Why take pictures?

The links in this post may be affiliate links.  That means that if you click them and make a purchase, this site makes a commission.  It will have no impact on the price you pay or the experience of your purchase.

I pretty much always have my camera with me. Even before I had my pretty pretty camera bag, I had my trusty DSLR with me or nearby.
In an effort to improve my photography, I decided last year to do about doing that by *gasp* taking more pictures! I started a 365 Project, joined Clickin' Moms, and started doing more reading.
I've had some lucky shots, I'm not gonna lie. There are pictures I've taken that I look at and can't believe that I made them. I have a board on Pinterest, I Wish I'd taken these photos, and I look at them all wistfully. The people who created these images are artists. They wield light and their camera like a brush and paints. Heartbreaking, overjoyed, beautiful images that I can stare at for hours.
I stare at these images, and tear myself apart. My focus isn't tack sharp. My processing isn't clean enough. My composition is weak. I don't have any new ideas. I rely too much on actions and presets. I will never be this good.

And then I watch this: (Yes, it's 6 minutes. If you can't dedicate the full 6, at least watch the last 2.5 or so)

My pictures matter. Even the ones that I don't think are good enough, matter. Every image I create is it's own important work of art, and that is what it's about.

The moments are what matter.