While this has been true since the dawn of organized creativity, communication simply cannot be overstated when you're trying to make art with other people. It's number one.
As a portrait photographer, I have "no choice" but to collaborate, and collaboration requires communication.
That sounds obvious, but I think something has changed over the last 20 years, and especially the last 10 or so. With social media and the internet, communication is more abundant than ever, sure, but it's also been mostly blurred into background noise. Doomscrolling is a perfect example. We receive an incredible amount of input while processing almost none of it. If I asked you to tell me everything you saw on Instagram yesterday, you'd probably remember maybe 2% of it, if any.
We've always had distractions. Television, radio, magazines, etc; none of that is new. But the internet has amplified everything by orders of magnitude.
So here we are with more communication than we know what to do with, and somehow we're getting worse at it.
When your art depends on working with other people, communication isn't just logistics. It's where projects begin. It's where inspiration grows. And it's also where opportunities disappear.
I'm not suggesting that working with me is some life-changing opportunity. What I'm saying is that if there's a chance to create something great together, but communication is sporadic, vague, or constantly delayed, that opportunity can die before it ever has a chance to become anything.
There's a balance, of course. Nobody needs to answer every DM within 2 minutes. But if your default response is always, "I'll get to it later," welp, some opportunities might keep slipping by.
Am guessing that if someone you admire reaches out, you'll probably respond quickly because you're motivated. But sometimes the most valuable opportunities are the ones that deserve a little thought. Take the time to consider them. If they genuinely inspire you, make the effort to keep the conversation moving.
Communication is a two way street. I don't ever claim to need some mystical connection or "perfect vibe" before creating with someone. I just believe that good communication keeps inspiration alive.
If I message someone with an idea and they say, "That sounds amazing. Let's do it," but every reply after that takes 2 weeks between messages, the momentum slowly disappears. Nobody's at fault, necessarily, but creative energy doesn't stay frozen in time.
That doesn't mean projects need to happen immediately. If we communicate well, decide a project belongs 3 months from now, and put it on the calendar, perfect. The energy is still there because we planned it together in a timely manner.
And if someone reaches out with a project that simply isn't for you, that's ok too. Just say so. "Thanks so much, but I'm going to pass. I appreciate you thinking of me." That's common courtesy, and it leaves the door open for whatever may come next.
Obviously there are exceptions. If someone makes you uncomfortable, acts creepy, or throws up red flags, block them and move on. You don't owe everyone your time.
But if something feels genuine, something that might become great, try to see about it. Even if the project ultimately fizzles out after a few conversations, communicating created an opportunity instead of quietly letting one disappear.
I don't want this to sound like me just whining about unanswered messages. Honestly, it's been quite a while since I've reached out to someone new because they inspired a project in my head. One of the biggest reasons is how often I've watched exciting ideas slowly dissolve because every exchange takes weeks and the momentum just fades to zero.
If you follow my work, you know that most of the projects that excite me these days immediately make me think of Briana Noir. We've made some of my favorite work together over the years, and yes, she's absolutely my muse. That doesn't mean she doesn't work with other photographers, or that I don't work with other models.
What she does exceptionally well is remove friction. If she can do something, she's all in. If she can't, she tells me. Simple. Communication stays alive.
I have other collaborators here in Houston that I genuinely enjoy creating with, and I look forward to working with them again hopefully soon.
But it's probably been a year since I've reached out to someone completely new.
Because modern communication somehow feels like both an overwhelming flood that's drowning everything, but also a crackly AM radio that's only audible every few seconds, at best.