The Life and Times of An Upcoming Photographer
: : photograph by Robert Stahl : :
One of the first posts I wrote was about finding inspiration in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, and I mentioned that inspiration is everywhere if you simply look for it. However, it can be a challenge trying to use those creative juices for good. There are so many instances where I have a To Do list, but when I attempt to start on it, I get distracted easily. Before I know it, hours have elapsed and I am still at the starting line. How on Earth do you stay focused enough to let your creativity be productive?!
In a recent article I was reading, the author asked a handful of creative types in various professions about what habits they had that led to them maximizing on their creativity. After collecting answers from the numerous people asked, he seemed to have come up with a common answer: solitude. It makes sense: rid yourself of the distractions and the creativity will come. I’ve tried working on photos or writing blog entries with background noise like turning on a sports game on TV, but I end up spending more time watching TV than creating. Sometimes, it’s not a bad distraction, since my processor is so slow on my computer, it’s nice to multi-task with the game on while I wait for the photos to be processed. However, when I really need to be creative, this won’t do.
Therefore, I take it a step further by going somewhere different. A change of scenery from the usual place at the coffee table in the living room where I normally work. I’ll go to a coffee shop, or a restaurant, or a park… anywhere that is a change of pace. I’ll listen to some music to get my mind in the place it needs to be, and I’ll plug away at my work. If I’m looking for inspiration, I’ll browse the web or check out recent magazine publications and see what’s out there. Sometimes, though, you don’t have to look far to find inspiration. A walk down the street might be all it takes. It can be difficult to get creative, but I find that, as long as I’m having fun, I am at my creative best.
For this blog entry, I want to ask: what gives you inspiration? And what do you do to help yourself be productive and be creative? Tell me what you do to get inspired and what allows you to be at your creative best in the comment section below – I’m excited to see what motivates you!
Until next time,
- Patrick
P.S. I’d also like to take this opportunity to try something a little different: I realized that on my Facebook Fan Page, I had the option to post photos on my page turned off. I fixed this, and in doing so, I’m challenging you to send me pictures of art in your daily life. While you’re on your way to work, on your lunch break, or out and about, I encourage you to take a picture of something you find interesting or peculiar and post it! In this day and age, we all have a cell phone with the ability to take pictures, so let’s do it! By the end of the weekend, I’m hoping to have a collection from all of you and I will post it on my fan page. I really want to display these and give everyone an opportunity to see how other people view things in daily life creatively, too. I’m toying with creating a Flickr group – let me know your thoughts on this, as well (if I’m not mistaken, I believe you can pull photos from Flickr to Facebook… I’ll have to look into this). I want to give everyone an opportunity to see the art in everyday life, and motivate you to look at things in a different way.
If this takes off, I’d like to start contests for the best picture or something to that effect, so get your friends to join in, too! I’m open to ideas, so contact me about what you’d like to see from this and some contest prizes you’d be interested in. (within reason, please – I know you’d like a Canon 1D Mark IV, but if I had the money to buy one, I’d buy it for myself!). Happy clicking!
Great idea regarding a change of pace/scenery in addition to solitude. For me, I’m most creative when it’s cold – so I like to work in my basement or a shop that has good A/C – this probably has more to do with keeping me awake. A little caffeine or alcohol seems to do the trick too.
For inspiration, I always go to the playground and look at people. Ok, that makes me sound like a pedo. But there’s something about all that unbridled joy that takes me to a happy place and gives me inspiration.
Haha! Yeah, the playground bit did seem a little pedo-oriented, but the reasoning saved you there!
I’m the same way, regarding finding a place that is cold, since I’m very cold-blooded. I always have a steady stream of coffee when I’m trying to get creative and beer when I’m doing photo edits. All I know is that, if I catch myself getting distracted and not checking off things from my To Do list, I quickly seek out a java shop to save my creativity!
Great thoughts! Thanks for the comment!
- P