In a modern world where we document our every turn through social media: attempting to curate a perfect record of successes, whilst hiding the imperfections and failures which make us all human, Excellence has become an expectation of a modern day artist. Critics and onlookers make it their job to compare your most recent output to that of the past, bringing this idea that only forward momentum is good momentum. Excellence, by its very nature is what we should strive for but by it’s very definition it’s almost unobtainable for the vast majority of us. If everyone excels, no one would stand out, and everyone would gravitate towards the average. In this vibrant and multifaceted community we should embrace the fear of being shit at something. We should dare to do something new, and to experiment without risk of being deemed ‘regressive’.

Recently I’ve felt bogged down in attempting to reach a level of relevance - Even though I have an incredibly small following on social media, I often feel the strains and stresses trying to find a style which is ‘fashionable’, rather than what is my own. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time fixating on what my peers within the photographic community have been doing, and attempting to emulate it in some way. I find myself listening to music and thinking to myself ‘this is something that I’d never be able to create’; and I find myself constantly day dreaming of books and films which I’d like to see made if I could ever put pen to paper.

Enter the Pursuit of Mediocrity - My small, childish counter-cultural  self-motivational movement. Over the next few years, I’ll be trying to reach a level of mediocrity across different mediums, artistic and cultural pursuits, without caring about what others are doing, and whether or not I’m any good at them. I’ll (hopefully) be posting regularly about my progress, and my eventual arrival at mediocrity: When I’m content that I can go no further without going fully professional.

In terms of a mission statement, I feel that too much emphasis is placed on excellence, or the road towards it. Life is too short for the pursuit of something which will always leave you wanting more. Our time on this planet is short - almost as short as our attention spans. We should all try to try more, and not worry about failure.