Each their own

Sometimes I have to remind myself that talent is very unique and individual. Each person’s “creative outlet” articulates their personal vision, and one cannot necessarily compare to another. Likewise, what strikes one person may not appeal to someone else.

A friend sent me the link to the photography website of another acquaintance. I started looking through his images and immediately thought, “Wow, my photos have nothing on these!” (Yikes, there’s the old me emerging again.) Sharing my photographs is still relatively new for me, so I’m still working on getting past my shyness. Incidentally, I’ve never been good at accepting compliments or positive praise either. (At a recent staff meeting someone acknowledged me for helping with a project…in front of everyone! I told her later it wasn’t really necessary, she’d already thanked me directly.) I seem to be more comfortable just doing what I do and staying in the background.

So, on second thought, what makes his photography so much better than mine? He has a Photography Certificate from a technical school; I’ve never had any training (yet). He’s been shooting digitally since 2003; I’ve been using digital since last Christmas. His is a digital SLR with multiple lenses; mine is a basic point & shoot beginner digital camera. Do those things make one of us better or worse, more or less talented? No. We have different environments, different experiences, and different styles.

The key is to believe in myself, and my abilities - creative and otherwise - and have faith that the friends (and strangers) who tell me they like what they see aren't just "being nice".