Last night, I walked into a room full of strangers and stepped way outside my comfort zone.

I was invited to attend a meeting for the Louisville Photographic Society and serve as a judge for their monthly photography competition. Sounds exciting, right?

Well… what I didn’t realize was that I was the ONLY judge. 😅

In my mind, I thought I’d be sitting alongside a panel of people discussing images together and bouncing thoughts off one another. Instead, I was handed the responsibility of choosing the winners entirely on my own across multiple categories of photography — digital color, black & white, prints, amateur divisions, advanced divisions… all of it.

And honestly? It stretched me in the best way.

Not because I had all the answers, but because I had to stand firm in why I was making the decisions I was making.

At the end of the competition, I stood in front of the entire group and explained my choices image by image. I gave feedback, shared what stood out to me, and articulated why certain images moved me more than others.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that nervousness, I realized something really important:

Growth requires us to think for ourselves.

It’s easy to feel confident when other people are validating our opinions or standing beside us. It’s much harder when you have to trust your own discernment, communicate your thoughts clearly, and stand behind them with kindness and conviction.

And if I’m honest, I realized how often I still look around for reassurance before fully trusting myself.

I think many of us do that in different ways. We wait for agreement. Validation. Permission. Someone else to confirm we’re thinking “correctly” before we feel confident standing in our own convictions.

But growth requires us to develop discernment, wisdom, and the ability to thoughtfully explain why we believe what we believe — even when our voice shakes a little.

Last night also reminded me how important feedback is when it’s given with care and intention. People don’t grow from vague praise alone. They grow when someone thoughtfully points out strengths, possibilities, and areas to improve in a way that inspires them instead of discouraging them.

But there’s another side to this that I can’t stop thinking about today.

There were so many beautiful images that didn’t place.

And I hated that part.

Not because the chosen images weren’t deserving, but because so many others were worthy too.

Sometimes in life, not being chosen has nothing to do with your value.

Sometimes there are simply too many good options.
Sometimes someone else’s perspective, preference, or criteria shifts the outcome.
Sometimes it’s subjective.
Sometimes it’s timing.

But “not chosen” does not equal “not valuable.”

I think so many of us quietly carry rejection as proof that we’re not enough. A missed opportunity, a “no,” being overlooked, not winning, not getting the job, not getting the booking, not getting the recognition…

And yet last night reminded me that worthiness and selection are not always the same thing.

Your work can still matter deeply.
Your gifts can still be real.

And maybe that’s important to remember not just in art, but in life.

Not everyone will choose us.
Not everyone will understand us.
Not every opportunity will work out the way we hoped.

But rejection is not always a reflection of value.

Sometimes it’s simply redirection.
Sometimes it’s refinement.
And sometimes it’s an invitation to keep growing without losing confidence in the gifts we’ve been given.

I left that meeting stretched, humbled, encouraged, and honestly really grateful. Grateful that I said yes even though I felt uncomfortable. Grateful that growth still happens when we allow ourselves to step into rooms where we don’t already feel confident.

And maybe that’s my encouragement for you today:

Don’t avoid the things that stretch you.

Some of the most important growth moments happen when you stop looking around for validation and start learning how to trust the voice, wisdom, and gifts God has already given you.

Even if your hands shake a little while you do it. 🤍