Every photographer faces a challenge each time he/she picks up a camera. But our experiences are subjective and our ability to cope varies. This brings us to our eleventh PhotoPoll question...
What has been your greatest obstacle and how did you overcome it?
Personally, this is a very tough question for me to answer... not in the sense that I do not know what to say, but because I almost have too much to tell.
I've made it no secret on this blog that I deal with depression and anxiety. For anyone who suffers from mental illness, this is all I need to say. We just kind of... get it. But for those who are fortunate enough to say this experience is foreign to them, it is a little bit tougher to explain.
Photography is such a creative art that requires endless passion, patience, creativity, inspiration, and energy. It requires all of the things that depression strips away from you. So when you are a photographer, amateur or professional, suffering from depression...
Your camera is too heavy to pick up.
Your legs feel to tired to walk towards that sunset you want to see.
Your eyes filter the beauty from life and turn colorful landscapes into grey, lackluster scenes.
It's incredibly annoying to say the least.
Think of it like this... there is an adorable little child that has the most radiant smile. You want to capture this split second joy and innocence in a photo but every time you touch your camera, the child goes deadpan with the meanest scowl you can imagine. AGH!
Dealing with depression has been the greatest obstacle I've faced as a photographer and artist... and I can't even say that I've completely overcome the challenge! I still live with it every day! But it has gotten easier as I figure out what works for me.
Finding ways to express my emotions through photography (both positive AND negative) has given me the inspiration to snap those shots even when I don't feel like it. It is a visual respresentation of an internal struggle and the easiest way to portray emotions. It is cathartic to express yourself through art - as so many individuals have discovered!
Also, posting on Steemit has given me goals to pursue which is necessary when dealing with depression!
I haven't overcome this obstacle but I am living with it in a much healthier way!
Now it is your turn. What obstacle(s) have you faced as a photographer (big OR small) and how did you overcome them?
Comment below with your answer or create an entire article and tag it with the #photopoll tag! Paste the link below in the comments so we can all find it!
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Photos from Pexels and used under the CC0 license.
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