Creative Delusion

In Massachusetts, high school basketball players compete.

    When photographers begin careers, they often believe their work is exceptional.
    For example, I once took a photo of two basketball players vying for a rebound (seen at top). Good expressions. Peak action. I was proud of that photo.
    Not any more. I later discovered that ‘armpit’ photos of basketballs players are commonplace. That photo is nothing more than a cliche.
    I once managed a photo department at a newspaper. A staff photographer job opened up. Applicants stopped by with their portfolios. One man’s photos featured artsy and eclectic subjects. One image was hard to identify. It looked like a birds-eye view of a bush. I asked him about the photo. He said, “It’s a close up of my girlfriend’s vagina.”
    I was puzzled over why he’d shown that picture, and other artsy images, for a news photographer job. I think he was delusional. He believed his work was so good that I’d be duly impressed. But I wasn’t. He didn’t get the job.
    Delusion affects writers too. My dream is to become a full time novelist. I thought my first novel was excellent. I sent the manuscript to publishers. They all rejected it. Years later, I realized the writing wasn't up to snuff.  
    Exceptional works follow inferior works. Young artists often can't tell the difference.