in?

I thought on it, and in fact, I did not answer until the following week. I am a photographer who works commercially and does portrait and fine art work.

My business is not photography. It is connection. I am in the business of connection.

Both my ability to connect with subjects and the ability to form a connection between my audience and my art matter deeply to me. I know I am doing well when I am getting clients through people I have already worked with. It means word of mouth becomes my strongest way of getting work.

On that note, the best way to build connection and create amazing work is through collaboration.

Getting a group of people together, each with different strengths, and pulling them together to create something even better.

When this happens you do not get 1 + 1 = 2. You get 1 + 1 = 3.

Because there is a special magic when people come together and create something amazing as a group.

That happened this past week and I want to share it.

I am also conscious of not talking about Gaoth too much, even though a lot is happening. I still do other work for a living and this week's post is about a specific project.

I have not shared much about my beautiful partner Joia, who is an amazing ceramicist.

Joia has just finished an incredible collection titled Ren.

In order to get the level of work she wanted (I did not do much to be honest), we obviously had Joia's amazing pieces made. We then collaborated with some friends who are stylists and makers, Jessica an Interior stylist and Sonia from Disordinary.

Jess is an incredible interior stylist who has worked all over Australia and London. She recently redid her tiny space and we shot that too, which was incredibly designed and thought out. Not only that we’re so happy to also call her a friend.

Sonia is a local maker who creates beautiful brushed aluminium pieces that were just perfect for the space we shot in.

For the shoot, Joia and Jess had the vision of making it big, focusing on all the vases as more of a sculptural display. They used Sonia's amazing pieces to elevate that display.

I took the photos, some film, some digital.

Here they are.

Now what is the point in this?

Reach out to those who inspire you and who can push you.

Collaboration is the way forward. If you are on this journey or you are reading this, it is likely your business is connection too. We are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with.

So look at who you are when you are around the people in your life.

If you do not like it, then find people who bring out the best in you and step into that.

Have an amazing day,
Love,
Adam

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