We are here in sleepy Santa Monica.

You can really tell when the summer is over and it’s starting to get into the winter months because Santa Monica becomes sleepy Santa Monica.

My favorite time of the year in Santa Monica.

Except today we’ve got the marine layer.

Not really digging the marine layer. It’s okay every once in a while, but we’ve had it like four out of the last five days.

But it could be a lot worse than this.

Anyways, I was thinking: what is the point of all of this?

What’s the point of photography?

That’s something I’ve been thinking about for years.

I go out. I shoot every day. I take photos. I put them in a magazine.

But what is the purpose of it all?

THE GOAL IS TO BE USEFUL

I was watching an interview recently and I heard this idea that really stuck with me.

The idea was basically that the goal isn’t just to be happy. The goal is to be useful.

And yeah, I think that’s a good way to look at it.

Obviously we all want to be happy.

But I think if you’re useful, you’re probably going to be happier because you have some kind of purpose.

I also look at it as productivity.

I want to be productive.

I’ve always been like that.

I always want to work, work, work, work.

But I want to be working toward something.

I’ve always been a hard worker, so I need to stay productive in my life to be happy.

If I’m just stagnant, that’s basically instant depression for me.

I need to be doing something.

I LIKE HELPING PEOPLE

I’ve also always been the type of person who loves sharing whatever knowledge I have with anybody who wants to ask me.

I just like helping people.

I’ve always been like that.

Ask me something and I’m probably going to rattle off a whole bunch of information.

Probably way more information than you even asked for.

But that’s just how I am.

I’ve always wanted to provide useful information.

I want to provide some kind of value.

And I think that’s where this YouTube channel comes in.

I just want to be useful.

I want to give you some tips.

I want to tell you what I’m doing because it’s worked for me, and maybe some of it can work for you.

PHOTOGRAPHY CHANGED MY LIFE

This hobby of photography basically saved my life.

Without this camera and without taking photos the way I’ve been doing for the last seven years, I think my life would be drastically different.

I have a lot to thank photography for.

And I think photography, or really any hobby that you’re invested in and give your all to, can be an effective way of breaking out of that mental state where everything feels negative.

Depression.

Doomerism.

Black-pilling yourself all the time.

The world is going to end. Everything sucks.

Photography gives me something else to focus on.

It allows me to look toward a brighter future because I’ve always got something to do.

I’ve always got something to work on.

I’ve always got somewhere to walk.

I’ve always got another photograph to make.

IT’S NOT REALLY ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

Really, it’s not even about photography.

It’s about being a human in this world.

I’m a human in this world walking around next to other humans in this world.

And I’d rather live in a world where the human next to me has a good life and is prospering.

That’s what I want.

I want to be around positive, successful people.

And that doesn’t have to mean monetarily successful.

I’m talking about mentally successful.

People who feel good about what they’re doing.

People who have something they’re working toward.

Those are the people I want to be around.

GET A DAMN HOBBY

So what better way to hopefully create more of that than to tell you what I think has been useful for me?

Get a damn hobby.

Stay productive.

Find something.

It doesn’t have to be photography.

Build a family.

Have a good family and boom, you’re set.

What’s more productive than raising kids who grow up and become successful people?

That’s top-tier productivity right there.

Maybe that’s enough for you.

Maybe you want a good family and you also want to participate in some hobby that you’re really interested in.

Whatever it is, find something that gives you a reason to keep moving forward.

BE USEFUL

That’s basically what brought all of this together for me.

The goal isn’t just happiness.

It’s usefulness.

Be useful.

For me, being productive every day naturally leads toward happiness.

We’re built to do things.

I’m definitely built to be productive.

If I’m stagnant in life, that’s instant depression for me.

I need to be working toward something.

Photography gives me that.

Survey gives me that.

Making these videos gives me that.

And now I’m at a stage in my life where I don’t just want to be productive for myself.

I want to provide some value to other people too.

I want to be useful.

Maybe that’s the point of all of this.