Try, Try Again
One percent. That is the amount that we should be getting better each day at whatever craft we claim. But what happens when we can only eke out .5%? Or less? Social media tries to tell us that everyone else’s life is better, brighter, easier. It’s easy to feel like it’s all so simple for others. So, shouldn’t it feel easy for us? Not quite. We don’t always remember this but some of the most difficult periods are when we learn the most.
There was one class in particular where I really struggled. It was a photojournalism class and one of my assignments was to partner with a non-profit and create a body of work explaining the impact that they had on the community and how that could translate to other places with the same social issue. This felt lofty. I was terrified and it showed in my work. I tend to be quite introverted so putting myself in a position where my whole purpose was to insert myself into people’s lives felt not only out of my comfort zone; it felt damn near intrusive. Throughout the time I was working on this project, many times I didn’t sleep through the night. I’m not sure how the body does it: it’s absolutely exhausted yet stays wide awake. There was part of me that wondered if this had all been a huge mistake.
One day I walked through the doors of the non-profit and I was greeted like an old friend. They asked me what I needed to shoot that day and introduced me to people I hadn’t yet met at the center. It reflected the relationships I’d built from the beginning of the semester, and it was so rewarding. I got some of my best photos that day and couldn’t wait to get back to take more.
On the way home, it hit me. This was a reminder that if you’re not scared of what you are doing, it’s just not big enough. I was uncomfortable for so long I thought for sure I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now that I get to look at it from the other side, I am so happy that I stuck with it. This is why I came to Newhouse. I never would have done this on my own. We would love to think we are always self-motivated but sometimes we need a good shove from the universe to get us to the other side.
We get in our own way more often than we probably realize. Reflecting on this semester, I realized a few things that I will be taking with me into spring semester:
1) stay humble – you are learning, mistakes are always expected
2) learn from others – this includes classmates and those already doing the work you want to do in the industry
3) just keep going – even if you have a shed a tear or two, you will get through it!
