05/20/2026
Did you know the original Wizard of Oz was a resounding fail at the box office when it debuted in 1939? It's now one of the biggest film franchises and everyone has seen something to do with Oz.
I've never been one to believe in creative competition. You can't judge creativity based on a black and white answer. The arts have never, and will never be a grade, a yes or no, a pass or fail, a win or loss.
The arts have and never will be binary or linear nor will they ever melt into conformity to fit inside an arbitrary box placed desperately by societies norms.
Art is loud, it is messy, it is unique, and personal, heavy, light, release, passion, interest, expression and so many more things than just 'art'.
Between niches and branches and a million different styles, one thing remains. Art is subjective.
Much like the Wizard of Oz, sometimes at first people simply don't get it. Sometimes they come around, and sometimes they don't. You can't compare that, to something completely different such as the Mona Lisa.
Both seemingly misunderstood and misinterpreted pieces of art, and yet completely unique.
The same is true within Photo, Video, Music, Film, Dance, Theatre, anything.
There is no competition because no one can offer what you offer, the way you offer it.
There is no competition because no one will light the subject, shoot from the same angle, have the same visions, give the same experience and still be you.
You are your only competition.
"The industry is so saturated" is something I've personally heard thousands of times. I can still stand out, you can still stand out.
Art is not at max capacity. Art is immersive, dive in and stop pretending other people have something you don't, because they feel the same towards you.
Make friends, build community and obliterate any notion that anyone is better than you just because you look up to them. They're not better they are different.
Art is difference.
