E is for Effort

Don't you miss the days in elementary school when "E" was a good grade on an assignment? E for effort. In other words, the final product may or may not have been satisfactory, much less impressive, but you were encouraged for giving it your best shot. 

Apparently, this is a great approach with children. One of my favorite books is NurtureShock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. In their first chapter, "The Inverse Power of Praise" they talk about the detriment of simply telling kids they are smart. Apparently, when you encourage them in specific ways for trying hard, you are building their effort muscles which will serve them better as they face challenges that their natural smartness may not be able to conquer. Kids who get this kind of support can go farther than kids who just get straight up praise. 

Problem is, I'm not a kid anymore. Sure there are kindly people who will have nice things to say when I have clearly put effort into something. But the truth is, if the final product doesn't cut it, the final product doesn't cut it. You don't get special awards or commendations anymore, just because you tried. 

After watching a documentary piece about this amazing artist who got her start taking pictures of her children, I set out with an obscene amount of supplies to do a photo-shoot of my daughter in the park across the street from our apartment. Perhaps is a bit blasphemous to say anything bad about any photo of your own child, but I'm sorry people. This shoot was a fail. 

Doesn't her last expression just capture it? "Mom - what are you thinking?" They're not awful, but I can look at the shots now and see they are just riddled with lighting and background potential. But I was not on my game. Not to say that this was an exception to a phenomenal ability I have otherwise. My photography is like my cooking, its a means to getting to an end I enjoy, but nothing to rave too much about beyond that. But I did not get the enjoyable results I was after this day.

I wish I could give myself an E for Effort. But healthy humility is recognizing that I both have strengths and weaknesses. This shoot wasn't worthy of a Snapshot Saturday. But I guess I got enough "E"s growing up, that I know I can keep trying. After all, E is also for Excellence.