My Dilemma

There’s a strange contradiction in the scene. We celebrate rebellion, raw energy, and resistance — but when it comes to the people who actually build, and keep this culture alive, the expectation is often that it should all be done for free. As if passion alone is enough to cover the costs of travel, equipment, even just getting through the door.

I’ve never hidden the fact that I sometimes end up paying to work. And sure, sometimes that’s the reality of underground culture. But the idea that everything should be done “just for fun” is toxic. It erases the labor behind the culture, the nights on the road, the hours spent working, and the personal sacrifices that keep the memories from disappearing. Fun is not the same as free.

At the same time, there are people who fight for the scene with tireless dedication — the ones who organize, book, cook, carry, and never ask for recognition. That’s where the true spirit of punk lives: in the shared effort, the stubborn commitment, the love that refuses to let it die. Without that backbone, there would be no community, just empty slogans and fading noise.

So this is the dilemma. Punk has always been about tearing down illusions, and maybe it’s time we also tear down the illusion that labor doesn’t matter. If we want this culture to survive — raw, independent, unpolished — we have to value the hands that build it, not just the noise that surrounds it.

For a long time, ishootRAWpunk has been my way of giving back to the scene — documenting, archiving, and keeping the raw spirit of punk alive through images. But right now I’ve reached a point where I need to step back. Too much of the work has turned into me paying to do the job, while the value of the effort behind it gets overlooked. That imbalance has drained both my energy and my drive.

Because of this, I’m putting ishootRAWpunk on hold for a while. I need time to reflect on what I actually want from it, and how it can move forward in a way that doesn’t just consume but also gives something back to me. This isn’t an ending, but it is a pause. I’d rather take a break than keep pushing on autopilot. Punk deserves honesty, and right now honesty means stepping aside until the fire feels real again.