From all my travels and workshops I try to bring a lesson. To me they are part of the teachings of life and this is one of the major reasons why I invest so much in education.
This workshop I taught in Madrid was very intense for me, especially because of the challenges and barriers that I met there. It was the first time in my life as a teacher, in 4 years, that I found such resistance. From the first minute I felt from a group of students reverse energy, an incredible fear of change, prejudice and difficulty of listening to different opinions.
For me this energy duel was very difficult, since this energy could be better employed in content and quality of the workshop. I really was not there to prove anything to anyone but I was put to a test during the three days of work. In both first days I was still unable to understand the reason of all that and only in the last day I assimilated and could understand the reason why these “few” students acted in such way.
Spain is currently going under a change that other countries like Brazil have already faced recently. Nerves are on edge because the wedding photography in the Iberian peninsula is changing. It has been lately upside down and many concepts that were hitherto rooted have fallen. Against the changes there is always a vector of opposing forces from those who do not want to accept them or are simply afraid of what comes later. These people try to fight with all weapons they have, usually through some not very noble discussions and even personal attacks on other people and colleagues. Usually they have nothing more than that as advantage.
The septic fight until the last moment, until the time clients show them that the game is over, that they have lost. Our clients often give us this lesson without much fuss. They do not debate, simply disappear and leave us abandoned with those exceeded ideas and values. The world is dynamic and its evolutionary process is increasingly accelerated.
Meanwhile there is a group of photographers, still with little experience, photographers with 2, 3 years of profession, who are advancing, conquering new lands, changing industry standards, modernizing, listening better to customers and providing better quality products. These photographers are part of the new generation that is open minded and with an eye on everything that happens in the world. A new generation with more customers and a photography in full development.
Given all that, my workshop in Madrid, taught me a lot. I learned that what matters are the students who are open-hearted. For this group, what I say can make a difference, because they have thirst and genuine willingness to change. I learned that I also care about that group that tested me for 3 days. Somehow I may have not said what they expected and the fact they were uncomfortable, is the result of a “psychological break” I probably have started in their sealed little heads. Some of these minds surely knew they needed to begin the process of changing and what I said may have served as a catalyst. This phrase from Albert Einstein says it all:
“A mind that is open to new ideas never returns to its original state “Albert Einstein
At no time I ment to generate such feelings, but I know they are part of the process. What I would like to be able to show this group is how the world is more colorfull at the other side of the wall. If we could see a video of our life after the changes we would not hesitate to change so fast. Unfortunately time machine for changes has not been invented yet. Wouldn’t it be spectacular?
Thank you Spain, for one more life lesson. I will continue my workshops out there. In 2012 we have 2 projects that we will soon reveal here in this blog. Thanks to all the students who participated in this meeting. I am available to you. Special thanks to Virginia Gimeno and Nano Cañas for the commitment in organizing the event.
A big hug to everyone.
