So yesterday’s Wonderful Wednesday included 29 ways to stay creative. It was such an inspiring video that it really got me thinking about my own ways to stay creative. So today I thought I would let you in on the three creative mantras that spark my creativity!
.jpg "Chara Jackson Vintage Photo Shoot")
1. Soak up inspiration
Allow yourself to be inspired. We all find inspiration from different places. (For me, I get inspired by everything around me – nature, movies, flickr, books, the wind, colours and so on) Figure out what it is that inspires you, and make it your job to constantly expose yourself to those sources of inspiration.
When you find yourself inspired, write down your thoughts and ideas! On the notepad section of my iPhone I have a whole list of PhotoShoot ideas. This is where I write down my ideas when they come to me. It is so important to me to hold on to those ideas – because then in the times when I feel a lack of inspiration, I can just turn to my handy list of fabulous ideas, just waiting to be cherry picked for creation!
.jpg "Muriel Spring Princess by Alex Beadon Photography Clermont Florida Lake Louisa")
2. See things with new eyes
See things as if you are seeing them for the very first time. When I go back through my list of ideas, I try to think of each one in a totally new light. I try to see each photo shoot in my head, and I try to envision it for the very first time. I try to erase all preconceived notions because many times these preconceived notions act as creative blocks. They act as a guidelines, and our lazy minds follow these guidelines, creating something that has been created ten million times before. These preconceived notions do not inspire us to be creative. To fight my own preconceived notions, I ask myself the following questions:
- How could I apply something to this photo shoot that has never been done before?
- How can I create something that is totally original?
- How can I break all of the preconceived notions and expectations that people would have for a shoot like this?
- If my mind was fresh, a blank slate, and had never seen a photo shoot before, what would I come up with for this theme/concept?
Yes, I do understand that it is virtually impossible to ever create something 100% unique, but I think as artists it is so important for us to really push ourselves to create to the best of our abilities, to put our stamp on our art work. Ask yourself, how are you putting your own unique stamp on your art work? Are you a follower, imitating ideas that you have seen done before? Or are you creating extraordinary work that really raises the bar?
A lot of times all it takes to create extraordinary work is to free yourself, free your mind, let it run lose and collect ideas on its crazy way.
3. Live outside of your comfort zone
After you have been inspired, built on the idea, and turned it into an original concept with your own unique stamp, the hardest part begins. The hardest part is bringing it to life. I would be lying if I said that I walk onto all of my creative shoots with full confidence and the knowledge that all of my ideas will work 100% of the time. In reality there is no guarantee that the ideas you have come up with are going to work. The key here is to feel the fear and do it anyway. If you aren’t feeling at least a little bit worried about whether or not it will work – then you aren’t living outside of your comfort zone, and, in my opinion, you aren’t creating to your full potential.
Take these creative risks and don’t be afraid to fail, it’s the only way we learn!
