I have mentioned in the past that I have been learning acoustic guitar for about the past 2 years. While I know I have made progress, I can easily see I have such a long way to go to be a good player. It is both a driver of determination at times, as well as a source of discouragement.

But often I do reflect upon and compare my learning stage with my guitar compared to the learning process and the stages I have gone through in my photography. While not a complete list, I often think about these parallels;

• The more you pick it up and use it, simply the better you will become. Perhaps overly obvious, but it rings true in so many ways. Even if I haven’t been out photographing in awhile, it can take quite some time to get that mojo flowing again and feeling creative. More so with my guitar since I am such a raw beginner – boy am I rusty if I leave it alone for even just a week.
• Be your own source of inspiration. As much as I would like to have the skills someday of Eric Clapton, or perhaps the eye and travel opportunities of Art Wolfe, I know that focusing on what they are able to do too much can be discouraging. But if I can look back at what I did last year, or even what I did the last time I picked up the guitar or the camera, and do a little better this time – that is growth and a good thing. And if you are enjoying what you are doing, shouldn’t that be all that matters?
• Visual vs. audible composition. Like in photographs, I am learning that there are certain chords, rhythms, and keys that will create an entire mood to a piece of music. Someday perhaps after simply learning the mechanics of putting such things together, I can become more involved with the expressive and artistic aspects of them. Similarly in photography, one often has to go through some of the pains of learning the technical to be able to let that go and be more expressive.

If you have similar comparisons, I’d love to read about them..