Il giorno giusto arriva sempre! | Valerio Minato | TEDxAgliè

Quick Overview

Valerio Minato concludes that while he initially struggled with the success of his award-winning photography, viewing failure as a necessary part of the process allowed him to build a solid foundation for future artistic and social projects, ultimately finding happiness in creating things that matter to him.

Key Points: Valerio Minato won the NASA APOD (Astronomy Picture Of the Day) award for a photograph taken at the end of 2017. He initially felt uneasy about his success, especially after spending six years waiting to capture the right image, which involved overcoming obstacles like fog and darkness. Minato realized that talent and technique alone were insufficient; time and fortune were necessary, and failure needed to be embraced as part of the process. His own career path involved moving from chemistry to photography and accumulating 30,000 followers on social media over nine years, but he still didn't feel fully satisfied. He cites the importance of failure, mentioning that he was once stuck in a situation for three weeks where he didn't know what to publish after receiving an award. The speaker advocates for learning from failure and not being afraid to fail, emphasizing that a solid foundation is built through experience. He concludes that true happiness comes from pursuing what you love, rather than seeking external validation or chasing quick results.

Context: Valerio Minato, an award-winning photographer recognized by NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), shares his personal journey and reflections on success, failure, and the role of time and fortune in creative endeavors. The talk takes place at a TEDx event in Agliè, Italy, where Minato discusses how his personal struggles and initial dissatisfaction with his achievements led him to a deeper understanding of his creative purpose.

Detailed Analysis

Valerio Minato begins by referencing the photograph that won him the NASA APOD award in late 2017, noting the six years of effort, including dealing with weather issues like fog and darkness, required to capture the perfect shot of the moon aligning with a structure on a hill. He admits that despite this success, he felt uneasy, realizing that talent and technique weren't enough; time and fortune were crucial, and failure needed to be integrated into the process. Minato reveals that his career trajectory involved a shift from chemistry to photography, leading to a social media following of 30,000 over nine years, yet he still felt unfulfilled. He recounts being stuck for three weeks after the award, unable to decide what to publish next because he was too focused on external validation. He stresses that failure is not a final outcome but a necessary part of building a solid foundation, whether in one's career or personal life. He advocates for embracing failure as a teacher, citing his own experience of realizing that his initial academic path in chemistry was not what he truly loved, leading him to pursue photography and social projects outdoors. Minato concludes that happiness comes from pursuing what genuinely matters to you, not from chasing quick results or external approval, and that time, when used wisely, shapes a more authentic self.