What if the stories we tell ourselves are the very thing that keep us moving? In this episode of Bad Photographers, Griff gets real about the lies we use to survive the creative grind, not to deceive others, but to convince ourselves we’re capable long enough to step into the moment.
We start in the quiet collapse of 2020, the grounded flights, frozen campaigns, and the blurry days when creative identity felt like it evaporated overnight. But everything shifts when Griff finds unexpected fuel in The Last Dance, and the psychological games Michael Jordan played on himself to perform at the highest level.
From there, the episode dives into how photographers use the same mental tricks in their own careers — including a story about documentary photographer César Rodríguez, whose career is lined with awards and high-risk reporting. Early on, César stretched the truth just enough to step into an opportunity he wasn’t sure he was ready for. Not out of deception, but out of belief that he could rise to the moment. And he did. Today, he’s a Picture of the Year International winner, a 2024 Paris Photo–Aperture photobook finalist, a 2025 Alexia Foundation Grant runner-up, a Hefat hostile-environment–trained photojournalist, and a MoMA-recognized photobook author — proof that sometimes the story you tell yourself is the bridge to the career you’re meant for.
Chapters
00:00 The Art of Self-Deception
02:01 Navigating the Pandemic's Impact
04:20 Michael Jordan's Mindset
06:38 Borrowing Belief and Overcoming Doubt
08:49 Making It Personal
Takeaways
If you’ve ever felt unprepared, underqualified, or stuck inside your own head, this episode is your permission slip.A conversation about impostor syndrome, creative psychology, documentary work, and the quiet mind games that help us keep going.
Listen in. Lie a little. Become a lot.
Bad Photog's Website: bad-photographers.com
Instagram: @badphotographers
Cesar's Website: cesarrodriguezb.com