OK people, fess up

Swartzy

First, I would like to know if any or all of you sometimes feel as though you've lost your creativity. IF so, what do you do about it. I swear, I can look at the coolest shots, rip out magazine pages, you name it and then still draw blanks. Does this happen to you or am I just getting old and loosing it..LOL

Since this is the people thread, I thought a discussion would be helpful addressing this issue. How do you stay fresh and on top of things? How do you conceptualize a new idea and implement it?

Lately, I've been a bit stymied...maybe because I haven't been out shooting for a bit or maybe something else...so, your feedback and input will hopefully create sparks in others as well who suffer these symptoms.

Thanks in a advance.

Llywellyn

Hm, during those times, I usually turn to outside stimuli for some inspiration and drive. My recently ended daily photo project focused on a "word of the day" as a prompt. I would try to create a photo that expressed the word, which greatly helped keep my creativity churning.

Most often, though, I start looking at other photographers' work. If I land on something I really like, I get eager and excited to try it myself. Just today I was flipping through a huge, wonderful book of Steichen's photos to help get the creativity juices flowing before a shoot I had this evening.

I continually love trying new things, so others' photographs make me eager to learn. This in turn feeds my ideas.

If all else fails, I turn up the music really loud and dance like mad until my head clears and a pretty picture pops into my mind's eye. :ivar Then I shoot the picture.

angevin1

Swartzy wrote:

First, I would like to know if any or all of you sometimes feel as though you've lost your creativity. IF so, what do you do about it. I swear, I can look at the coolest shots, rip out magazine pages, you name it and then still draw blanks. Does this happen to you or am I just getting old and loosing it..
.....How do you stay fresh and on top of things? How do you conceptualize a new idea and implement it?

Yes!

1. If you never feel you've lost your creativity, you never had any!

2. Often times, I cannot even tell what the hell is missing with me, my life...Sometimes only after a week or so do I even give it a name: Loss of Creativity. Once it has a name or as I like to say, in the awareness comes the repair...only then can you actively do something about it.

3. Most artists create. Most artists create for themselves. But what pleases them, because they are so creative and gifted very often pleases others. If we find a hook or a way to create that gives our egos praise, very often we can become addicted to the praise and find ourselves totally lost....because we lost touch with the art of creating itself.

4. I do the same things you mentioned Swartzy. I look at photos, rip from magazines, etc.
I also go out and shoot photos during my nature hikes and so forth and very often am disgusted for a while....sometimes weeks.

5. This may seem unrelated, but for me it is not. Very often I read and view discourses here, and elsewhere, and find nothing worthy of the praise it receives. Oh, it may well show technical proficiency, sometimes stunningly so, and that sort of thing. But what I see is disconnectedness. I read the praise, I hear the plaudits, and see folks enjoying accolades. And that is where we must all be careful. The beginner, such as me, and the old salt, perhaps such as you(?). Too easy to get caught up in what a certain circle thinks....and if they tell us our clothes are quite fine, and yet we are naked...well there you go.


6. I remember when I was an active Musician. I became horridly dead creatively...so I went and took lessons for a technique I didn't like, never intended to use, etc...end result was, I fell in love with my instrument again!

7. I am sorry to say, you probably fall into the first I mentioned: A true artist..which means: all this is normal.

8. What Llewellyn Suggests is Actually the best approach. Do something unrelated and fun...funky....Teach a kid to play drums?....Set up your Kit backwards? Spend a day or three shooting with your camera upside down?
Ask you partner to shoot for you while you give ideas, allowing them to create? Wear your watch on the opposing arm.

9. Yeah, I'm new to photography, but not new to art, or the Self~

cheers, tom

ps: Llewellyn...love the dance thought!! I'll try it next time!

Swartzy

Oh..these are great! Thanks....Ok, gonna turn up the JBL's, break dance and listen to Genesis backwards . Great responses. Which reminds me Tom...I too am a musician (drummer/keyboard) and was writing music for a good stint consistently, then, boom....I couldn't think of anything...mind blanks, frustration kicks in. Now why would I think that any other artform could be different?..beats me. Keep them coming people.......we need a thread like this...Please participate.

sweet caroline

YES!!! I've been in such a rut lately! Photography has been something I've had to squeeze in around the rest of my life. I have a shoot tomorrow afternoon and I'm hoping I can get that spark back.

I think all artists have ups and downs. We expect more from ourselves than just a decently exposed photo. I know I want to be great at this someday, and I get frustrated when I feel like I plateau for a period of time.

I think my rut has a little to do with the darker season. Do you often feel this way in the winter? I've definitely noticed a pattern with myself. Thankfully, Texas winters are short.

Caroline

LiquidAir

Llywellyn wrote:

Most often, though, I start looking at other photographers' work. If I land on something I really like, I get eager and excited to try it myself. Just today I was flipping through a huge, wonderful book of Steichen's photos to help get the creativity juices flowing before a shoot I had this evening.

I continually love trying new things, so others' photographs make me eager to learn. This in turn feeds my ideas.

This is it for me too. For me simply trying to imitate a shot I like often leads to something new. Another thing I try are mashups, e.g. pose from one shot, light from another and background from a third. Another thing I'll to is try to perfect a technique; e.g. trying to get a particular style of rim light just right.

One way or the other, for me, trying to imitate something usually gets the creative juices flowing.

angevin1

[quote=SwartzyTom...I too am a musician (drummer/keyboard) and was writing music for a good stint consistently, then, boom....I couldn't think of anything...mind blanks, frustration kicks in. Now why would I think that any other artform could be different?..beats me. Keep them coming people.......we need a thread like this...Please participate.[/quote]


Oh, I noticed (and loved that photo from yesterday?), Thats why I said set your kit up backwards! No....no art form is different...And I totally agree with you and Caroline...we need more of this!!!

Everything can be so drab in Winter, plus the lack of light, etc..!!

And like Caroline said again..someday to be great at this....They say that takes on average ten years...and I am willing for it to take that long!

And yes imitation. Imitation is superb!

Love this thread!

tom

Nikolai

Dood... Like it never happens... Writer's block, painter's block, programmer's block, photogrpaher's block...
Our brain gets overheated running the same tasks over and over again. The key is to switch to something else, and it will get back in the game before you know it. Of course, you can also push it, but there is a risk of running your engine down to a dead stop.

What I do for prevent/get out of it:
1) Pace yourself. Don't overdo things. Start with planning one less shoot per month/week/day, whatever you current schedule is.
2) Switch. Try to find an optimal balance for each and every of your major activities. I code, for a change :-)
3) Try something totaly new, even if it's related to your primary activity. Even if you think it's crazy and it never works out - still try it - you never know. I'm still prepping myself to shoot that damn M31 galaxy, and I will!
4) It may not work for anybody, but - what the heck, it works for me: I found out that I can shoot nudes in WHATEVER condition I'm in, and it always makes me feel better:-) So have a few friendly local models on a speed dial ...

HTH

ChatKat

A personal project
I travel when I can and with the current economy and now paying the price for a studio that I must support, I will be moving my personal shooting back to the local level.

I have volunteered to shoot charity events where there was no chance of them having a photographer several times. It lets me be as free as I want since I get to do what I want. That give me the ability to practice techniques as well. I did a couple shoots at the local animal shelters and had 100's of people and dogs/cats to shoot; One of them 150 pets got homes and my photos with credits are on the websites too. I did a book donation event and got out to meet new people and play with some new gear. This year I am doing a two day kids event and setting up a photo booth where all the proceeds are going to the charity but I will get to meet 100's of kids. All of this gets me excited to do more but again I am practicing new things that will get me more business and get me thinking out of the box.

leaforte

I run. A long ways. And after about five miles things look a bit different. Then I try to conceptualize before I collapse.

Swartzy

These are great ideas! Nik.....yea, guess we lose sight of the trees in the forest....then start thinking it's narrowed down to us as individuals...like no one else experiences this. I'm one of those over achievers and even though it should not be, possibly the male condition as we often times value our worth by what we accomplish.....a continual battle for me anyway. Maybe it is expecting too much wanting to hit grand slams every time at bat but unfortunately, this is what I expect when I pick up the camera.

Kathy, great ideas, Lefor.....yea, I ride my bicycle (now in the garage for 30 minutes...) but in summer months I'll do 40 mile loops...it does clear the head...crap, it's Winter here.

picturegirl

I don't feel so bad now, I do have moments of feeling uncreative too!!

Another thing that drives me crazy is that I see a picture I totally love and when I try to duplicate the settings I think they did I can't even get close. Then I wonder what am I doing wrong, do I have the right equipment, is that photo heavily photoshopped, am I in the wrong line of work, how did they do that?????

I find that trying something new helps get my creativeness going again and checking out others work, pretty much what others have already said.

eL eSs Vee

I don't call it "Photographer's Block," I call it "Photographer's Botch." Because that's what I do when I'm in a slump; I botch every photo I attempt.

I learned how to get out of a slump a few years ago, and I learned it in a place not even related to photography: The gym.

I'd spent weeks trying to lift more than 250 pounds on the standing calf raise. Then, one day, I was alternating sets with a young lady. One of us would lift, and then reset it to the other's weight. During all this, I'd told her how long I'd been failing to exceed that 250 pound mark. She did her next set and then moved the pin down for me and told me to go. Without looking, I did my set. Then she told me that she'd set the weight higher than 250. When I looked down, I saw that she'd set it to 350 pounds and I hadn't even noticed. I'd been ready all along, but just didn't know it.

So, what'd I learn? I learned that when I've reached a plateu I have to set the bar higher and force myself to do more than I'd ever done before and just go for it.

Is there a type of photography you've seen but never tried? One you had absolutely no desire to do? One you've been afraid to attempt? DO IT!

Oh yeah, a few weeks later I was lifting the entire stack.

Don't worry. Whatever method you try, you'll get that spark back soon.

WingsOfLovePhoto

Hey Swartzy, sounds like maybe since you haven't been shooting much it's got you in a rut. I find that when I haven't had a client for awhile I get very lazy and even don't want to take on anybody, but when I have a few in a row I remember why I love photgraphy and the artistry it takes. I don't think living in Minnesota helps any (kind of like NY) You could have SAD (seasonal affective disorder) happens in the winter from the lack of sunlight. Can make a creative person a total dud! You could get a happy light I have issues with the winter but definately perk up in the spring. I wouldn't blame it on old age! You aren't that old! I often hang out at Barnes and Noble for creative ideas. Or maybe you could take a trip somewhere warm, maybe somewhere that has a photog convention going on. That would help anybody! I'm going to Tots 2 Teens in Florida in March...... Chin up Swartzy, you're great!!!

Also just another idea for anybody out there. I belong to a group called NILMDTS (Now I lay me down to sleep) it is a group of photographers who go to hospitals to take pictures of stillborn and or hospice babies. I know...to some you might wonder why anybody would want that....but let me tell you.... I have been doing it for 5 years and get so much from being able to help these people. And.... with this kind of photography you need to be creative and have editing skills. They are always recruiting more photographers to help in their local area. If anybody is interested I will post more info.

Trevlan

I don't know Swartz... Getting out of a rut is tough.

Photography is a hobby I started last year. With a few more years of practice, who knows what will become of this hobby. But before Photography, I had various other 'hobbies'. One of them, was the production of hip hop music. I did everything from producing the track, to mastering it, to even singing/rapping on it. I produced and recorded over 50 songs. Some video game related, some related to my life, some related to fantasy. When I was writting, it was tought to come up with different things. Ever notice how music from an artist's album tends to sound like everything else in the album? That's what happens when you force it. It all starts to look/sound/feel the same.

What did I do? I stopped trying to force it and did something else. You'll get the spark soon. Don't force it. If you do, it'll show.

joshhuntnm

In the book Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, the authors have an excellent section on creativity. The essence is, creativity is learned. It is a very well documented book and they demonstrate that by copying creative people, you become more creative yourself. They say it much better than I am here. Great read.

If the question is, "How can I produce photography that looks creative to the client?" Then the answer is, it very much can be learned. This shot (hopefully) will look like a creative way of highlighting the smallness of an infant's feet. Truth is, it very much a copied pose.

lisap

For me, I often get so hung up on something very technical or specific that I forget about the rest of it. I get frustrated, stomp around the house a bit, etc. etc. I can get very dramatic (the "I can't get ANYTHING right anymore", comes out...etc. etc. etc.). I get 'the look' from my husband and kid....

I usually try a few things to get myself back on track:

1. Follow my kid around until he gets mad at me for following him and taking so many pictures. (helps me to remember why it is I enjoy photography in the first place and gets me clicking that button without over thinking)
2. I come on here and look and read. (usually getting inspired by something one of you have been doing)
3. Go out early in the morning and try to catch a sunrise. (Photographing nature is my 'for me' photography that I really enjoy doing. This gets me out of the house by myself in the quiet, early morning and kind of clears the mind.)

-- Lisa P.

zoomer

I look at a ton of other peoples work who I feel are better than me, and it is very humbling....and educational.
So I feel like I do not have a creative bone in my body and realistically that is pretty true.
I feel like my work is pretty boring and old fashioned compared to most of the people who I feel are really good at shooting weddings.
But I believe realizing that is half the battle and I am constantly working to improve my creative shooting ideas...
Still when I look back at my work from last year when I started this craziness that is wedding photography I can see I have made progress.

I feel some major creative breakthroughs are right around the corner for me and I am excited to get there....

So YES I totatally can relate!