I Wish I Had Known... About Painting!

This is the nineteenth post in my series of posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

In today’s post, I have the honour of chatting with London-based Canadian-born figurative painter Andrew Salgado about his work, the state of the art industry these days and how being humble and grateful can go a long way in the art world:

1. How do you become a painter? Is it something that you go to school for or are you born with the talent?

Well, I think that you are inherently born with a talent, but that talent can definitely be honed. I don't think school is necessarily a determining factor. It’s also a mindset, a mentality. It takes a lot of drive, whereas most people think it’s quite a wishy-washy process, it’s actually quite the opposite.

2. Did you always know that you wanted to be a painter or did you try a different industry before becoming an artist?

I was always interested in the arts; originally I thought I was going to perhaps go into architecture or even dabbled in film; but ultimately I realized that my passion was in art - as in studio art, which is very self-directed and allows me full control of my life and creativity.

3. While doing my research for this interview, I came across many interviews of yours that go back to almost a decade ago, and the Andrew in every one of them sounded like a different person, a different artist. Has your growing up as a person influenced your art or the other way around?

Oh wow. Well, I think that the person I was around 2008 and the years after being victimized in a hate-crime, I was a very wounded person. I was angry and rattled; I had also just moved to the UK. I was uncertain. I've grown a lot. I've learned a lot. I think I have learned a lot from art, but also personal experience. I don't think you can have one without the other. I've become more of a business-minded person, but I've also become a bit more disillusioned with the art world. That sounds like a bad thing, I don't know that it is, it’s a reality of the industry. I'm quite well adjusted right now; I feel like a complete person.

4. How would you describe your style as a painter and how would you explain it to those of us who don’t understand about art?

I'm figurative, as in, I 'paint people'; but I embrace a lot of abstract techniques.

5. Do you think artists must have an unmistakable style or must they follow a movement or the trends of the art world?

I think it’s important to create your own inimitable style, but I also feel like style is always in flux. I think it’s also foolish to not at least be cognizant of the art-world movements; art moves in trends (which itself is such an ugly word, but it’s true) and it would be absolutely ignorant to think that anyone is operative above these trends. A trend by its nature is a reaction to the status quo or at least some sort of acknowledgement of it; art does precisely the same. My work has changed with the time in a desire to stay relevant. Nobody wants to be left behind, and the art world moves in large steps.

6. One of the hardest things to accept for artists who live from their work is that they are running a business and that there are invoices to send, bills to pay and taxes to file. Was that ever an issue for you?

Well, thankfully my gallery does it all for me. I hate paperwork. And it takes up a lot of time. Emailing takes up a lot of time. But yes, you are running a small business, and it’s imperative to consider the business-side with wide-open-eyes.

7. Did you ever have a day job to pay for your living while you painted and if so how long did it take you to be able to live from your work?

Yeah, growing up I always had jobs; until my mid-20s I worked as a lifeguard and a waiter. I have been working professionally from my art for about 10 years now.

8. To make a living as an artist nowadays do you need to be represented by a gallery or can you sell directly to collectors yourself?

I think somewhere there exists a happy medium, where the new modes of art-showing and the traditional modes of art-showing find a sort of equilibrium. The art world has stark divides, large egos, and plenty of gate-keeping. As in, in order to be respected, you need to achieve certain goals or reach certain standards that you simply cannot achieve on your own. Like, sure you can sell a bunch on Instagram, but if you ever want to get serious peer and industry recognition, and career credibility, you need to go through the relevant channels. Like, I can unclog your toilet, but that doesn’t mean I'm a plumber, right?

9. How does a starting painter know how to find their audience? How can they reach collectors?

There’s an idea with young artists that they're doing something that 'nobody has ever done before' or this bullshit 'my art is gonna change the world’ rhetoric or 'I invented said technique…’ Firstly, get your head out your ass. You're not special; learn from history and your peers. Educate yourself. Learn about the industry you're entering. Don't expect people to fawn over you, because there are hundreds of people doing what you're doing - and frankly, doing it better.

One thing my gallery (Beers London) asks artists (if and when) they actually get a meeting with the gallery, is 'why do you think you're a fit with the gallery' and 'which of our artists do you most like?' usually to a response of a blank stare. Learn about the industry before you expect it to bend over backwards for you. Be humble. Accept that you have more to learn. Check your ego at the door.

The faster you learn these things, the more approachable you and your art will become. The best artists I know are the most grateful, humble, and approachable. Well, that was a bit of a tangent. But you can also use Instagram or start something grass-roots with your friends. Don't expect too much too soon. It’s a long, long, long road.

10. What do you consider is the key to a successful artist career in today’s art world?

This is a really tricky question. There are a lot of factors for success. Are you happy? Can you pay your bills? That’s a good start.

11. When do you know that it’s time to start a new painting? How do you know when the work is done?

I think this is different for everyone. I work in 'bodies' of work and the story reveals itself, like chapters. I know when it’s done like heat, I can feel it warming up, and then eventually it’s too hot to touch.

12. What do you do when you finish a painting? Do you take some time or do you paint more?

I usually take a little holiday to recalibrate...but ironically I just finished a body last week and I'm beginning new works tomorrow. I suppose like life, it’s always different, isn’t it?

13. How do you deal with artist’s block?

Does that exist? I find I don't have the time to get it all out, so I have to edit the ideas down. I suppose you need to look to little things and stop expecting the world to bless you with divine inspiration. What are the small things that inspire you? What gets you out of bed? What song is in your head? What memory do you go back to? A conversation? A trinket? Something you're grateful for or bothered by? Think small, execute big.

14. And lastly, have you ever painted yourself?

Yeah, a few times. I find it a bit masturbatory, to be honest.

15. Thanks so much, Andrew, for being so kind and letting me interview you. Where can we learn more about you and about your work?

You can follow me on Instagram at @andrew.salgado.art or at www.beerslondon.com or my own website www.andrewsalgado.com.

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

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A World That Others Can't See... with Ivan Weiss

Our role as photographers is to capture a world that others can't see, and in this process, we leave a little bit of us in every photo that we take. In a way, every single one of our photographs is also a portrait of ourselves. In this series, A World That Others Can't See, I ask fellow photographers to talk about an image from their portfolios in order to discover the stories behind their work and to learn about the person behind the lens.

For the second post of the series, I spoke with Ivan Weiss, a London-based headshot and portraits photographer with a particular focus on the performing arts. Ivan walks us through the challenges he encountered while shooting this beautiful portrait.

Ivan says: "I was asked to do some promo images for a barbershop that's just opened up in East London. The shop is inside a shipping container in Containerville E2. So I knew I'd be dealing with very limited space, but it also gave me a cue to play on the long, narrow shape in my composition. Luckily I've been working a lot with wider focal lengths recently and I felt confident this would work. I took my 24-70mm just in case I was forced to change plans.

‘Troise & Sons’ © Ivan Weiss

I had to work quickly as I only had 10 minutes with Davide in between clients. I had taken a compact version of my current favourite studio light set up. I rigged my key light as high as the ceiling would allow (i.e not very) and gaffer-taped a black cloth to the wall opposite to provide negative fill and prevent any bounce back. I was ready to roll as soon as he was. I took a few frames to get my levels right and immediately began regretting my decision not to bring a third light with me. The background was just too dark. Not bad for a moody portrait, but I needed something a bit lighter for this commercial image. Luckily, I was on a tripod. So I dropped the shutter speed down to 1/10 second and let the natural ambient light soak in to light my background.

I’ve chosen to share this image because it represents for me a fusion of my studio style with the environmental portraiture work that I’d like to be doing more of.”

For this shot, Ivan used:

• Body: Canon 5DsR

• Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm ƒ/2.8L II @35mm

• Settings: ƒ/9, 1/10, ISO100

• Key light: Godox AD200 in a 70cm SMDV Dodeca Speedbox pushed as far as possible into the corner of the ceiling and wall on camera right.

• Fill light: Godox AD200 in a RayFlash ringflash adapter on camera.

Thank you so much, Ivan, for kindly taking part in my series and for showing us your amazing work! You can see more of Ivan's photography on http://www.ivanweiss.london.

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If you haven't read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different photographer each month!

Photo credit: portrait of Ivan Weiss © 2018 JC Candanedo

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Is There Such Thing As A Sustainable Photographer?

This post is also available in audio form:

When the use of digital photography became widely spread, many praised this new form of taking photos as environmentally friendly. At last, gone were the days when the planet was harmed by the film photo processing chemicals, they said. The truth is that digital photography is not as clean as we might think, and I am willing to say that sometimes it's even worse. With all the talk in recent years on sustainability in the fashion industry, I asked myself the question: could there be such a thing as a sustainable fashion photographer?

Last week, I wrote about assessing the environmental impact of our businesses and putting in place best practices to reduce the amount of waste that we generate. Today, after assessing my own practice, I have come up with ways in which my photography business can be more sustainable.

The aim is not to be 100% eco-friendly, because that concept might not even exist at all. Our own existence has a direct impact on the environment, and practices considered good for the planet, like recycling, have impacts of their own. The aim is to reduce our impact as much as we can. And, as photographers, there is so much that we can do to reduce our waste, not only in our practices, but in our personal lives as well.

To start my environmental-impact self-assessment, I asked myself: what is my business? I take photos. What are the tools of my trade? A digital camera and a computer. What is the impact that my equipment has on the planet? Contrary to what one might think, digital photography is not a low environmental-impact medium. All the technology that we use on a daily basis has an enormous impact on the environment:

• Electronic waste: our photography businesses run on electronics. All this equipment has a very limited lifespan. Even if we tried to really get our money's worth, we would still have to replace our cameras, computers and phones every 5 years because they become obsolete (read about how manufacturers stimulate consumption by using planned obsolescence). In contrast, my 35mm film camera is from 1981 and I still use it regularly and for commercial purposes. None of my digital cameras will ever last that long and still be worth using.

• Packaging: every time we buy new equipment, it comes protected by layers of packaging, most of it non-biodegradable and some of it, albeit recyclable, will end up in a landfill as we are unable to recycle all the waste that we produce.

• Batteries: our cameras, computers, lights, phones, tablets and wireless equipment in general use batteries. Nowadays, most of these batteries have a lifespan of 3 years and need to be properly disposed of.

• Data Storage: with digital photography we don't use film-processing chemicals anymore. Instead, we rely on a gigantic network of electronic devices to store our photos and documents. What we call the cloud (or internet in general) is a massive amount of data centres scattered across the planet that process and house everything that we do in the digital world. These data centres use an unbelievable amount of resources. They use electricity and fuel for generators, they need batteries for uninterruptible power supply, their equipment generates a lot of heat so cooling mechanisms need to be put in place (water, air conditioning, coolant), and they are in constant need of expansion so a lot of land is required.

These were just a few of the things that I could think of in which the core of my business has a direct negative impact on the planet. The reasonable thing to ask next was, what can I do as a photographer, and a business-owner in general, if I want to run an environmentally friendly business?

• Buy from suppliers and manufacturers that are environmentally conscious, those which use less packaging material, and those which have strict environmental policies in place.

• Turn off electrical equipment when not in use.

• Use rechargeable batteries.

• When buying new equipment, buy products that will last longer and that will not force me to replace them too often.

• If I need to change my equipment, try to repurpose the old equipment by using it as a backup, by selling it on the second-hand market or by finding ways to reuse their individual parts or as a whole.

The concept of 100% green photography might be an oxymoron. To be a 100% eco-friendly I would not only have to stop taking photos, I would have to stop living completely. But, by putting some of the aforementioned practices in place and by trying to reduce my waste and to reuse as much as possible, I can make sure that my business is more environmentally friendly.

Photo credits: image by Andrzej Gruszka.

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Our Economies Need More Artists

If I had told my parents when I was growing up that I wanted to be a photographer, they probably would have told me to study a real career and do whatever I wanted with my spare time. Is not that they weren't supporting parents, it's just that, where I come from, working in the creative industries is not considered having a real job. Sadly, this is a reality in many parts of the world. But, when you come to countries like the UK and you realize how strong their creative communities are, you can't help but wonder what makes this society so open to the arts. Could it possibly be what they put in the water here?

I doubt it. But, one thing is for sure: countries like this one must be doing something different at family, school or government level to keep culture and arts alive. That is the reason why when you think of creativity in the UK, you automatically think of James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, David Bowie, the Beatles, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and the list goes on. Is it a coincidence that all this amazing talent concentrates in one country? Or is it that in the UK there is more support for artists than in other parts of the world?

I know for a fact that where I come from there is an incredible number of really talented creatives. Unfortunately, most of them have to leave the country to pursue Arts as a career. There just isn't that much support for artists back home. And you might think that maybe it is because governments in other countries have other priorities and invest in what really drives the economy. But, looking at the figures, that does not make much sense.

In the UK, the creative industries (which include advertising, film and TV, architecture, publishing, music, design, games, museums and galleries, fashion, crafts, and the creative use of technology) are a £92bn sector which grows at twice the rate of the economy, and which accounts for 14.2 percent of the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA). Over 5.2 million people work in this sector, 16.1 percent of all the jobs in the UK. This represents an 11.3 percent increase since 2011 (4.7 million) and, taking into account that over the same period of time employment in the UK increased by 7.6 percent, these figures are really impressive.

This is in part due to the government's support to the creative industries sector. For example, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, dedicated tax relief to support high-end television productions, such as Game of Thrones and The Crown have seen a production boom worth £1.5 billion since the scheme was introduced in 2013.

But, it also comes from the fact that people brought up in the UK seem to be more exposed to culture and arts at family and school levels, and they grow up to understand its importance in their lives. In early 2017, 77.4% of adults in the UK had engaged with the arts at least once in the last 12 months. Which means that roughly 4 out of every 5 adults had attended or participated in arts events and activities, which included visiting an exhibition, going to the theatre or attending live music performances.

So, as it turns out, choosing to support or be part of the creative communities has a direct impact on the economy of our countries. The next time that someone tells you that pursuing a career in the creative industries is a waste of time, tell them that our economies need more artists. Save the creative, save the economy!

Photo: behind the scenes wearing my #lovemyjob t-shirt from the beautiful people at MailerLite.

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I Wish I Had Known... About Fashion Journalism!

This is the third post of my series of monthly posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that "I Wish I Had Known" when I started out as a creative myself.

Today I speak with Olivia Pinnock, Fashion Journalist, Copywriter and founder of The Fashion Debates, about what fashion journalism is all about:

1. I met you through the Fashion Debates but you are also a copywriter, a lecturer at London Metropolitan University and a fashion journalist. Who is Olivia Pinnock?

Oh I ask myself that all the time! I trained as a journalist and I do still really believe I’m a writer at heart but I’m very fortunate that I’m able to channel all of my skills and passions into many different areas.

2. What exactly is Fashion Journalism? Is it related to Fashion Critique?

Yes, all fashion critics are journalists, though not all journalists are critics! Fashion journalism is the reporting of news and trends related to what we wear. This can be interviewing designers, writing catwalk show reports, announcing changes to key staff in fashion companies, forecasting trends for the coming season, reporting sales figures for brands, and many more things! Fashion criticism is deeper analysis of these things. It could be putting a fashion collection into context and offering thought on whether it is a successful or unsuccessful. It could also explore why certain trends are popular right now, or what changes in the industry mean for business.   

3. How do you become a Fashion Journalist? Is it a separate career from journalism?

There’s not one path to go down. I studied Journalism at university and built up a portfolio of fashion writing to specialise and I believe that my training in traditional journalism skills has been very helpful. However, some people study fashion journalism and other people don’t study at all, they just train themselves through experience. I didn’t know I wanted to work in fashion when I studied so it was the right route for me.   

4. What is the role of the fashion journalist today in this day and age where a photo posted on social media is worth a thousand words?

Well we all know that what is posted on social media is not necessarily factual never mind good quality. While it can be even harder to stand out amongst all the noise on social media and the internet, I think we need top quality, trustworthy journalism in all fields more than ever.   

5. With great writing comes great responsibility. Do you think that a fashion journalist should actually know about fabrics, pattern cutting, design, and the basics of the fashion industry to be able to do their job?

Absolutely! You would expect a political reporter to understand how government works, you would expect a war reporter to understand the history of the conflict, you would expect a football reporter to know the rules of the game, so you must educate yourself as a fashion journalist to understand every aspect of the industry and its history.

The module I teach at London Met is called Fashion Branding & Journalism but as part of our classes I give them quizzes on current fashion news, names of fabrics, shoe styles, important figures in the industry, etc. We also take a trip to a factory to see how clothes are made. I feel very strongly that this is something that is very important and yet often missing from fashion journalism education.  

6. I know that you are also a copywriter. For the rest of us: what is copy?

It is any writing that is done for a brand, and therefore has a commercial purpose. It’s a very broad term that covers anything from product descriptions, to press releases, to advertising slogans, to e-newsletters and social media posts, to company information on a website or catalogue.  

7. Is it right to think that sometimes the copy on the cover of magazines or in advertisement is trying to exploit our insecurities?

Of course it is. It’s not necessarily so obviously at the forefront of editors and advertising executives’ minds when they write them but it is a very long-standing technique in order to get people to buy things and it’s very effective. However, we are now much wiser to this and there is quite a backlash to the negative impact the constant bombardment of messages that tell us we are not good enough unless we buy things to solve all our problems has. This is very slowly heralding a new age of advertising and media.  

8. How about fashion brands? How honest is their message? What can we do as consumers?

Well, that really depends on the brand! I think we should always be aware that any brand’s ultimate purpose is to sell and make a profit, but that doesn’t necessarily make them evil. Of course, sometimes they cross a line and we have an awful lot of power as consumers to boycott brands we disagree with and to hold the brand’s we do like to a higher standard when they miss the mark by using our voice. It’s important to think critically and always be aware of the motives behind the things you see, read, and watch, and while brands can have an amazing impact on raising awareness or money for certain issues, don’t expect them to be saints. Expect them to be companies who need to make money in order to survive.

9. What are the Fashion Debates and when and where do they take place?

The Fashion Debates is a series of panel discussion events in London which explore ethical issues facing the fashion industry. Our past topics have included sweatshop labour, environmental pollution, racism, the health of models, and unpaid internships and work. And there’s many more to come! You can find out when the next one is coming up on our Twitter and Instagram accounts, or on our Facebook page and there’s also a newsletter sign up form on our website.  
    
10. How can people from outside London take part on the debates?

We stream all our debates live on Facebook, make sure you’ve ‘liked’ our page! And by sharing your ethical fashion style every Wednesday with our hashtag #OnWednesdaysWeWearEthical.

Amazing! Thank you so much Olivia for taking the time to answer my questions and for explaining with such care what Fashion Journalism is about. This is everything that "I Wish I Had Known"!

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If you haven't read the other posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

Aspiring Models: Beware Of Fake Model Agencies

In the last couple of weeks I have gotten many calls from aspiring models who have been approached by fake model agencies promising them jobs with top clients and earnings of thousands of pounds a day provided that they came to their offices for a test photoshoot for which they had to pay a refundable deposit. These are not real model agencies, these are just scammers who are trying to take advantage of the hopes and dreams of vulnerable people who know nothing about the modelling industry and who would do anything to work as a model. Keep on reading for tips on how to recognize them and not fall prey to their reprehensible techniques.

The modelling industry is a really tough industry to work in. You are being constantly judged by things that are completely out of your control. Rejection becomes the new normal. It's nothing personal, it doesn't have anything to do with whether you are pretty or not, or whether you have the body shape, or the height or the origin. It has more to do with the trends of each market and what the clients are looking for at the moment. There is nothing wrong in trying to make it as a freelance model and probably by doing so it would get you a constant stream of jobs even if they are lower paid, but the dream is to be signed to an agency that gets you the jobs that pay the big bucks. The problem is that agencies respond to clients expectations and they only sign models who they can make money of. So if this season no one is casting redheads in London and you are an aspiring redhead model, the likeliness of getting signed by an agency in London this season is very low. If you wanted to get signed you would have to consider other markets. And it is precisely those moments in the aspiring model's life that the fake model agencies target.

It is a sad reality of humans as a species that there will always be someone trying to take advantage of the most vulnerable. If they take advantage of me, a 40 something year old man, it doesn't make it better but at least I can excuse myself by saying that I've been caught off-guard, I should have known better, and this won't happen to me again. But it is disturbing that someone takes advantage of the dreams, expectations and innocence of young people. To me, that is unforgivable. These fake model agencies target young aspiring models who are desperately looking to be represented or models who are just starting out and have no idea of how the modelling world works. They contact them on social media or on the streets, tell them that they have what it takes to become a model and lure them into their studios with the promise that they would take their photos to start developing their portfolio and then send it out to the best agencies and the best clients in the country. The only condition is that the model pays a refundable deposit which they hardly get back and after the photoshoot finishes then they have to pay for the photos if they ever want to have them. And some of these fake agencies charge up to 2000 pounds for photos that once they are given to the model they are never sent to any agency or client and the model never hears from the fake agency again.

So, how to know when are you dealing with one of these scam agencies?

1. They don't call themselves an agency: if you talk to them or if you go on their website you will see that they usually don't call themselves an agency because they are not. They use words like "platform" or "advisor" or "coach" and they will tell you that they will provide advice and guidance to help you become a model and then put you in contact with "top agencies" or "affiliated agencies" or "top clients" to get you the jobs. Real agencies call themselves what they are, Modelling Agencies, and if you go into their websites you can see that they clearly say so.

2. They charge a deposit or a fee: real model agencies never charge you money when they book you. Whatever money they invest in your development they will take out of the payments that you receive from clients once you start making money with them.

3. They ask you to come in for a photoshoot and then charge you for the photos: real agencies develop your portfolio with a network of photographers that they work with and never charge you directly for the photos. As I said before, all the development costs come out of your first jobs.

If you feel like you have been approached by one of these scam agencies you can learn more about models rights and agencies duties on these links:

• British Fashion Council

• British Fashion Model Agency Association

Modeling is not for the faint of heart and there is no easy way to make it in the industry. You don't need an agent to work as a model but if you decide to look for one you should first do your research on what to expect from the agency and what the agencies expect of you.

Photo credit: behind the scenes by Andrew Clark.

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Take The Blindfold Off

Back when I was growing up in Panama, I lived a very comfortable life. I was brought up in a bubble, and in that bubble, I was made believe that we were better than the rest and that some colours shouldn't mix. And it wasn't until my early twenties, when I moved to Europe and experienced discrimination for the first time, that the blindfold was taken off my eyes. Life gave me one of the biggest lessons I would ever receive.

It's funny because being gay and having come out at such a young age you would imagine that I had experienced discrimination all along. But the truth is that, apart from the expected problems with my parents and the occasional bullying at school, my family and my friends were cool with it, and it was never an issue at university or later at work either. So the first time that I was made aware that my skin tone mattered, that my features stood out, that my accent spoke more than my words and that, apparently, the fact that I was making minimum wage working in a computer warehouse defined me as a human being, I had a reality check that changed my life forever.

Discrimination in some societies is taken so much for granted, especially if you are in a privileged position, that people don't even realize that they are discriminating in the first place. We are brought up with fear and rejection to those who are different because of their origin, their race, their social class, their believes, or whom they love. And that has made us a paranoid species that lives in constant distrust of their surroundings. We have lost the innocence and the beauty of pure human interaction.

Maybe I am too naive, but interacting with others without taboos nor prejudices, with trust and an open heart, is not only a beautiful experience but it makes you gain so much. You learn, you grow, you expand your horizons, and at the same time you teach, you share, and you let others grow with you. I don't want to live in a world where every time that I leave home I have to live in fear, paranoia and distrust of those around me. When I meet someone, I give myself and my trust a 100% and if they lose my trust along the way that is on them, not on me.

It took me going through a very dark moment almost 20 years ago to learn this very valuable lesson. But it doesn't have to be like that for you. You have the power to take that blindfold off yourself. Life is so much happier without it.

Photo credit: self portrait.

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Assumption Is The Mother Of All Mistakes

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines the word 'assumption' as something that you accept as true without question or proof. Which basically means that when we assume something we are lying to ourselves. And sometimes assuming can be helpful, like when we research our target or when we handle statistics: it is impossible to have the 100% of the facts. But other times, specially when we are dealing with people, assumptions can lead to terrible mistakes.

This is particularly true with clients. A couple of weeks ago I was a bit dissappointed because I have been trying to work with a potential client for a while to no avail. And to be perfectly honest, I am not getting any feedback at all. So I decided to stop reaching out because I assumed that if they hadn't answered any of my emails it was because they didn't want to work with me. And then I read this post on the Marketing Mentor blog and I realized that my assumption was making me self-boycott my business.

You see, my assumption made me believe that I had the power to get into other people's mind and know what they were thinking. I was convinced that the only reason why this potential client was not replying to my contact attempts was because they didn't want to work with me. I am not good enough, my work is crap, nobody knows who I am, I don't have enough following on social media... All the ghosts in my head materialized and made me formulate my assumption. And it's not that these might not be valid reasons, but my insecurities blinded me from seeing all the other reasons why they were not getting back to me: wrong timing, too much workload, forgetfulness...

My friend whom I go jogging with every morning also pointed out that they haven't said yes but they haven't said no either. So she adviced me to keep on trying. And the truth is that some people need some insisting before they make up their mind about something. So I will keep on trying until they tell me 'no'... because until that happens, there is always the possibility for a 'yes'.

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