Frustrated with myself

minicoop1985 · Aug 28, 2014

Sorry for the rant, but I've been getting frustrated lately. As my signature says, I have bipolar disorder. I've noticed that with the high phase, I don't pay nearly enough attention to my own personal work and just make mediocre crap. Client work is still consistent, but I've been getting mighty frustrated with myself and the inconsistency of my own stuff, particularly my practicing on cars. I'm sure a few of you deal with this-how do you work around it? It reminds me of when I had just started, not thinking shots through, just pointing and clicking, etc.

pgriz · Aug 28, 2014

First point is to be aware of it. You know there's a pattern. You also know how the pattern unfolds. And that knowledge gives you some of the control over what otherwise is a very scary ride. It does no good to try and ignore what's happening - but it does help to know, that after THIS phase, THAT is what happens next, and then something else. Use your experience to know how to minimize the negative effects on you. They can't be eliminated, but they can be minimized. It helps to sometimes see yourself in the third person - somehow the analytical side can observe what you're going through and make decisions that are apart of what you're currently experiencing.

minicoop1985 · Aug 29, 2014

You hit it on the head, sir. I need to learn how to calm myself down a bit when I'm up. It just gets discouraging when I KNOW I can do something decent, but put out utter crap instead. It I was still a noob, I guess that would be expected, but I've been at this for too long and put out too much good stuff to put out crap. It's so frustrating when I get to a point to look at it.

minicoop1985 · Sep 4, 2014

Ugh, I feel myself losing my focus again. This is driving me insane.

snerd · Sep 4, 2014

minicoop1985 said:
Ugh, I feel myself losing my focus again. This is driving me insane.

Relax, dude. Go look at some boobs. Always cheers me up! :lol:

pthrift · Sep 4, 2014

snerd said:
minicoop1985 said:

Ugh, I feel myself losing my focus again. This is driving me insane.

Click to expand...

Relax, dude. Go look at some boobs. Always cheers me up!

Always a great pick-me-up!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4; probably while slacking off at work

limr · Sep 4, 2014

Oh querido, I know how you feel. The giant suckage that is me can be heard from space. Intellectually, I know that I am not the Worst.Photographer.Ever. but at the moment, my emotional state does not believe one stinking work that my intellect says.

"This too shall pass." Lather, rinse, repeat.

:hugs:

The_Traveler · Sep 5, 2014

snerd said:
Relax, dude. Go look at some boobs. Always cheers me up!

unless, of course, you're a guy and the boobs are your own.

Msteelio91 · Sep 5, 2014

The_Traveler said:
snerd said:

Relax, dude. Go look at some boobs. Always cheers me up!

Click to expand...

unless, of course, you're a guy and the boobs are your own.

These are most depressing kind of boobs...

Coop - keep your head up, bipolar will have your head spinning in and out of happiness. You need to focus on the mechanics of the work sometimes, use that to occupy your mind and keep you on topic. Get REALLY granular in the way you handle it, I think that will help.

minicoop1985 · Sep 5, 2014

I appreciate it everyone. Now I'm in the place where I look at my stuff and think it's all crap, but I keep plugging along anyway. I think this is when I learn the most, honestly.

As for boobs, I told my wife it's for my mental health, and got quite the dirty look... :lol:

Worth it.

The_Traveler · Sep 5, 2014

minicoop1985 said:
As for boobs, I told my wife it's for my mental health, and got quite the dirty look... Worth it.

Don't take it personally, I got the same response from her.

slackercruster · Sep 5, 2014

minicoop1985 said:
Sorry for the rant, but I've been getting frustrated lately. As my signature says, I have bipolar disorder. I've noticed that with the high phase, I don't pay nearly enough attention to my own personal work and just make mediocre crap. Client work is still consistent, but I've been getting mighty frustrated with myself and the inconsistency of my own stuff, particularly my practicing on cars. I'm sure a few of you deal with this-how do you work around it? It reminds me of when I had just started, not thinking shots through, just pointing and clicking, etc.

If you work with photos for $, there is nothing left for you. There is a saying, don't **** where you eat. Get a different job and save your photo energies for your own work. That was the point I was trying to tell the Traveler about the junk jobs he picks up. Don't dilute your creative efforts.

slackercruster · Sep 5, 2014

minicoop1985 said:
Sorry for the rant, but I've been getting frustrated lately. As my signature says, I have bipolar disorder. I've noticed that with the high phase, I don't pay nearly enough attention to my own personal work and just make mediocre crap. Client work is still consistent, but I've been getting mighty frustrated with myself and the inconsistency of my own stuff, particularly my practicing on cars. I'm sure a few of you deal with this-how do you work around it? It reminds me of when I had just started, not thinking shots through, just pointing and clicking, etc.

Maybe your a street shooter and not a fastidious shooter? If your hyped up put your energies to work with documentary and street work. I hate trying to be a studio photog. It is not me. Same way the studio photog tries to be a street photog...they usually produce crap. Good luck with coming out of the funk.