1) Not the camera. The human.

Machines replicate pictures; only you make meaning.

2) The feed is a cage; the street is freedom.

Close the app. Open the door. Walk until your legs burn.

3) Presence beats pixels.

Be there. Shake hands. Learn names. Photograph as proof you lived.

4) Projects > posts.

Bangers fade. Bodies of work endure. Build themes, not one-offs. Books are the endgame.

5) Print or it didn’t happen.

Zines, books, postcards, posters. Ink on paper > likes on screens.

6) Own your platform.

Your domain, your list, your store. Don’t rent your future to an algorithm.

7) Gear minimalism, vision maximalism.

One camera. One lens. One city. One year. Constraints forge style.

8) Show the sausage.

Contact sheets. Edits. Mistakes. Process is the art; perfection is procrastination.

9) Local beats viral.

100 true fans on your block > 100k strangers who scroll past you.

10) Hybrid on purpose.

Photo + writing + audio + video + code. Use AI as an assistant, never a substitute for your life.

11) Embodied creativity.

Strong body, strong seeing. Walk daily. Lift heavy. Sleep deep. Health is a creative edge.

12) Shoot the unrepeatable.

Rituals, elders, firsts, lasts, hidden corners, 5am workers. Style can be copied; history cannot.

13) Give before you get.

Make the portrait, then make the print. Hand it back. Build trust. Build community.

14) Design the experience.

Sequence, pacing, typography, paper, smell. The book is a sculpture of time.

15) Sovereignty in money.

Price fairly. Sell directly. Accept what keeps you independent (cash, card, crypto). Hold your keys, hold your future.

16) Teach, gather, spark.

Photo walks, tiny talks, living-room shows. Create culture; images will follow.

17) Metrics that matter.

Steps walked, pages printed, people met, emails earned, revenue kept. Not likes.

18) Make it small, make it now.

Small batch, high touch, shipped monthly. Momentum beats magnitude.

19) Edit like a chef.

Fewer ingredients, deeper flavor. Cull hard. Keep only what punches your gut.

20) Courage over comparison.

No one has your mother, your street, your dreams. That’s your monopoly.

Operating Protocol (tattoo this on your calendar):

• Daily: Walk 10–20k steps with a camera. Publish one post or email.
• Weekly: Share a contact sheet + 300–700 words on what you learned. Host a micro–photo walk (two people = win).
• Monthly: Make a 20–40 page zine. Print 20. Gift 10 to subjects. Sell 10.
• Yearly: Ship a book. Do a tiny tour (cafés, libraries, garages).

Oath:

I choose people over pixels, presence over polish, ownership over algorithms, courage over comfort, consistency over hype. I will walk, witness, and print. I will build bodies of work. I will keep my keys and my voice. I will create the future by living it—today.

Walk. Make. Print. Share. Repeat.