Who are you?
You’re a writer?
No you aren’t. You can’t write. You just type things and they end up on this screen here. That’s not writing. In this day and age of the Internet and blogs, anyone can do what you’re doing.
You’re not special.
Anyone could do it.
Even her.
Who are you?
You’re a photographer?
No you aren’t. We’ve got digital cameras, anyone can take a photo. No skill necessary. Everyone gets lucky occasionally and gets a good photo.
What’s that you say? It does take skill to take good photos? Even with the digital medium?
Bullshit.
No it doesn’t. Take a hundred photos, one of them will be good. You’ll see. Go and try it, come back and report.
You’re not special.
Anyone can take a photo nowadays.
Even her.
Who are you?
You’re a journalist?
No. You aren’t. Thousands of people are doing your job on twitter, you’re outdated and useless. What need do we have of printed material when everything is on the Internet for free? Go and search twitter. The blogs.
It’s a digital world, you’ve got to move along with it.
You’re not special.
Anyone can report the news.
Even her.
**
Who are you?
**
You’re nothing special.
Except when you are.
Because it does take skill to pull together a blog post. Sure, anyone can do it, but not anyone can draw an audience and make them laugh and cry. That’s writing.
It does take skill to take a photo. A baby can push a shutter button and capture a moment, but it takes skill to snap a photo that make people see what you saw and feel what you felt.
There is skill involved in reporting the news. Anyone can tell you what they saw, but can they tell the whole story from both sides?
The Internet is changing the way we view things, skills that were once out of our reach are now being brought down to earth where we can capture them for ourselves. Things that were once the realm of only the specially talented are now there for anyone to practise. You’d think that this would water down the talent pool, but instead we’re discovering untold talent in hidden places.
Mothers, fathers, anyone. Everyone.
Anyone.
We can do this.
And we can do it well.
Even her.
Kristin
/ February 12, 2010Even me? Cool.
Veronica
/ February 12, 2010Even you
lceel
/ February 12, 2010But most especially, you.
Renee
/ February 12, 2010Nope.. Not me.. I tried.. And failed.. Miserably!
Veronica
/ February 12, 2010Lou – Thankyou.
Renee – I bet you could if you wanted to!
Brenda
/ February 12, 2010Thank you Veronica. On those days when I doubt myself, I’ll go back here and read your brilliant words again. And again. And again.
Thank you!
Megan @ Writing Out Loud
/ February 12, 2010Wow. What a brilliant post. Thanks Veronica xo
Lotus / Sarcastic Mom
/ February 12, 2010Hell yeah.
Love this post.
Veronica
/ February 12, 2010Brenda – I’mglad I could do that for you
Megan – Hi! I’ve not seen you here before? Lovely to meet you and I’m glad you liked the post.
Lotus – xx
Michelle
/ February 12, 2010That is really cook – I’m glad I dropped by to read your post.
Marylin
/ February 12, 2010You just described how I feel about photography… great post sweety, great writing.
x
Barbara
/ February 13, 2010Sometimes I think you’re in my head.
Miss Ash
/ February 13, 2010I love this post. Thank you.
Kristin
/ February 13, 2010Who are you, Madame B? A big shit reviewer?
No, just a boy in your mama’s nightgown, throwing water bombs at the other kids from the safety of your tree fort. Is it any wonder no one wants to play with you.
minut'd'automne
/ February 13, 2010I like what I’m reading here. It also brings to my mind something I once read on Robin Hobb’s website because it got transformed. I copied a passage on mine and unfortunately I can no longer find the complete text: check it out however it’s the passage in green, the rest is in French unfortunately:
http://minutepapillon8.canalblog.com/archives/2009/07/14/index.html
tiff
/ February 13, 2010Especially you.
Love this.
minut'd'automne
/ February 13, 2010“before” not “because”
Those ideas are Hobb’s not mine. It kinda contradict what you wrote and I think both of you are right though
minut'd'automne
/ February 13, 2010I’ve come back because i keep thinking about it. Actually I’d say that if I something “write” it’s because I also “blog”.
Veronica
/ February 14, 2010It does contradict what I say, but I still liked what she wrote. And for me, over here, it feels more like writing than blogging. Blogging is for Sleepless Nights – the ins and outs of life with children.
minut'd'automne
/ February 14, 2010Right. So you do do both too!
river
/ February 15, 2010I was going to repeat Renee’s statement, then I saw your reply and you know what? You’re right, I could if I really wanted to. So what’s holding me back? I don’t want to, that’s what.
sandi
/ February 26, 2010I love this post!!