10,000 Hours
In Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers," Gladwell asserts that any expert in any discipline, whether it's business, Canadian hockey or music, has devoted at least 10,000 hours to that craft. It's almost a rite of passage to being a professional. He doesn't deny that it takes ambition, dedication and talent but that 10,000 hour quota needs to be met in order to be considered an authority.
Take a moment to do that math. If you work 40 hours a week, for about 50 weeks a year, that's about 2,000 hours a year. It would literally take you 5 working years, dedicating yourself 8 hours a day to become a professional. Now, that doesn't seem impossible but considering that we're mostly working professionals or students, the amount of available time you have to yourself is very limited. I can hardly squeeze in a 10 minute mile into my day, how in the world am I suppose to do 10,000 hours? That's probably why you'll find me spending my weekends somehow involved with something photographic. I guess my saying is true: scientist by day, photographer by night.
Despite the positive accolades I receive from my peers, I still straddle the bottom rung on the ladder towards expertness. The reality is that it'll probably take my entire lifetime to get to that point. But you know what, I'm content with that idea. The way I see it is that I have a lifetime to experiment, experience and enjoy the journey. Why try to cram 10,000 hours of smiles within 5 years when I can indulge in this pictorial bliss for the next 50 years? It's like taking a shot of vodka or babysitting a beer. I'll take the beer and enjoy my ride towards photographic euphoria, thank you very much.
Welcome to Bostonia. Enjoy =)
Location: Bostonia
Gear: D90, 17-55 2.8, 35 1.8
DCHU Photography
