I love taking pictures, but what I love even more is looking at them later.

That’s when I actually see the wonderful details within the picture that give it its extra special quirk and nuance.

See the picture below?

I didn’t notice the fabulous s-curve in the fern or even the ant (!) until I opened the picture on my desktop.

They’re wonderful surprises.

They’re details I don’t see when I’m taking the picture because I’m concentrating on the framing, the focus, the subject and the lighting and all of those other details that can make or break a picture.

That said, my skills at photography do not match my enjoyment of photography.

My skills are only adequate.

I have no clue what an f-stop is or which aperture setting to use for each situation.

But I probably will one day because I enjoy taking photos.

Persistence trumps talent

That’s the crux of the fourth lesson in Daniel H. Pink’s book, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need.

There are massive returns to doggedness. The people who achieve the most are often the ones who stick with it when others don’t.

Basically, he says by pursuing something you enjoy but are only moderately good at, you’ll see more success than a person who has tons of talent but little stick-to-it-iveness.

While I don’t use photography in the day-to-day of my job, creativity and creative solutions are important in my line of work.

I’m only moderately creative.

But because I enjoy being creative, and continue to find ways to be creative, it should pay off for me in the long run.

How do you find ways to be doggedly persistent?

How has it paid off?

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