Okay, yes. The rule of thirds is a term used in photography but I am using it in a different aspect. I have learned a couple of things about life and the music industry through the years, that I am now calling "the rule of thirds". Let me break it down.
Rule one: The Ethic
Regardless of what field you decide to jump into, you will need to find what works best for you. I have found that I work best with lots of things happening at once and by surrounding myself with things that inspire me. For example, I tend to come up with the best ideas at concerts or in city settings. By seeing people run around with a purpose makes me feel as though I need to be working harder on whatever I am doing.
Optimism is something that I have had to acquire these past few years because of my ethic. I am always working on what is next and I sometimes misplace my motivation. I have been turned down on various occasions and it is OKAY!! It has only made me want to work harder next time. Failure does not always mean that you are a failure. It means that you did not work hard enough and there is room for improvement in some aspect, so you should learn from it. Sometimes it is challenging to find a balance with the two of these things, but they will shape you and allow you to be a better person.
Rule two: The Ego
Please don't ever get lost in your ego. It is great when things start going as you wished, but that does not mean that you sit on a golden thrown with peasants feeding you grapes. No one wants things to go wrong and it feels absolutely incredible to have things work out. It is important to remember that with every great thing that happens in your life/career you will have to deal with something you don't particularly want to deal with. That is where you need to remember to stay optimistic and KEEP MOVING FORWARD. Also, people who are overly confident are sometimes seen as cocky and others do not want to associate with them because of that. So, don't catch an ego.
Rule three: Don't Over Think It.
It can sometimes become too easy to compare your work to someone else's. Finding flaws in your work might seem like it is your new job, but stop being so hard on yourself. I have found myself at a concert or event thinking "man, these really suck. I will never be able to take photos like ____ or ____." After reviewing the photos later that night, I would always find a ton that I really liked and some that have become some of best work. It's not that I don't know what I am doing or I hate my work. The mind can make you believe things that aren't true. By comparing my work to someone else's I am not proving anything. I am simply implying that my work is not good because it does not look like someone else's work that I admire, which is what can happen when I forget my purpose and misplace my optimism. So just chill. It's literally not that deep. If the photos or whatever you're working on don't look exactly like you had planned, find something you do like and figure out how to highlight this feature.
The rule of thirds is simply my outlook on my life and my work. That does not mean that if you do not do things exactly this way you will fail. I am still learning how to fine-tune my craft and I learn new things every single day. Let's just try to support each other's dreams and goals by lifting each other up, instead of trying to push others down.