Reminder to Myself.

I found this on a blog I follow. I think I need to read it every day
to remind myself to stop comparing my talents and abilities to other
photographers. Sometimes it bothers me that so many people are
interested in photography, and I often have to remind myself that
there is an artist within all of us and we should be able to share our
vision of the world around us, no matter how different or alike we
see it. It shouldn't be a competition or a comparison, but a passion
and a way to express ourselves.

This quote explains it in 2 languages I speak (food & photography).
I think it's perfect!
:)

"When someone asks me how to paint a good picture, I sometimes
answer by comparing creating art to cooking a meal. Let me explain.
These days there are many cooking programs to be seen on television.
A chef from a famous restaurant comes out and talks about his special
dishes, his secrets, his techniques. And it is true that if you follow his
directions, step by step, you can make a meal just like his, and it will be
delicious. In the case of art, too, by following an expert artist's directions
and copying her methods, you could probably produce a picture exactly
like hers. But such a picture would have no artistic value. There is really
no simple "recipe" or method for creating a good drawing or painting, such
as there is in cooling.

Our habits and tastes are also formed by the culture we are born into...
People in different cultures have different tastes in art, just as they do i food.
One style is no better, or more advanced, or more primitive than another.

But in developing one's own individual artistic style, I believe that the culture
that is part of your being from childhood is of great importance. If you look
deeply into the culture you were brought up in, you will find there the inspiration
and the roots of your own power to create good pictures. Your ability to see and
respond sensitively to the beauty of the world around you will, in turn, be
transformed into the ability to create art that other people will find to be beautiful.
As long as you have the visual sensitivity, you will discover that the actual techniques
you need for drawing good pictures are very easy to find.
They are within you."

Mitsumasa Anno