If not giving up was always the right answer life would be so easy. History shows us that sometimes quitters prosper and sometimes they miss out. Knowing when to quit and when to keep going is one of the most difficult questions and so we asked folks we admire to tell us how they think through this question.

Joe Calixto | Photographer

Every time someone asks me for photography tips, I usually tell them, have fun. I guess that’s how I would know whether to keep going or call it a day. If you’re not enjoying what you’re doing anymore and it’s giving you unnecessary stress, then your heart is definitely not there. As a creative, I personally think the best part is the learning curve. Theres so many ways you can set your camera, so many different things you can do on post, ways to light a set, or pose your subjects, and as a concert photographer, the possibilities are endless at a show. And I think that’s what keeps this job interesting. Read more>>

Rivka Nehorai | Artist, art educator, community builder

When considering to keep going or to give up, I think it’s important to separate what you do for yourself creatively and for your own creative dreams and what you are providing as a service to others. Creative people, I believe need to be always figuring out how to “refill their well”; getting inspired and then channeling it outwards. But an artists’ specific creative needs may change. I hit a roadblock after I got the COVID vaccine this April. We had just moved to California last August during the pandemic, and I had been painting furiously for months in the studio I set up in my home, more consistently than I ever had before. Then suddenly, the world opened up for me, and I found that I didn’t want to paint anymore. I had to literally take all the paintings off the walls of my studio and turn them backwards because I couldn’t even stand looking at them. Read more>>

Sarah Ray | Owner

I think this is a fantastic question! We all have the Covid blues that’s for sure! Many of us have spend the time reflecting not only on ourselves but our business. Can we rise above or do we fail? Failure has never been a option for me. Working in the sex industry with no regulations/ industry standards has been challenging over the years. Starting a company in this industry is not like opening a café, you cant follow the guidelines or protocols, you just have to work it out yourself like a baby learning to walk. Read more>>