As photographers, each of us gets our own creative reward for the work that we produce. These could be financial and/or psychological. Rewards can be internal or external. There is no right or wrong creative reward. The fact that each of us gets a reward of some sort, directly impacts the level of motivation that we bring to the images we create.

NOTE: Click on images to enlarge. To view this article in a range of other languages click on the Canadian flag in the upper right corner. Photographs have been added to serve as visual breaks. Some provide context for portions of the discussion in this article.

After publishing The Next Chapter article, I received a few emails from readers asking why I removed all of the monetization from this website, including all of the eBooks that I’ve produced over the years. It is likely that other readers have been puzzled by this decision since we had  published three new eBooks earlier in 2026.

The best explanation comes down to creative reward. Like some other folks, my creative reward is not found in the afterglow of a finished project, or revisiting it. Or making money from it. For example, The Little Camera That Could was our most ‘successful’ eBook in terms of sales performance, which is logical since that eBook was published way back in 2018.

We continued to sell some copies of it every year after its initial launch, even into 2026. I’d have to go back through seven or eight years of business records to calculate unit volumes, revenues and margins. Off the top of my head, I don’t know the exact financial rewards that The Little Camera That Could produced.

Focusing on financials always felt like I was captive on a never ending merry-go-round. Sometimes it is instructive to remind ourselves that there are more important things in life than carrying gold to our graves.

While I was creating The Little Camera That Could it was certainly a labour of love. When I was in front of the computer working on that project, time simply didn’t exist. For me, creative reward is found during the process of creating. Once a project is completed… I move on to the next one that has appeared along my path.

I don’t know why, but for most of my life I’ve never had the need to look back at the past. My credo has been simple… what’s done… is done. There is no value in trying to relive the past. After The Little Camera That Could was published on this website, I never once went back and reread it, or visually thumbed through it again. I simply accepted that it was done and gone from my every day life. The creative reward associated with it was over.

This is the same experience I’ve had with every eBook that I’ve created over the years. I suppose that was a fundamental reason why removing all of my eBooks from this website was not a gut wrenching decision. It was not one that I made quickly… but it was always one that I was prepared to make. Obviously other folks may treat their previous work differently than I do. We all have different approaches. Not better. Just different.

I’ve been very goal oriented for a large part of my life. Having a range of goals kept me focused on the things that I wanted to accomplish. Over the years I’ve enjoyed juggling multiple projects concurrently. They provided a lot of variety and helped ignite my creative energies. This proclivity was handy during my corporate life, especially when I was managing a wide range of marketing initiatives.

It also served me well when I left corporate life and had to reinvent myself as a ‘gun for hire’ consultant. Not knowing from where one’s next paycheque was originating has its own motivating dimensions. At times it felt like I was driving on a lonely, desert road not sure what was around the next corner… or even if the road would continue.

When I first started this website back in January 2015 I had a rough roadmap in terms of creating a selection of eBooks. It was not a straight, well-defined line… but rather a general direction with some twists and turns along the way. As the years passed a number of projects were completed, and the overall eBook plan solidified.

Over the years one thing never changed. That was understanding that personal growth is about reaching higher and looking forward.  Trying to hold on to something from the past only weighs us down, and robs us of our futures. Making the most of each moment of Now… is the only authentic path to growth and unlocking our potential. And, ultimately finding ourselves.

The road ahead is not without challenge and uncertainty. Learning to trust our instincts and intuition are critical parts of life. They allow us to look beyond the surface and recognize opportunities. Saying “yes” to opportunities can take considerable courage, and the acceptance of risks. Creative rewards are not always immediate.

In the recent Dry Spells article, we shared some of the creative struggles that we were experiencing with another eBook project. At the end of that article we stated, “We hope to have another eBook announcement at some point in the foreseeable future.”

Well, that announcement happens today. There will not be another eBook in the future. Not because the creative spark disappeared… but because there is no need for me to continue working on that specific eBook project… or any other eBook. A larger purpose has emerged.

The working title for the eBook mentioned in the Dry Spells article, was Photographic Freedom. It was designed from the outset to be the final eBook in the collection that I had been working on for the past decade. The contents would consolidate all of the factors and events in my photographic journey over the past fifteen years.

The hope was that sharing this information with readers would help them with their own photographic paths. It would serve as an inuksuk for my readers. A navigation point of sorts.

Photography can sometimes feel like we are walking down a narrow pathway, constrained by outside factors and limited by our own self-definition. We keep walking because we see something larger and more inviting ahead. I decided to rebrand this website as a direct result of the content that I was creating for the Photographic Freedom eBook. I eventually came to realize that I was struggling with that eBook because it no longer had any purpose.

There was still a need for me to build some kind of bridge for my readers, but rather than be a narrowly focused tunnel like another eBook… it needed to be more open and unconstrained.

The rebranding of this website and the complete demonetizing of it, were necessary steps to break the final subtle shackles of the past that kept me from moving forward. Abandoning tightly focused goals is another important step in this journey. Life is rich enough… full enough… to simply live each day as wonderful moments of Now that we can experience… and share with others.

Technical Note

Photographs featured in this article were captured handheld using camera gear noted in the EXIF data. Images were created from RAW files using my standard process in post. This is the 1553 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

Copyright

Word of mouth is the best form of endorsement. If you like our website please let your friends and associates know about our work. Linking to this site or to specific articles is allowed with proper acknowledgement. Reproducing articles, or any of the images contained in them, on another website or in any social media posting is a Copyright infringement.

Article is Copyright 2026 Thomas Stirr. Images are Copyright 2014-2024 Thomas Stirr. No use, duplication or adaptation of any kind is allowed without written consent. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use. Posting comments on offending websites and calling out individuals who steal intellectual property is deeply appreciated.