Thanks, sweetie. Your insight is especially valuable to me.

Having majored in Interior Design and have done one of the more practical creative fields, I have had a lot of exposure to many different types of artistic expression. I think it’s good to be exposed to all these different forms (furniture making, drawing, painting, jewelry making, architecture, etc.). But I agree with what other people said to get good at something you have to work at it. There has to be an investment. You have to make a decision which way you want to go. I feel you have made that investment with photography. I would encourage taking more photography classes, especially classes that emphasize what’s in the picture rather than just how to take a picture. Some of the people that you compare yourself with have had years of practice and experience so don’t be so hard on yourself.

And like all creative fields, doing it as a hobby and doing it as a profession are two very different things, especially for those of us in the practical arts. While I get to be creative sometimes at work, there are a lot of other things that I have to do to make the vision happen that actually take up more time (construction documents, specifications, coordination with clients and vendors). When you factor a client into a situation that can also change the overall creative vision too.

I feel like I’ve rambled too long. So there you go. There are my two cents.

But oi! Now I feel even more self-conscious. It’s perhaps hard to believe that I wrote this without a desire for support and affirmation, but I really didn’t, so now I feel a little guilty, as if I was fishing for compliments.

RE: Work.
Mugs, you’re absolutely right, and your comment reminded me of the one major bullet point I forgot to include - an address of my laziness. I’m painfully aware of this trait, and I’ve seen it stymie hobbies and pursuits in the past. That being said, it’s also the reason I’m most excited about photography; I’ve consistently put more effort into this avenue than any other - at least in my perception.

And while, Elizabeth, I appreciate the compliments about me as a photographer, I know I have a lot more work ahead. That’s why I fully intend to take another class in the spring, and study technique and the work of professionals.

Time will tell.

To work like this, you have to love doing something, and that love has to be independent of the outcome. You may hate what you come up with (rightly or wrongly), but you have to love the pursuit enough to keep trying.

You say that your pictures don’t mean anything. I say that’s your fault, either because your assessment is correct or because your perception is wrong, or maybe both combined. At least for some of your images, I’d argue that it’s because of your perception. I’m not the only one that finds some of your stuff quite interesting and maybe even meaningful, but that, unfortunately, doesn’t do anything for your problem.

If you continue to look at your creative pursuits as potential paths of creative failure, then they will all fail. A lot of people say that not fearing failure is the way that innovators and artists make their biggest impacts, but I would argue that it’s a *redefinition* of failure that makes it so. Allow your work, and the creation of it, to teach you something about the world you’re observing, and stop being so critical about what you think it teaches you about yourself.

Oh and Dan…I think you need to let go of having an artistic goal and just enjoy it. I think if you’re shooting for some asthetic or to be “cutting edge” you miss the point…which is first and foremost to develop in your own way, your own art.

I think you have a naturally good eye. And there is much to be said for developing skill. But do it for the glory of it. One of the greatest things about art is that it serves no “practical” purpose.

I’m having a great time learning a bit with you…and I think your hunger for the technical learning process is helpful to me, who is perhaps a to much on the side of “instinct”.

I hope you keep at it, keep exploring, keep creating, etc. It might seem to you like you aren’t getting anywhere, or that many of your attempts have been futile, but I don’t think that is true. I think by trying and by opening new doors you’ve come farther than you think.

This is kind of old news, and not very techno-oriented, but I think The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is an excellent book, and it really forces you to tangibly get involved in struggling through your own creativity instead of just abstractly think about art and other people’s thoughts about creating.

Another one I read a long time ago and liked was called Art and Fear but I can’t remember who it’s by. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts and I think you are/are turning into a really solid photographer.

And I think Valerie is cool and wish that she had a blog, too.

And yes, I am getting married in a few weeks - crazy!