Self-doubt

Keith baby... I have said things to people's face I wouldn't think of putting on record on the internet.

Check <a href="http://www.partobject.com/mikhailov/bm_ex38.html">this</a> one out and other thoughts about photography and philosophy, by photographer Boris Mikhailov

I think turmoil is as essential to creativity as fire to cooking.

 

This really is an excellent question, Keith !

I think we are all being a bit touchy today. Comminication without facial expression...it's all to easy to be taken the wrong way. My spelling is pretty awful,

dispite all the help from my friend Robert Applebury, (i do hope i've spelt his name right) who has given up in dispair.

 

Self-doubt. Is it worth thinking about..best just get on with what you are doing.

On second thought I find that self-doubt is probably unavoidable for artists who have a lot of ego connected with their work.

 

When photography is made for living as a service then it is just as good as any other work like cleaning a room or engineering a rocket.

 

When photography is done for expression or for pleasure then photography will just reveal, to lesser or greater extent, what we are or where we are, speaking in terms consciousness.

 

When I as a human live with the inner assurance that I am a part of the cosmic game (speaking atheistic) or a part of God (speaking theistic) then whatever reason should I have to doubt myself??

 

Again, impoving work has nothing to do with doubt. To improve once work one needs to have dynamism and the ability to look at results with a sort of detachment, to remain fresh and flexible, the willingness to learn all over again from scratch. Then the creative process is fun and energising to go on.

Self-doubt on the other hand will pull down the necesarry dynamic spirit, drain a lot of vital energy and cloud the mind with insecurity and anxiety.

"<i>Comminication without facial expression..."</i><p>...I guess this is why we both put smiles at the end of our posts. Seriously Allen I took no offence whatsoever from your post ;-)

Bernd wrote<p>

 

<Again, impoving work has nothing to do with doubt. To improve once work one needs to have dynamism and the ability to look at results with a sort of detachment, to remain fresh and flexible, the willingness to learn all over again from scratch.</i><p>

 

But that's in direct violation of what you and others have been writing over on the other thread in regard to my comment about photographic art lacking originality when you state that influences are a necessary part of the process.<p>

 

Did you, unintentionally, just agree with my point about looking to yourself for the answer in originality as opposed to looking to others for influence and making small changes, incremental steps, to the work that has come before.<p>

 

Not trying to take anything out of context that you wrote on another thread.<p>

 

<i>Selfexpression is and was never easy and is given not to everyone in the same measure. But, more important is that progress is success and everybody should continue to edit as long as some joy is involved in the process. The fact that only few are able to contribute "significant" or "original/authentic" results and be "great" artists doesnt mean that only the few should continue their efforts.</i><p>

 

My comment on going it alone and removing self-doubt has to do with having the rocks (male) or melones (female) to do what you will with the photographic process. I've found that a lot of self-doubt has to do with the fact that there's a lot of invalid online criticism out there today. I've also found there's a lot of critics online that haven't a clue but project themselves as being valid when in fact they're nothing but a bunch of mean sprited individuals that take great delight in trying to cause others great emotional harm.<p>

 

The point of the above, most self-doubt is not well founded.<p>

Thomas, I am not sure what is your point. You missed to paste a para obviously.

Bernd wrote<p>

 

<i>Thomas, I am not sure what is your point.</i><p>

 

Not trying to be mean, nasty or sarcastic as all I can suggest is to reread what I wrote. Can you post what part of the post you're not understanding?<p>

I agree with Thomas and disagree with those that praise self-doubt as a motivator. Self-doubt is not good. The fact that people can derive healthy motivation from a bad feeling does not make it good. And if the only time you feel motivated is when you feel the angst, then perhaps you need to find something else to do.

 

Having realistic expectations to aim for and a realistic understand of your capabilities should not inhibit growth and creativity.

Self doubt....sort of like counting your hairs on your rear, have i got enough....just get on with it.