I’d have to say that the thing(s) that I am struggling with the most in this course thus far is wanting to make my images stand apart. There are so many photographers out there right now and in 2012 they’ll be 30 more so the question for me becomes, how do I make my photographs stand apart from other photographers. It’s very frustrating for me to think about the work & effort I put into creating a photograph that I believe to be unique, only to find out that someone else took basically the same photo (I was told not to get too hung up on this though). The other struggle is coming up with creative ideas. There are times when I have my camera in hand and have no idea what to do with what’s in front of me, I’ve hit a wall, I’m at a creative block. I’ve heard that there is no original idea, that everything has already been done and if this is the case, how then do I put our own spin on something, how do I make it my own? I think these topics come hand in hand with each other so I decided to do some research and along with advice from professors and my own experiences, I created a short list that I hope will be of use to other students. In no particular order
1. shoot, Shoot, SHOOT! I learned this lesson from the 100 shots assignment which really forced me to try different angles, perspectives etc. That’s the beauty of digital cameras, you can take as many shots as you’d like. Somebody told me that If I ever see something that makes me take a second glance or stop for even a second to photograph it. This of course means carrying my camera at all times. I’m sure we’ve all been there when you encounter something that would make a great picture and are without a camera…IT SUCKS!
2. Free-writing. I find this exercise to be extremely helpful. During a Creative Imaging class we had 15 minutes to shoot, our topic was the spirit of the exchange. Personally, I took pictures of whatever was around me there was no rhyme or reason (I was more concerned about the time). When we got back to class we had 5 or so minutes to do some free writing where you just write everything that is going through your head even if there isn’t a thought to be found. The Exchange for me is very artsy. It’s about the unique shops & boutiques (such as Ragpickers) you don’t see everywhere, I thought about the hustle and bustle etc. so now I had a clear idea of what I wanted to photograph & why I was photographing it. I went back, took the time play to play around and believe my pictures turned out much better because of that exercise
3. Embrace your curiosity. Be curious! Embrace it! Use it!. Ask yourself those why and what questions like “what if I shot it this way?’ Try different scales, perspectives, angles, compositions etc. Take a risk!
4. Be confident! Our creativity can be hindered by insecurities about our abilities. Eliminate that negative thinking & self-criticisms and focus on strengths and the positive
5. Fight that fear of failure. I’m a terrible one for always wanting to get the perfect shot the first time. Remembering that mistakes are simply part of process is key. My friends constantly have to remind me that I’m in school to learn and therefore can’t expect to get something right away. It’s better to take a shot (good or bad) decide what you like and don’t like about the shot and improve from there. We’re here to improve on our skills. Phil had a quote that I really liked at the end of his blog about failing http://prairieview2012.blogspot.com
6. Brainstorm & use create mind maps. This is where you have an idea usually in the center and branch out from there with related ideas, solutions, terms, then clarify and refine those ideas even further
7. Challenge yourself. Try new things. Being creative is partly about discovering new ideas and in order to do so we must be willing to try new things
8. Creativity journal. Use a creativity journal (which we will hopefully be getting soon (fingers crossed)) to write down thoughts or ideas that come to you
9. Look for sources of inspiration. Look at the work of other artists, read books, listen to music etc. I love music. I played piano for many years and found I played best when I poured myself into the music. I listen to music regularly and listen to every genre possible. I’ll close my eyes & just listen or have paper and pen in hand and write what comes to me as I’m listening
I’m currently reading Your Creative Brain by Shelley Carson, PhD and there’s a joke in there
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip. After a good dinner and a bottle of wine, the retire for the night, and go to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend.
“Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.”
“I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes,” replies Watson.
“And what do you deduce from that?” Watson ponders for a minute.
“Well, astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three, Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant part of the universe. What does it tell you, Holmes?”
Holmes is silent for a moment. “Watson, you idiot!” he says. “Someone has stolen our tent!”
10. The point Dr. Carson was making was to stop overthinking. According to Dr. Carson, overthinking can keep you from seeing solutions that are right before your eyes. This idea of overthinking, I think, also ties into Freeman Paterson’s idea of letting go of self, which he says is a precondition for real seeing.
Well I hope this helps. Below are some more resources
Try the following:
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Photography and the Art of Seeing by Freeman Paterson
Your Creative Brain by Shelley Carson, PhD
Rebecca Watters
PV Student 2011/2012
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