The older I get, the more I realize that we must lose to win.
Does the winner take it all? I doubt. The loser can take wisdom from his defeat. Thus, in the more extended period, he can become much more powerful thanks to his learning. Also, he can excel the previous winner who can rest on laurels. All the greatest sportsmen had their defeats, with Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Robert Lewandowski at the forefront. They all did not like to lose, but they had to, because it is impossible to win all the time. That’s the way it is. The faster we realize it is impossible to win all the time, the faster we will start progressing. I provided examples of sportsmen, but all the things I wrote above can be directed to artists, investors, financiers, and to all individuals.
The process of learning from failure is where true growth and power lie.
After all, we are only humans, not demigods. I remember I submitted some of my photos to the LensCulture contest in 2023. I was convinced my set of pictures would win. Still, I haven’t won anything, not only in this contest, but also in earlier ones (I think I submitted my works also in 2018, from what I remember). Did I manage to commercialize my passion for street photography and writing? As of today (I wrote this text on the 10th of November, 2025), no. For me, it is not a loss, but I know for many people it would be some kind of loss. Let’s assume I also treat not being recognized and not being able to commercialize from my artistic endeavors as a failure – does this mean I would give up and stop doing everything you see and read on the www.adammazek.com blog?
Of course, not. I create because I believe in the process of creating.
The truth is that I create for the sake of it. I do not care how many pictures I will sell in my life, or whether I will become a world-famous street photographer. I reject fame and luxury because I do not need these things to be happy and to realize my soul. Losing is a lesson, remember it, my Dear Friend. We can always learn something from it. Luckily, for me, the fact that I’ve been doing street photography for over 10 years (I started doing it in October 2015) and blogging for over 8 years (I started doing it in September 2017) is already a big success for me.
