Frustration. It’s a big part of what I do, whether I like it or not. Today, I’m sitting down to edit and post a new episode of my podcast, The Candid Frame, when I discover that the sound from my recorded audio interview is not coming through. No more than a few minutes before, it came through loud and clear on my headphones and next, there is nothing more than a whispering echo. The resulting feelings of anger and depression feel like repeated punches to the chest. 

It’s a familiar feeling that isn’t just associated with editing a podcast, but also when I am making photographs, writing an article or making a film. That feeling of hitting the wall and having some sort of obstruction between me and my goals seems as persistent and relentless as a migraine.

I used to want to fight with that feeling, wrestle it down to the ground and make it submit to me, thinking that through sheer force of will, I would subdue it. More often that not, the only thing I succeeded in is becoming irritable, impatient and not much fun to be around. 

Last night, I had that feeling when some images of a portrait session where not as tack sharp as I felt they should have been. Days before, I was cursing because video footage wasn’t syncing with the audio. Last week, I was struggling with the first few sentences of a new query letter. Each time created a new opportunity for frustration and its sibling, insecurity, to show its ugly head.

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