If you're a creative of any sort, you probably deal with doubt on a daily basis. It can be beneficial, or it can be crippling, all depending on how we embrace its presence in our work and lives.
This great video by Ted Forbes from the The Art of Photography tackles that feeling we all experience but rarely talk about. The message really resonated with me; as a classical composer, my teacher always tells me I write "unpopular unpopular" music, and he's right; I spend a ton of time just convincing people that what I do is probably not the preconceived idea they have of it in their heads — merely justifying my existence. So naturally, doubt creeps in quite a bit.
Forbes makes some very valid points: doubt is not just a negative thing that nags and distracts. While it certainly has its downsides and can make our creative processes grind to a halt, it also serves as an anchor that encourages us to be objective. Nonetheless, in an industry that constantly fights for the respect it deserves (e.g. working for "exposure"), we have to project an outward impression of confidence, even if we are lacking it. It's a subtle balance, one that I know I myself still haven't fully figured out.
What's your experience with doubt? Let us know in the comments!
Great topic Alex! I've definitely experienced doubt while out shooting.
We tend to talk ourselves out of things that make us uncomfortable. I used to care about all the people looking at me while I was setting up for long exposure. It is a bit of a scene with my somewhat conspicuous pistol grip Vanguard tripod, a remote shutter release, then a screw-on a neutral density filter which can go smooth or look like I’m trying to pick a combination lock as I try desperately not to cross the thread! It’s a natural vulnerability though that anyone feels as they step out to do something a little different.
Now I am just thankful to find the time to shoot so I embrace the spectacle.
"my teacher always tells me I write "unpopular unpopular" music" - Gold
I have this a lot. I have a lot of friends who are highly educated, highly accomplished artists in various fields and most of them don't understand how I can do something as mundane as shooting weddings, until the day that they are a guest at a wedding I shoot and then see what I can get out of it.