From Ira Glass . . .
“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through”
Very poignant considering my post last week on wanting to take more professional looking photos. Whether it is a cake or a photo of the cake I make, I always have a clear picture in my mind, however something seems to get lost in translation. I always want everything to be perfect, which sometimes leads to frustration. I do acknowledge the fact that it will take awhile for my skills to catch up with the right side of my brain. I do have faith that as long as I have a clear vision and the willingness to continue learning and the dedication to keep honing my skills, my hands and my eyes will catch up to my brain.
Case in point: a picture of the Chai Latte Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream I made this weekend (which were a tad on the sweet side but yummy nonetheless - it was my first time making these so now I know what adjustments I need to make). I must have taken at least 50 shots but only 1 came out close to my vision:
It's not perfect, there's room for improvement but definitely much better than the previous photos I've taken.
So, my lesson for the day is keep working! Practice does make perfect and as long as you allow yourself to learn from your mistakes and continue to work on whatever it is you are striving to achieve, you will get there!
