Models of Creativity & Photography

Photography Tips

Quitting is underrated, according to photographer Chase Jarvis. Despite the stigma that surrounds being “a quitter,” Jarvis happily admits to being one and recognizes its usefulness in his career path. He quit medical school, then quit a PhD program in Philosophy of Art to pursue his creative dreams.

“When I finally quit doing what everybody else wanted me to do, and I figured out what I wanted to do, that’s when my life started–when I put my full attention to doing the one thing I always wanted to do in life: which was to be a creative, to be a photographer.”

In the following presentation from a PSFK conference entitled “New Models of Creativity”, you’ll hear Jarvis’ success story and how he’s fulfilling his mission to provide accessible creative education:

Later, after Jarvis found himself a highly successful commercial photographer, working alongside some of the biggest brands like Apple, Nike, and Starbucks, he realized that he now had the knowledge to “give back”–to help and advise young, aspiring photographers, sharing the things he wished he knew when he was just starting out. Others in the industry criticized him for giving away what many considered to be “trade secrets,” but he simply wanted to open access to the information and resources he never had. He started a blog that attracted a mass following and later developed creativeLIVE to connect those seeking to learn with some of the best instructors in the world.

discussing opening the “black box” of photography trade secrets

A prime example of courage and risk-taking, Jarvis encourages creative professionals or would-be creative professionals to embrace their passions and pursue their dreams even in the face of opposition–and remember, sometimes quitting really is OK.