In the days of film, we photographers never really knew what our pictures looked like until we had the film developed{{1}}. When I was a kid growing up in a small town, I had to wait an eternity to see what my photos looked like. First it took a while to finish a roll of film, then I dropped it off at the local drug store where it took a good week or so to get developed. finally, I had to save up my allowance so I could pay for the magic package. During all this time, I would imagine the images that I had captured. In my mind, I would soon be seeing 24 or 36 masterpieces that would transform photography in the 20th century. Ok, maybe not quite that bad, but the point is, I imagined the best possible scenario.
Business people{{2}} suffer from the same malady. When doing a business projection, many prospective entrepreneurs over estimate income(everyone will want my service/product. I will grow phenomenally quickly) and under estimate expenses (I can get a better deal on that….). I think it is part of the creative mind. We imagine reality to be better than it may be. This is not a bad thing, and, in fact, it may be what drives artists and entrepreneurs to keep going…
My Mom calls me a survivor. I have gone through some tough times, but I always seem to land on my feet. I think the biggest factor is that I don’t give up. I keep trying. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t, but I am always moving forward. It frustrates me that some people give up. They become afraid of “what if”. I think creative people, such as artists or business people, become excited with “what if”. It isn’t a case of glass half full or glass half empty, it is a case of what can be done with the extra room in the glass….
[[1]]This post was inspired by this blog, specifically the quote, “Any photographer will tell you that exposed film only contains perfect images. Its only in development that you find out that you did it wrong.”[[1]]
[[2]]and others. Why do people buy lottery tickets? To imagine a dream. Until you check your numbers, you can imagine what it would be like to have 50 million dollars…..[[2]]
