Nurturing Your Creativity
When a new year starts, I always feel full of creativity and inspiration. There are so many projects I want to tackle and things I want to accomplish. I can just feel that 2018 is going to be a great year. But then, I feel that every January. And then, as the year begins to roll on and the demands of daily life put pressure on me, my creativity begins to wane. I start to wonder why I thought I was going to actually complete that project and all those new ideas start to dry up and disappear. But this year, I’m making an effort not to let that happen. I’m going to make sure that in addition to caring for my body, I care for my mind. Specifically, I intend to care for my creativity. Because it turns out that with a little nurturing, in sometimes unexpected forms, we can all keep our creativity feeling healthy and vital all year. Here’s how…
1. Give yourself some mental blank space – instead of scrolling through social media feeds, looking for inspiration, try just staring out the window. It doesn’t matter if you have a good view or not, just give your mind time to wander aimlessly. I like to stand up from my computer periodically and just gaze at the world outside. I used to chide myself for doing this, what I thought was wasting time, but now I give in to it because I know it’s necessary to organize my thoughts. Allow yourself to daydream for a while. These activities let your mind rest and work on problem-solving in the background, which may let some new ideas pop up.
2. Free write or write in a journal – Try picking up a pen and paper, and just let the words flow. You can start with a journal prompt or just start writing and see what comes out. It may be all kinds of nonsense, but it’s allowing you to just relax feel the flow of words onto the page without judgment or restriction. Sometimes an idea or the solution to a problem will emerge during writing, and other times not. The point is just to let the words spill out, clearing your mind.
3. Engage in your favorite activities that are not photography-related. Doing something you enjoy is inherently relaxing and mood-boosting, and those are very good things for your creativity. You may be surprised by the ways that you find inspiration for photography from your other hobbies. I know it can like an impossible feat to find the time to do something that you regard as frivolous, but tell yourself it’s absolutely necessary for your art. I’m intending to make a lot more time for this in the coming year. Play the piano, knit, bake, work in the garden, play a game with the family, do a puzzle. (My most recent photo idea came from a puzzle that my grandmother gave me to work on over Christmas break with the kids.) Bonus points if there is laughter involved.
4. Try something new, and it doesn’t have to be photography-related. Trying a new photography technique is often a great way to bust out of a rut, but it’s also important to learn something new that isn’t just photography. Our minds love to learn, and engaging your mind in learning something that interests you, without putting pressure on yourself to be a master (and that part is really key!), can be mentally stimulating in a way that encourages your creativity.
5. Look at images from different genres and different art forms, regularly. Browse through some photographers’ work that is entirely different than yours. You can also scroll through paintings or flip through an art magazine. The important thing is to give yourself a break from what you usually look at so that you can pick up some new ideas and concepts.
6. Spend time outside. Going for a walk, or just getting outside and breathing some fresh air, is known to have mood-boosting benefits. It helps to get away from your desk or studio, and get out into nature for a bit. You may want to take your camera occasionally, and just see what you can capture. Being in nature has a way of helping your mind to relax and gain perspective, which is especially important if you’re feeling stressed.
7. Let go of perfection. The famous saying, by Theodore Roosevelt, is “that comparison is the thief of joy”, and it certainly is, but I would argue that perfection is a close relative. It’s okay to make things that aren’t perfect. In fact, it’s better for your creativity if you let it flow and don’t get too hung up on perfection. Give yourself permission to be imperfect. Acknowledge that you’re learning and that practice will make you better. No matter how long you’ve been a photographer, there is always more to learn. So cut yourself a break, and let the need for perfection go. Your creativity will be the better for it.
8. Watch a movie or read a good book. These aren’t just activities for busting out of a rut, you should do them routinely. Reading a book that engages your imagination is really great fuel for your creativity, even if and maybe especially if, it has nothing to do with your photography. (My favorite indulgences are historical fiction and an occasional sci-fi). Movies can give you the same benefits, and may spark an idea for a new color palette or angle to try.
9. Create every day, or close to it. While I realize that might not seem doable, aim to create something as often as possible. The more we create, the more ideas we get. If you make creating a habit, the ideas will flow naturally, even if you don’t always feel particularly inspired. If you don’t feel like picking up the camera, try something else. It can be as simple as making a little doodle in your notebook or making a new recipe for dessert.
Most importantly, don’t be discouraged if you aren’t constantly flooded with new ideas. Ebb and flow is a normal part of the process, no matter how healthy your creativity is. I know it can feel like you’ll never have a good idea again, but you will. Give yourself time and space, and keep on creating. Let’s all make some effort to nurture our creativity and see what we can make this year. Who knows, maybe we’ll even complete a project or two.
More gorgeous still life inspiration from Kate Bragg can be found here:
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