I’ve been noticing a trend among photographers; there’s been some talk about the pressure we all feel to measure up. We live in a day and age where social media runs our lives. Does that sound overly dramatic? It probably is for some. But I would venture it’s closer to the truth than not for most. And for those of us who create art for a living and then put it up on Facebook, on our websites, on our blogs, accessible by anyone on the planet with a smart phone, it’s a vulnerable position to be in. Even Jasmine Star recently blogged about feeling inadequate, about having doubt. Jasmine Star. Crazy successful, Crazy talented, Jasmine Star. If she’s feeling it, a lot of the rest of us have to be feeling it too.
We’re bombarded every day by our favorite photographers (or whoever else we aspire to be more like) most recent Facebook status updates, sneak peeks, every post, thought, photo they put out for the world to see. We see how many Facebook “likes” they have and every time they are publicly praised or professionally published. Facebook. Facebook. Facebook. Love and hate it and can’t imagine life without it. What will we do if not a single soul “likes” our post? Will we somehow survive the rejection or will we simply self-impolde?? And we always wonder. Do we measure up? Maybe there are some out there that don’t doubt. But if we’re honest, they are few. If you’re not doubting, you’re probably a little deluded, lol. The rest of us (relatively) sane people have insecurities.
Those who know me would most likely say that I’m a pretty secure girl. And I am. I don’t consider myself especially needy or vulnerable or insecure. I know who I am. Not saying I never struggle. Of course I do, and I believe in being transparent with my friends and even with the public to some extent. There’s nothing worse than a person who acts like they have it all together when they don’t. It’s why I blog about things like my struggle with maintaining the balance in my personal and professional life. I’m a real person with (many) real life struggles. When it comes to photography, some days I feel like I have it down. Other days I wonder. It’s impossible to never compare. It could be argued that if we’re not comparing, we’re not willing to grow. There has to be a standard we’re reaching for, and it’s pretty hard to set a standard when you have no reference point. That’s just common sense, right?
But I actively work to not be overcome by those feelings of competition that lead to envy, of inadequacy or doubt. I’m doing my own thing. I learn from and am inspired by others. But I try to limit the influence of others. And I have my moments when I wonder if what I’m doing is any good. Days when I wonder, “Do people really *get* what I’m trying to do??” But then I have a day like today when I feel totally free in my profession, in my *art*, and I realize that I’m allowed to do anything I want. I can make this business what I want it to be… something I love, that reflects me. And it doesn’t matter at all what other people think… okay well it always matters a little, lol. But some days a lot less than others.
So strange that I ended up writing about this. Again, not what I intended. I generally have a lot to say about a lot of things, but I don’t have the time. I’m a compulsive journaler (I usually write/pray to God by banging out all the crazy things in my head onto my laptop) and I guess instead of breaking out my (electronic) journal tonight, I ended up jotting down my thoughts here. And I’m not sure what the central theme or main point I’m making even is…. I guess it’s an exhortation, to myself and to all other photographers out there. We all want to be free. Who wants to live under soul-crushing pressure? Let’s be careful about the standard we’re forcing ourselves to live up to. We need to actively pursue our creative freedom… our freedom from a self-imposed standard of comparison. Do your own thing. I’m doing mine. My own version of beautiful imperfection. It may not be the best. It may not be for everyone. But it’s mine.
And it’s okay if we haven’t arrived yet. News Flash. We never will. So let’s enjoy the journey!
I decided to post the following photos because I LIKE them even though they break all the rules. I was lazy when I took them. I barely got up off my lounge chair. I spent about 10 minutes intermittently shooting. My kids were both a mess and we were in our backyard making the best of our lack of a swimming pool, just enjoying the weather and each other. (And YES, I used a cheap card table as a makeshift cabana for my son, haha!) And it was midday, when the sun was the brightest, a horribly impossible dynamic range for the camera to deal with. And then tonight I played around with the images in Lightroom in a way I never had before, just for me. They turned out funky. And I like them. I learned some new stuff about editing, and preserved a little bit of our real life.
Beautifully Imperfect. <3
Stop worrying so much what other people think and go be your own version of great. The only way to be truly great is to be yourself. 🙂
Tell Your Story | www.delalanephotography.com
