Diamonds are formed under great pressure. I consider it misleading since scientifically speaking, you will need a combination of extremely high temperature and extremely high pressure which are conditions only found in the Earth’s mantle. Yet, not all diamonds are created equally. Even under extreme conditions, not all diamonds are formed as fine as the other at the same time.
Working under extreme pressure and high standards is difficult and the tantalizing anxiety of underperforming and disappointing others will always be present. Being the Photo Editor, there are situations where, even when I believe I did my best, my work sometimes comes up short from what others expected. And I do receive my fair share of criticism as a result. Criticism, even if essentially constructive, will always be difficult to hear— demoralizing even—especially when you believe that you did your best.
We are humans, we have emotions. There is no doubt that hearing criticism will affect us, but then it is our responsibility to take note of it and do better next time.
It is good to listen to criticism because not all our flaws are visible to our own eyes. Sometimes we cannot help but shrug off some of our shortcomings because we are biased toward our self. It is a good trait to be open minded to constructive criticism and to think about the perspective of others. But always remind yourself that you do not necessarily need to take all criticisms to heart as not everyone has your interest in mind and they only wish to bring you down. Learn to sift through the comments as some can rid you of motivation and even bring down your morale. You cannot please everybody, therefore it is a must to weigh in what you hear from others. So at the end of the day, you strive to do better, instead of putting yourself down.
People will always be critical since we see flaws first before pointing out features that we appreciate. We point typographical and grammatical errors first before saying that a sentence is well constructed. We all dream for everything to be nice, tidy, and perfect even if ironically, we live in a flawed world where nothing is perfect. This is reality: no matter how good, equipped or skilled we are, even if we aim high, there will always come a time where we will end up on the short end of our dreams. There are times when we try to live up to the expectations of others, only to end up feeling like a disappointment. Failing, without a doubt, is frustrating, but then I find no reason for it to be something to be ashamed of, knowing we could only reach so far without the risk of having fatigue. We are all humans after all.
Humans are naturally flawed, imperfect, but it will never be a valid excuse to stop trying. We should keep on trying to be better even if it means we are risking failure and amid all of that, what is important is that you tried. You lose nothing from trying.
Through the eyes of a photographer, the perfect photo only comes out after a multitude of failed attempts in capturing the decisive moment. One photo too lame, one photo too blurry, and one photo too bright. It will take a number of shutter clicks until a certain shot exemplifies the one photo you are striving for. Besides that, it will take an enormous amount of judgment until a photographer deems it the better shot still out of the many. Time and time again through this same scenario, a photographer will find himself with fewer failed attempts and with a better sense of judgement in determining the perfect photo. All these missed attempts and thinking twice are all invisible to the eyes of others; all they see is a continuous development in skill. There will always be no shame in trying and trying again. Others will not necessarily see the consequences of your shortcomings but through time they will notice your improvement above everything else.
Not everyone succeeds on their first try, some still fail in the second, but what’s more important above everything else is to keep trying.
