On Craft…
It took me a long time to realize sucking at something is probably the most exciting part of starting a new hobby or creative pursuit. I am so wrapped up in this idea of being perfect, that I feel paralyzed when presented with the reality that I cannot excel at everything from the onset. But through photography specifically, I’ve grown comfortable learning and being bad. Through reading my old writing, I’ve grown secure in sucking at something I love, and doing that failing publicly. Be okay with being bad, and you’ll find yourself learning a lot faster.
Whenever you begin something new, you’re no expert. This can strike a lot of fear, but it should be the most exciting time. The whole world is available to you at those early stages. You should be embracing the flaws of your work—the quirks—and find them charming, not damning. Before you understand the rigid rules of your craft, you have this incredible opportunity to play around and do whatever feels right, even if it blows. That freedom doesn’t return until you’re years into your craft, so enjoy it now. Love to play, and the growth will come from your sheer passion.
Don’t stop yourself from doing something you’re drawn to simply because you won’t be the No. 1 maestro five minutes into trying. Just like we have the ability to create our own ruts, so too we have the dastardly ability to block ourselves from enjoying the process of learning. I have a buddy who says the first year(s) spent doing something artistic are the best, because eventually, you’re just a person alone in your room doing math and thinking too hard. My buddy’s right, of course. With every craft, you will reach this grand point of isolation and technical forethought that has the potential to siphon the fun out of making. At the start, though, everything is fun. It’s shiny. It’s new. Embrace that, too.
Discovery is the best part of trying. You know in video games, when you’re just starting, and every battle or every move leads to a level-up? That rewarding feeling of instantly improving? That’s the reason it’s okay to be not so great. Because everything can change so quickly. I am no expert photographer, but I am learning and my pictures are so much better than they were a year ago, and that’s all that matters. That, and enjoying the fun of playing around, making mess, and making art. You’re in this wonderful position to learn something new every time you write, click the shutter, paint, what have you… Don’t waste those precious seconds being anxious about not being perfect.