Blog #71 Working Creatively

August 17, 2017  •  Leave a Comment

Blog #71 Working Creatively 

Ever since I took a black and white film photography class in high school, I loved making pictures.  When I came back to photography years later, it was with a renewed passion and love of the medium and the creative process.  Photographers may struggle to keep pace, as many other creatives do, while jogging down the path of creativity. How does one stay motivated? How does one stay original? 

We are all challenged to find our own style, to find our voice, to make images about things rather than images of things.  Sure, projects, assignments, and working on a Project 365 can work to push you forward and practice your craft.  What else can we do to keep those creative juices flowing especially in those lean times? 

I’ve been listening to a podcast called LensWork that offers some sound advice on the subject.  

How to Live a More Creative Life (Artsy) suggests travel, surrounding yourself with creative people, trying new things as well other food for thought on the subject.  

The topic of creativity can be quite controversial as many people consider it a trait that you either have [from birth] or you don’t got it. Creatively, in fact, can be taught and measured.  In a simple but brilliant experiment using preschool children and block building, psychologists Goetz & Baer (1973) used social praise only when the children produced block formations that differed from the previous ones that they made.  The researchers showed in a simple but observable way that you can teach [and measure] creativity.  If we were to extrapolate their results to adult picture making, it seems that involving oneself in workshops and seeking critique might be a logical progression. 

Indeed, I love how fantasy novelist Ursula K. LeGuin puts it:

“The adult artist is the child who has survived.” 

 

Fight! Survive! Be Creative!

 

Remember, the light is always right. 

jhg 

Images in this blog post are original and made with a Nikon SLR, 24mm lens and Rollei 400 Infrared 35mm film and developed at home after a hike with my wife Christine and dog, Pepe. 

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