When you’ve been jamming on too many client projects– or worrying about not having enough client projects–it’s easy to lose track of your inner flame, muse, creative vision, passion, or whatever else you call it. You stop shooting images that excite you and/or you stop shooting any new images that aren’t directed by someone else.
When that happens (and it happens to almost every photographer at some point), you have two choices: 1. wait for inspiration to return or 2. get proactive.
When one of my clients hits a creative dry spell, I know it’s time to “fill the well.” When we can reignite their creativity, they’re well on their way to creating a great new body of work.
Fresh content is absolutely essential to land the assignments that lead to an even more creative overall portfolio. It’s very hard to interest art buyers in stale content. But fresh–and truly inspired– work almost sells itself due to the interest it generates. And you’re the only one who can create it.
So what can you do to reignite your flame?
One of the tools I’ve used for years is found in Julia Cameron’s best-selling book on creativity:The Artist’s Way I was fortunate to be in one of her early workshops; I can testify that her direction to go on “artist’s dates” works.
An “artist’s date” means taking time away from your usual routine and deliberately throwing yourself into that path of synchronicity, happy accidents, and inspiration. You go alone to somewhere with the only agenda being to take it all in with childlike wonder.
It could be any place where you’d feel slightly guilty indulging in taking a solo field trip during the middle of the day. The “date” should have some “juice” for your creative soul. (e.g., a museum, gallery, library, ethnic neighborhood, junk store, botanical garden, science museum, craft store, cooking class, used book store, auto show, hardware store, etc.,etc.)
You’ll have experiences which will mix up the molecules of your perceptions. That mash-up will form new neural connections. With that new mental groove, you’ll likely have a fresh vision to bring to experimenting photographically.
Remember…experimentation leads to whole new trends. When you commit time to regularly nurture your creativity, you put yourself in the best position to be the one people flock to for a whole new look.