Welcome to episode 609 of the Perceptive Photographer. In this episode, we’re gonna be digging into a quote by Pablo Picasso that I found really interesting as I was putting new quotes into the cookbook. Before we dug into that topic, I offered up a little congrats and hugs and wanted to make sure they made it intot he shows notes/. So, congratulations on whatever was awesome that happened to you this week. If it was a horrible week, know that there’s a virtual hug coming to you from the studio to make you feel a little bit better.

As for the podcast this week, as I was putting new quotes into my quote book, I stumbled across one of my favorite Picasso quotes.

“It took me four years to paint like Rafael, but a lifetime to paint like a child”

I think one of the interesting things about this quote is Picasso’s separating how quickly, while four years may not seem quick to some of us, we can learn technical elements for our work. And how hard it is for us to be who we really are our authentic self, our kid-like self and that we spend a lifetime basically chasing back to have that “real” expression.

I think a lot of photographers end up in this camp, where we spend so much time mastering technical elements and then struggle to make our photographs feel like our photographs. They lack the essence of who we are. They often feel like they’re missing our voice or our vision.

I also think that there are amazing artists who struggle less with presenting their authentic selves, but yet feel like they technically can’t get the expression they want because they don’t know how to go about it.

I also think it’s always easier to feel like the other side has it better, but no matter how we slice it, it’s always frustrating when we can’t create the work that allows us to express what we’re truly thinking and feeling.

So as I was working through how to do this and what would make this easier, I was reminded of the great philosopher and Sage, Opus the penguin from Bloom County and how Opus would often wish for things. And I think when we look at our work, if we start to engage with the language of not what’s right or wrong, what’s good or bad, but what we wish for the work, because wishing is something we could embrace from our childhood; we could embrace from our more inner self to see. Do I wish it was more technically correct, or do I wish it was more expressive? And if it was more expressive, what do you really wish would happen? Does it mean that things are purple? Does it mean things are green? Does it mean things are whatever they need to be, and then what would happen if we actually made that work?

That’s what we’re digging in today on the podcast. Hope you find it interesting and insightful. Have a wonderful week, and thanks again for being so much a part of the podcast community.