My creativity feels like it has hit a brick wall. Lately, my daily photos have been much less than impressive to me, and my attempt at a watercolor tonight left me equally unimpressed. If there is anything this 366 photography project is teaching me, it is that creativity cannot be commanded. It must be inspired. I guess I’m not feeling very inspired lately.
This makes me curious. What tips, tricks, and techniques do you guys use to keep the creative juices flowing?
I can fully empathise with you. I often go out with the best intentions in the world to photograph a subject and when I arrive, it just doesn’t work for me. The trick is to recognise early that you’re flogging a dead horse.
Other times, I might go out for a subject because I get completely distracted by something else. I’ve found that it’s better to let that distraction run it’s course, get it out of your system there and then, so to speak – even if that means passing up on my original intention.
What can help is setting an arbitrary task – photographing circles, triangles, squares. To start with photograph the obvious, drain covers, post tops, etc, but they must form a ‘perfect’ figure in the frame – no ellipses, rectangles, etc. Then move to the more abstract, e.g. a square might be formed by the junction of upper and lower wire with a post at each end, but you have to position yourself so the shape formed looks like a square. For doors you may need some height or get down low. A real ellipse at the right angle will form a circle.
If your mind is suddenly drawn to something specific, or an idea, go with it. The exercise of shapes is really only like a starter motor – you might have to turn the engine over a few times but eventually the thing will start.
As to the watercolour, it may not impress you but I’d be well happy to be able to create something like that!
Excellent suggestion, Stephen! Sometimes going back to the basic elements of design like shape, line, color, etc. can be a great starting point to inspire creativity. Thanks for that reminder and the compliment about the watercolor. I greatly appreciate both!
I think the watercolour is fantastic as are the tips above of setting goals, for example I use this weekly list for guidance and although I don’t always get something fitting it gives me idea’s.
(WK#1) Jan 02 — New Years Eve/Day
(WK#2) Jan 09 — Summer / Winter
(WK#3) Jan 16 — Rule of Thirds
(WK#4) Jan 23 — Up
(WK#5) Jan 30 — Eyes
(WK#6) Feb 06 — Signs
(WK#7) Feb 13 — Shadows
(WK#8) Feb 20 — Other Photographers
(WK#9) Feb 27 — In the Workplace
(WK#10) Mar 05 — Depth of Field
(WK#11) Mar 12 — Spring/Autumn
(WK#12) Mar 19 — Planes, Trains & Automobiles
(WK#13) Mar 26 — Playing with Light
(WK#14) Apr 02 — Night
(WK#15) Apr 09 — Easter / Fire
(WK#16) Apr 16 — Technology
(WK#17) Apr 23 — The Kitchen
(WK#18) Apr 30 — Symmetry
(WK#19) May 07 — Sky & Clouds
(WK#20) May 14 — Contrasting Colours
(WK#21) May 21 — Flowers
(WK#22) May 28 — Self Portrait
(WK#23) Jun 04 — Straight out of Camera
(WK#24) Jun 11 — Architecture
(WK#25) Jun 18 — Love
(WK#26) Jun 25 — Water
(WK#27) Jul 02 — Red, White, Blue
(WK#28) Jul 09 — My Hometown
(WK#29) Jul 16 — Summer/Winter
(WK#30) Jul 23 — The S-Curve
(WK#31) Jul 30 — Sillouette
(WK#32) Aug 06 — Animals
(WK#33) Aug 13 — Textures
(WK#34) Aug 20 — Portrait
(WK#35) Aug 27 — Sunset
(WK#36) Sep 03 — Metal
(WK#37) Sep 10 — In The Garden
(WK#38) Sep 17 — Autumn/Spring
(WK#39) Sep 24 — Negative Space
(WK#40) Oct 01 — Colors
(Wk#41) Oct 08 — Body Parts
(WK#42) Oct 15 — Black & White
(WK#43) Oct 22 — Openings
(WK#44) Oct 29 — Reflections
(WK#45) Nov05 — Halloween
(WK#46) Nov12 — Vanishing Point
(WK#47) Nov19 — Time
(WK#48) Nov26 — Mostly White
(WK#49) Dec03 — Smiles
(WK#50) Dec10 — Street Photography
(WK#51) Dec17 — Winter/Summer
(WK#52) Dec24 — Mirrors
(WK#53) Dec30 — Christmas / Decay
from https://plus.google.com/u/0/?tab=mX#107553450680914912872/about
I also try and participate in other idea’s from the likes of http://www.nickexposed.com and his community collaboration projects for example at the moment he’s got us looking at fairy story’s and their meanings to us this month. I also look at blogs like your own, before actually reading your words your picture had me on Amazon looking at watercolour kits even though I’ve not held a brush in anger since I left school many moons ago.
Inspiration is around you even though it’s sometimes tough to recognise it.
I go and make the above comment then immediately afterwards stumbled on this post.
http://www.lightstalking.com/the-art-of-the-local-photo-safari-how-to-find-interesting-photo-subjects-when-there-are-none
That’s an excellent list! I think I’ll print that one out & keep it in my camera case for inspiration. Both links are great, too. I really enjoy what Nick is doing over on http://nickexposed.com/. The collaborations that Nick and Shannon (http://seeingspotsphoto.wordpress.com/) host are fantastic. I’m at a loss for the most recent one, though. Thanks for the comments, Rob! Both are great.
I am as clueless as you with this months challenge from Nick and Shannon, I’m determined to some up with something though, I was spying my kids toys last night and plotting, hope you find some inspiration from my suggestions, they are out there it’s just translating them.
[...] a couple of times before in these pages but would like to touch on again inspired by the lovely Patricia over at Pixygiggles who asked about artistic Mojo and how creativity can be commanded, well the simple answer is that [...]