Adapt & endure
Our greatest strength is our ability to adapted and endure. We should seek to please a few, rather than the whole.
Our ability to endure as a species is amazing. I believe it's our greatest strength. A strength hardly anyone chooses to acknowledge. As a culture, we don't often embrace change with open arms. Think about public up raw when something suddenly changes in our lives, certain groups become pessimistic. People only adapt because it's easier to accept something because resisting it requires effort. The majority only really grow content with small changes over a long period of time, that is until we are backed into a corner. One thing I've found with people that are passionate or interested in something is they always find a way to do or achieve what they desire. No matter the limitation or lack of resources, be it money, time or support, they get it done.
When it comes to photography a lot of newcomers choose to please the masses. The masses being their friends, family, themselves and the people around them. Even thou those people can be quite diverse when it comes to their visual aesthetics and their visual characteristics. I would say those people as a whole are the masses. We try to please everyone and once you try to please a community, innovation goes out the window. What I mean by this is once you try to please everyone you have made the conscious decision that you don't want to displease anyone. Without playing on the cliffs edge of failure, and be willing to fall off it, you run the risk of not being truly innovative.
We need to adapt to only pleasing a small few. We need to endure all the criticism and negativity that will come with excluding the majority. People will dislike and even hate your work. This is a good thing, because once the masses dislike your work, you will notice a small minority will start saying things like amazing, brilliant, wonderful, these are the types of individuals will become your audience. Now, this might not translate for low-quality work. And it's up to you to decide if your work is good, bad or up to par. Art is subjective, there is no one right answer to what people consider beautiful. Remember to endure the negativity and disapproval of the masses, and their suggestions that compensate your vision. Above everything else remember to be yourself and be true to your style.