Making your words count

Appreciation, acknowledgment and encouragement “completes” our work and gives us a boost for the next day or the next project.

My wife is a professional photographer. She does world class work. But even when she knows the photos are excellent it still means a lot when her clients are delighted.

I think we forget how powerful words are:

• I appreciate the big effort you’ve put in.

• Wow that’s awesome!

• You’re really good at that.

• Thank you, that makes a real difference.

It reminds me of this quote:

"The artist performs only one part of the creative process. The onlooker completes it, and it is the onlooker who has the last word." — Marcel Duchamp

It’s true in professional photography but it’s also true for people more generally. Appreciation, acknowledgment and encouragement “completes” our work and gives us a boost for the next day or the next project.