Another non photographic post, although the lesson (if there is one) can without doubt be applied to the business of photography..
I think people of a certain age have had a couple of sayings used around them for most of their life and these sayings have been hammered into them too deeply and they without doubt they have huge negative effects.
“Pride Before a Fall” can be manifested as “can’t ever be proud” (of achieving) thats wrong.
“Self Confidence” was often mistaken for “Over Confidence” .
Confidence in the self, self belief, call it what you will is a huge requirement of making the most of our lives. Without it time will be spent sitting on the sofa, staying in a negative job or situation and not making the most of our lives..
The most important message I think we can impart (to our children and others) is “Have confidence, be strong, work hard, you can succeed in your dreams”
Take the current situation. Following in COVID I have a (very) part time design job. I’m really grateful for it. Without it I am not sure where I would have been through the pandemic. It helps us and it help my son. Before that it helped pay to get my son through university (the reason I took it on – we can live with an income that fluctuates but for student rent etc.. not great).
Now I’m getting back to being busy, very busy. The photographic business is rebuilding and sales are starting to grow in the art business I started during the pandemic) so I’m starting to plan the way I can leave the part time job, with the way the economy is going it’s going to be tricky and it’s not going to be tomorrow, there is a balance to be made and I’m confident the tipping point is getting closer. My partner is concerned but backs me 100%.
My parents however are totally different, all they do is voice is concern and worry, just like they did when I was a teenager (I guess thats what my parents generation do). When my son decided to leave go freelance straight out of university I did not say its all sunshine and fun in the freelance world, I think I was truthful but backed him 100%, if he has confidence to do it, then I have it also. I think the generations before us measure confidence in a different way, they only see salaried jobs as the option. I’m confident but not over confident, I have self belief.
Putting it in a slightly shorter fashion. Sunday I was planing a 12km run. I have not run past 10km for 3 years. Most of my running post 2018 have been between 5 and 10km.
Since a hip injury during the 2018 London Marathon I have been fearful of it returning, I was worried about running distances, my running pace was off because my stride length is short because, guess what, i was scared my hip would go if I lengthened my stride.
For an hour before Sunday’s run I started I was pacing up and down, my head was saying I can’t do it, my body will break, my hip will go.
I made an effort to reframe the run. I made it about breaking that fear. I ran intervals concentrating on kicking my feet out and lengthening the stride in the running intervals and then walking fast with long strides between.
I made the distance, I beat the fear. (I’m sure it return but … today i won)
What am I trying to say in this post? In our creative lives there are jobs we might get offered, shoots we want to do but something holds us back. Well this is the time for measured Self Confidence, it is time to reframe your fear and beat it.
Julie Edwards-X 