I have a fear of making mistakes. As a third culture kid, moving to a new country every three years, I got very good at figuring out the culture and the expectations. And in constantly differing school environments, I also learnt very quickly the cost of making mistakes. A mistake pretty much set me up for an unhappy next three years. So I got good at playing it safe. Avoiding risk and sticking to my strengths got me through.
However, this approach is a real stumbling block in this creative life I have now embarked on. Playing it safe doesn’t allow me to grow in my craft, and avoiding risk is actually a recipe for creative staleness.
So I enrolled in a photography class.
“No problem”, you all say, “that’s fine, easy, what are you worried about?”
This class was called “photography for the un-photographer“.
Yes, while that isn’t technically a word. I am the very definition of an un-photographer.
Let me outline my credentials:
I have only recently called myself creative, and I am creative with words. Therefore visuals aren’t my strong point.
After many years of my husband trying to teach me the basics of photography, even as recently as December last year, I still didn’t get it.
I don’t have Instagram, nor do I want it.
This class had around 10 of us, all wanting to learn. And I was without a doubt, the one most unfamiliar with my camera (borrowed from Mr). I was the one who had the least idea of how to compose a picture, and don’t even get me started on how many times I got lost in the jargon.
But eventually I got it.
I came home and told my husband what I had learned, to get the reply of “that is exactly what I was telling you”.
And I have picked up my camera for fun since that day, I am enjoying playing, trying, making mistakes, and learning. I am enjoying stretching and growing. I am never going to be a brilliant photographer, but I like that I can now use some of my pictures for my blog.
Making mistakes can be fun, who knew?
Join me for the journey,
Jodie