The Perils of Self-Criticism

The safety of self criticism steals joy. - This is a weird concept but I know we all do it. Let’s take for example you have a dream to be a professional photographer. You’re all excited and go out and take a few shots. You edit them in snapseed and then when you’re ready to show them off you decide to take a look at some of your favorite inspiration’s shots. Then you compare yours, and of course it’s not even close. - So now you start to make excuses, start to talk yourself down, start to say you’re never gonna be as good as so-and-so and you never release it. - That was me for a while. I always thought my work was subpar compared to other people I saw. It kept me from shooting, it kept me from trying to reach out and get jobs, and it ultimately kept me from the joy of pursuing my passion. - In fact I felt that way about this shot. I love the composition but because the cave was so dark, the image was really grainy. I tried a bunch of things to clean it up but ultimately was left with the choice of posting something cool that didn’t live up to my quality standards or not sharing at all. Well here it is haha. Self criticism is great for perspective but too much is detrimental to your joy. - Be blessed and stay stoked 😎🤙 - • • • • • •