Let’s be honest, times are strange right now. I mean personally, when has there ever been a time where your whole city essentially just “shuts down”? Things are different now, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be a bad thing.
Admit it, this sucks.
If you’re like me, a college student who was passionate about finishing their fourth semester at their university, a student-athlete who has been training all year to finally show-off at nationals, or just a social extrovert who was looking forward to the memories you were going to make with your friends – you were affected deeply by this change.
Things changed, very unexpectedly. But what can we do about it? Sure, we can be unmotivated and be unproductive with our time (which I’ll be honest, was pretty much me personally these past few weeks having nothing other than some online courses & Animal Crossing as my daily routine), or we can pick up a new hobby or even learn a new skill.
How I learned Photography.
Photography has been a passion of mine for a few years now, but I really haven’t had the opportunities to fulfill that “thirst to improve” until college.
Shout-out to the UT Dallas McDermott Library for allowing UTD students to check-out DSLR cameras for FREE, this resource really has been my opened door to a new opportunity and possibly a career.
When I came to college, I started taking photos for Esports and a few other programs I was involved in. Now flash-forward to today, I have taken over 20,000 photos just within the last academic year for numerous departments (Esports, Spirit Programs, Comet Life, Jindal School) – capturing events, student life, and more. I have never been happier taking photos, and the photos I’ve taken have gotten so so much better too! It’s crazy, who thought spending a few hours a week with a professional camera in your free time would lead you to find such a love for something? That’s exactly what you can do now.
With extra time on my hands, I’ve even launched my first-ever professional photography portfolio website.
A Challenge…
So I challenge you. Rather than just spending your free time sleeping or doing nothing throughout the day, I challenge you to pick up a new hobby, something you’re passionate about, and learn a few skills within that. Who knows, these skills of yours and love for that passion might land you a new career when the world goes to normal again.
For me personally here are some of the skills I’m working to improve: Photography, Graphic Design, Photo Editing, Blogging & Writing.
