Permission to Quit - AI, burnout, and why photographers are leaving the industry

A New York–based commercial portrait photographer (big clients, covers, immaculate work) asked to talk. What came out wasn’t a portfolio review—it was a confession: he hasn’t made anything for himself in over a year, and he’s exhausted from performing passion he doesn’t feel. This episode is a permission slip for the photographers—and all creative workers—secretly pricing escape routes at 2 a.m. We talk about the unsaid epidemic of burnout, the grief under AI “efficiency,” and three practical permissions to help you stop performing and start feeling again. If you need someone to say it: you’re allowed to quit the version of creativity that’s killing you.

What you’ll hear

• The “booked and blessed” performance vs. the honest reality of burnout
• Why so many photographers feel like they’re always “rushing or dragging” (yes, that scene)
• AI grief: mourning the death of mystery without romanticizing gatekeeping
• Three permissions:

1. Quit the job that killed the artist (without quitting art)
2. Be mediocre while you remember why you started
3. Create for yourself first

• A one-week “Light Leak” experiment to rekindle curiosity—no audience allowed

Chapter guide

• 00:00 — Cold Open: The Zoom call that said the quiet part out loud
• 03:40 — Intro: Why honesty feels dangerous in our industry
• 08:10 — Act I: The Unspoken Pandemic (burnout as a system problem)
• 13:30 — Whiplash Clip: “Rushing or dragging?” (context + reflection)
• 15:10 — Act II: AI Grief (loss of mystery, craft vs. club, why cracks matter)
• 23:40 — Music Moment: Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” and the beauty in brokenness
• 26:10 — Vivian Maier: Calling vs. career; imperfect images that breathe
• 31:20 — Act III: The Three Permissions (with Campbell & practical frames)
• 39:30 — Light Leak: The 7-day private-making experiment
• 43:15 — Close: Choosing living over performing (and why the camera will wait)

The Light Leak (listener assignment)

For the next 7 days, make one thing a day that no one sees but you. No posting, no portfolio, no feedback. Just curiosity. If you want to break the rules publicly, tag #StayTerrible—but the real win is remembering what it feels like to make without an audience.

Pull quotes

• “You can quit being a photographer without quitting photography.”
• “Maybe your creative career needs to die so your creative voice can live.”
• “We’re mourning the death of mystery—and that grief is real.”
• “You were an artist before you had an audience. You still are.”

Resources & references

• Whiplash (2014) — “Rushing or dragging?” rehearsal-room clip
• Finding Vivian Maier (2013) — trailer & story
• Johnny Cash — “Hurt” (cover of Nine Inch Nails)
• Johnny Paycheck — “Take This Job and Shove It”
• Joseph Campbell — ego death/transformation arc (Hero’s Journey themes)
• Rick Rubin — strategic elimination (remove what doesn’t serve the truth)

Music & audio credit

• “Take This Job and Shove It” — Johnny Paycheck (used ~60s after intro)
• “Hurt” — Johnny Cash (used ~30s for commentary)
• Film clip: “Rushing or Dragging” from Whiplash (brief excerpt for critique)
• Trailer audio: Finding Vivian Maier (brief excerpt for commentary)
• Additional music provided and licensed through Green Dot Sessions
• All third-party audio remains the property of its respective rights holders; brief excerpts are used under fair use for commentary/critique.

Episode Photography by Filip Mroz | Unsplash

Who this episode is for

Commercial photographers, portrait shooters, freelancers, art directors, and any creative who’s tired of performing passion while running on empty—and needs permission to step off the treadmill without abandoning their voice.

Stay connected

If this hit a nerve, share it with one photographer who needs the permission too.

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IG: @terriblephotographer • @patrickfore

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