If you’re here then creating photos is something you probably enjoy doing. Maybe you even love doing it. But sometimes, like with any artform, it can get challenging, frustrating, overwhelming. And with photography in particular there’s a lot to figure out. You know...the technology, composition, lighting, editing...oh and the whole creativity piece too. Yeah it’s a lot.

So at some point you might think about giving up. Think that it’s just too hard, and what’s the point? I know I did. More than once. And I’ve heard these thoughts about giving up from my students...and so I thought it’s time for a blog post.

Welcome to the PhotoFluent pep talk post.

Here’s what I want to say about giving up. Don’t.

One of my earlier photos from Peru - when I had a lot of hmmmm…something isn’t quite working but I don’t know what.

Let me give you a little background about my giving up story.

I started studying photography when I was about 29 or 30 (you know time starts to blend together at some point). And I fell in love. But then after years of practicing and taking classes, I STILL struggled with photos that were out of focus, too dark, too bright...not good or perfect enough for my taste.

So I decided I just wasn’t good enough at photography and therefore what was the point of continuing. So I put my DSLR camera away in a closet and stopped taking photos.

But I couldn’t stop. Because there was something in me that was drawn to photography. Something inside me that when I would see something, I would imagine it as a photo.

So I bought a little point-and-shoot camera to satisfy my photographic urges. And that worked. For a while.

But then I wanted more.

And what I did next was do a little soul-searching. And this is what I recommend for you. Go back to your why.

Why do you want to create photos? I wrote another blog post on the why behind photo creation - whether it’s for art or memories.

But I think your why goes beyond that. More than just the end results.

Sure you want to create something beautiful. You want to create memories. You want to create something that inspires others. But there’s also the why deep within you that I want you to figure out.

What is it about photography that appeals to you? That satisfies you? That makes you want to keep learning, keep lugging that camera around, keep figuring out what isn’t quite working?

As I did my soul searching, I realized that deep down, photography was my artistic outlet...my connection to my inner creativity that needed to be expressed. That I NEEDED to create photos, and WANTED to inspire people with my images. I decided that I need to figure this shit out. I mean others had done it, and I’m no dummy, so I CAN and I WILL figure it out.

And I did.

One thing I realized during my soul searching is that I love capturing real life. And nowhere is life more “real” than in New York City…where we lived for 2 years.

Sure, I’m a little embarrassed that it took me as long as it did. You would think the few hundred classes would have kicked in at some point. But there were just some things that took me longer in the technology department. And once somebody told me a few little secrets (ok maybe not secret to photographers, but secret to me apparently) I felt like my inner photographer was finally ready to emerge.

And that’s when I talked my husband into moving to France for a year.

What? Where did that come from??

Stick with me here. It’s all related.

Living in France for a year is when I got the chance to practice my newfound photography skills for an entire year. No soul sucking job. Just me, my camera, Neal, and France.

(I highly recommend this method of learning. Anything really, but photography specifically.)

What that experience did for me, was to eliminate all the distractions and fill me with inspiration. I wasn’t getting my camera out because I “wanted to get better” or “to practice”. I was getting my camera out because I couldn’t wait to create photos of the inspiration surrounding me.

I’m sharing my story with you because I want you to know that it’s normal to get frustrated and even want to give up. To think you’re just not that good. Or that SO many people are SO much better than you.

I had and still have ALL of those thoughts.

But the first step in your recovery (yes this pep talk has now evolved into therapy) is to figure out your why. Why is this worth learning, practicing, and pushing yourself?

Maybe it’s because when you DO create something that you love and that you’re proud of it feels SO freakin good...that you want to create more.

Maybe you want to give back with your photography like my friend, Amina, with her nonprofit Cameras for Girls. Her program “helps the girls learn a new skill, advance in their journalism careers, improve their options and change their lives”.

Hey maybe you want to improve your skills to the point you can sell your work, or exhibit in a gallery or get published.

And maybe, you just really want to create beautiful memories for you, your friends, and your family.

ALL of those why’s are OK. Not just OK but fabulous. Because whatever your why is...it’s yours. And that is what will keep you going past the frustration. That is what will keep you from giving up.

Now that you know why, it’s time for the next step - to start recognizing those not so kind thoughts that are holding you down and making you feel bad about yourself. We all have those too. I named my inner critic responsible for those thoughts, Penelope. She can really be a jerk sometimes.

The thing is, until we become able to recognize these as thoughts...and not just reality...those thoughts have a whole lot of power over us. Because we believe them.

But once you start listening to the thoughts swirling around and recognizing, “hey that’s not true” or even “hey that’s super mean!”...then you can make some progress.

How do you start to recognize them? Silence.

Sit in silence, and let the thoughts come in, and then gently (or not so gently depending on your mood) ask them to leave.

This little exercise is also known as meditation. Some have the idea that meditation is sitting in silence and not thinking. And that if you ARE thinking then you’re “not doing it right”. Yet another self-criticism of what we aren’t doing the way it should be done.

Nope. Meditation is sitting in silence, and maybe focusing on your breath. But the thoughts will come in there. They just can’t help themselves. But by sitting in silence and focusing on something else, like your breath, then suddenly you recognize the thoughts coming in.

And that’s when the magic happens. Because now you consciously are aware of this thought floating in, and you develop the skill to hear it out, but also to recognize that it's coming from somewhere other than reality or facts.

I mean if your thought says “your blood pressure is 124/76” and it is...well that’s one thing. But if your thought says “you’re lazy and will never be good at your job”. Well that to me sounds like a judgment that’s probably coming from maybe childhood, a former teacher or boss...maybe a relative. But it’s certainly not a fact.

Yeah…I found France pretty darn inspirational all right!

Once you can recognize the thoughts as your inner critic, mean mind gremlin, or whatever you want to label that inner jerk we all seem to have...then you can start to recognize and accept a few things.

First, that you are capable of great things. Like creating stunning photographs.

Second, that you are capable of creating something that you truly love, and can accept as stunning. I think that’s half the battle. Not just creating something that OTHERS tell you is beautiful, but believing it yourself.

And finally, loving our creations even if they aren’t perfect - because they don’t have to be, in order to be amazing.

And yep I also created a whole blog post on how I learned to love my imperfect photos. It’s worth a read if you suffer from the malady of perfectionism like I do.

So to summarize...don’t give up. You are capable of creating great things, and I believe in you. Now it’s time for you to believe in yourself.

If you want some amazing support in your photographic endeavors, make sure to come join us in our private Facebook group, PhotoFluent Travelers.