a little help from your friends

September 11, 2009  :  Being an Artist, New Photographs      

Sometimes you need the help of friends and peers to see the potential in your own art. I had spent yesterday photographing some flowers we picked up at the farmers market last weekend. But after several hours of work, I was growing frustrated. Nothing was clicking: the flowers were not inspiring me, and the resulting photographs were feeling flat. Calling it a day, I half-heartedly posted one of the photographs to Twitter.

©Daniel Sroka

©Daniel Sroka

But when I checked in later that evening, I was surprised to find that my photograph had actually gotten more compliments and “re-tweets” than any other I have posted to Twitter:

Their enthusiasm not only gave me a much-needed lift, it encouraged me to re-examine the work I had been so ready to dismiss. And surprise, I actually discovered some gems hiding out amid the rubble. Being an artist can be a lonely profession. But sometimes, the small connections you make can really surprise you.

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Comments on 'a little help from your friends'

Shell  (September 11th, 2009):

Dan,
I love this post….So glad you felt the positive love and energy that is around you. There is a vulnerability in being an artist…not always easy to put your work out there. Your work is special and I thank you for always sharing it as you do.
shell

shellartistree  (September 11th, 2009):

Beautiful… RT @Danielsroka Sometimes you need the help of friends and peers to see the potential in your own art. http://bit.ly/kzk1q

This comment was originally posted on Twitter

Roberta  (September 11th, 2009):

Always happy to give a kick in the pants where needed. ;-) And we all need it sometimes. It is lonely working as an artist sometimes, and we often get stuck in our own ruts.

DebOwen  (September 16th, 2009):

@danielsroka I’m not sure how I missed this one. Beautiful! I’m thinking of walls where I could hang your work. Hmm http://bit.ly/P4plr

This comment was originally posted on Twitter

danielsroka  (September 16th, 2009):

@DebOwen Find room on every wall! (Thanks for the kind words about http://bit.ly/P4plr )

This comment was originally posted on Twitter

Edward  (October 12th, 2009):

Wow, so beautiful Dan. Really hit the spot. Good job!

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