Mistakes help us learn

Film forces you to make mistakes. It's a good thing.

In the Shakespearean play "Othello", the character Iago said, "But men are men; the best sometimes forget."

No one is perfect. Yet, it is easy to forget this when your scholarship depends on what happens in the testing center.

It is our human instincts to avoid pain, embarrassment or discomfort. Therefore, we naturally avoid mistakes and shun them as skeletons in the closet.  However, a fear of mistakes can be debilitating because they are impossible to avoid entirely.

I have trained many photographers while I have been photo editor. Many of them have never used anything more than their Facebook-ready cameras, so they have to be trained on the basics. Many members of my staff have asked what they should do to improve their skills. I tell them to buy a film camera.

The shock on their face after hearing this is more entertaining to me than NBC on a Thursday night.

There is a reason why this seemingly archaic medium is so important to a photographer's progression. It takes time, money and a great deal of thought to produce an image with film. However, film helps a photographer learn how to take a real photograph rather than a trial-and-error image.

Unlike digital photography where there are few consequences, mistakes in film are much more costly. These mistakes hurt, but that's how we learn.

The same principle applies to all aspects of life. The course of our lives depends on the choices we make. Many times the fear of making a mistake leads us to the path of least resist. However, the path of least resistance can quickly become the path of least learning.

Dr. Judith Wright, a motivational speaker and author of "The One Decision" said that creative minds "do not see mistakes as indictments, they see them as data."

R. L. E. Schwarzenberger, a German Mathmatician, said, "The willingness to make mistakes and to learn from them should become an important element in problem-solving and in investigations."

Granted, it is not a good idea to go out and intentionally make mistakes, and trial-and-error is a poor approach to test taking. However living with an understanding that mistakes will happen and then committing to them will enhance learning.

The problem could stem from a lack of accountability. We refuse to own up to our mistakes when they are made. A failure to do so inhibits learning and the gaining of experience. When we make an incorrect decision, we need to accept it as a mistake and learn from it.

In simpler terms, be humble.

Use pens instead of pencils., get back up after falling off of the skateboard or go on a date with that person you've been eyeing in your class without fear. Commit to making mistakes and embrace error as a gift.