Do you judge your work?
This post is inspired by a concern a photographer posted on a photography group I belong to, and it is actually a concern we all have, at one point or another, no matter what kind of creative work we do. We look at our work and we think is “BLEAH” (to quote the photographer in question) and we look at others’ work and we think is great. I don’t think there is a need to say it, this approach kills creativity and passion. This is a message I will pass on from wiser people: It is ok to critique your work, actually necessary to be able to improve, but it is not ok to judge it. Be compassionate towards yourself and your work. Do your best to be a better photographer than a day, a week or a year ago, find artists that inspire you, even try to emulate their work, but don’t compare yourself to others. We are all at different stages of our journeys, and we are all different, and no journey will be the same. Love your work, appreciate the effort you put in to create it, and try to improve it every day. The rest will come.
In other news, it snowed in Dallas yesterday, and it was my first snow since I moved to Dallas (last year didn’t snow). It was also the coldest day I’ve experienced in a while (-5 Celsius) and I have to say that was exhausting. I can’t help wondering how I managed to survive all those Romanian winters 😀
Claudia Curici Photography 