I've been doing a lot of Zoom presentations to Camera Clubs and recently I've been getting feedback that I've never heard before...and it really surprised me:
Thank you for giving me permission to create what I love
Thank you for giving me permission to ignore the rules
Thank you for giving me permission to listen to myself
My first reaction was horror! Who am I to give anyone permission? I worried that I had presumed too much and crossed a line in my presentation.
My second reaction was bewilderment. Why do people think they need permission to do what they want?
My third reaction was sadness. It seems that the message so many people come away with after taking a photo class or joining a camera clubs is: here are the rules that you must follow to create good images.
And then they hear my message:
Don't follow the rules
Create what you love
Don't listen to other's advice
And their reaction is often relief and excitement. Relief that they don't have to follow the rules and excitement that they can follow their own instincts and create for the pure joy of creating.
But of course following this path comes with a price: others may not like your work, they may even be critical of it and you probably will not please judges or reviewers who believe in following rules.
But what would you rather do? Follow their advice and create images that they love but you don't...or follow your own heart and create images that you love.
If it helps, you have my permission to ignore the rules, follow your Vision and create images that you love.