It struck me today how most of us, or perhaps all of us, spend so much of our time, energy, and focus validating our existence everywhere we go. We invest a disproportionate amount of effort seeking validation, whether through social media, our careers, or personal relationships. This need for validation often stems from a desire to feel valued, understood, and connected to others.
As an iPhone photographer, this quest for validation can manifest in the way we share our work and seek feedback. Posting photos online, counting likes, and reading comments are all forms of seeking validation. However, it’s crucial to find intrinsic motivation and satisfaction in the creative process itself.
We constantly beat the self-validation drums: look at me, notice me, see me, recognize me, appreciate me, honor me, hold court for me, and give me worth. My existence depends on it. In the context of photography, especially as an iPhone photographer, this can manifest in the way we share our work and seek feedback. Posting photos online, counting likes, and reading comments can all be forms of seeking validation. However, it’s also important to find intrinsic motivation and satisfaction in the creative process itself.
I’m not a trained psychologist, but I suspect that much of this validation impetus in life, at every turn, comes from childhood traumas and dramas. Maybe, for whatever reason, when we were young, we didn’t get what we needed from others. So, we chose instead to spend our efforts and energies validating ourselves. These habits, right or wrong, followed us into adulthood.
I am who I am today—a father, a human being, a photographer, a partner, a world citizen, an artist, a poet—not because of what someone else said about me but because of what I believe, in my core, about my own being.
In photography, especially with the convenience and accessibility of an iPhone, the temptation to seek external validation is ever-present. Yet, the true essence of photography lies in capturing moments that resonate with us personally. It’s about the quiet and solitude of the process, the curiosity that drives us to explore new perspectives, and the impermanence of each captured moment.
As photographers, we must remind ourselves that our worth is not determined by the number of likes or comments we receive. Instead, it is defined by the passion and dedication we bring to our craft. The joy of photography should come from the act of creation itself, from the satisfaction of capturing a fleeting moment and preserving it through our lens.
In a world where validation is often sought externally, let us find strength in our own beliefs and values. Let us create not for the applause of others, but for the fulfillment it brings to our own souls. After all, the most meaningful validation comes from within.
Click.
Jack.
