Photography
I'm a photographer. I'm definitely not the very best. I'm also doing a lot of other things I'm not the best in. But I do my best.
There is a simple saying: "Jack of all Trades". It fits me. I like that. For a very long time I didn't know about the second part of this saying - "master of none" - which presents the whole concept as if it was something bad. There seems to be a societal consensus that you have to focus solely on one thing during a certain periode in life. Only this way you will be an expert and an expert is considerted to be one of the best in his chosen field of profession. Otherwise you will not amount to anything. For the Jacks in our society this thinking takes a toll.
The sobering reality of setting experts equal to the best is that by this definition there are almost no experts. Most people (expert or not) do a good job but it's not the best. There is a difference in doing your best and being the best. Everyone should do their best. But the best is a very small group in any field and it's not up to you to choose your membership. It's up to society to elevate your status.
I like being part of the Jacks also known as generalists. It gives me a broad overview with practical experience in many fields and helps me do what I do. I didn't start out thinking this way though. I decried the unspecialized approach I took for a long time until I saw over and over again that the broadness of my perspective gives me a completely different point of view than a specialist has. This helped solve a variety of problems I was consulted on. It also showed that whatever direction is chosen doesn't matter. Both sides need to work together so solve certain kinds of problems. Neither is better.
