“Accept your quirks as your special gifts.”
This is just one of the quotes I retained from a moving presentation by Joel Meyerowitz at the MacWorld conference yesterday. A photographer whose career has been based primarily in street photography, he captures random moments unexpectedly revealed in front of him, as opposed to creating structured fallacies. This approach and his openness to life made a deep impression upon me.
It made me think about how much is contrived and the amount to which life should be as honest as possible. In my life and my work how can I be more truthful? I believe that as human beings, mostly what we seek is connection and meaning, and by bringing forth honesty, instead of contrived promises, won’t we all be happier and more enriched? Or do we want to live in a fantasy?
I’m not sure, but it’s an interesting thought for me, a marketer, a role that has the reputation of falsity. But if you know me, you know that’s not what I’m about. My intention is never to mislead, lie, confuse or falsify. The proof must be in the pudding. I would not do what I do unless I believed the magic ingredient was in fact there.
So as Mr. Meyerowitz discussed that “gut feeling” or “sweetspot” he innately feels when he snaps his camera, I too must follow my gut. If it is one of my quirks, I should accept it as a gift, and you should too.