Be honest, and I know you will, we’ve all been in a place where we’ve felt stuck in our creative journey. Whether it’s professionally or as amateurs, there’s always been a time we’ve hit a block or a feeling of routine – a lack of progress perhaps.
There are times when we live and breathe photography, but then there are others when we feel like we’re taking the same shots time and time again, or perhaps don’t even feel like picking up the camera. The enthusiasm fluctuates, and that’s normal. There are so many resources available to learn new techniques and so many ways to pull inspiration into your creative flow and get back on track. Let’s explore some here today.
- Start (and finish) a personal project
It’s great to pull an income from photography, but that tends to focus heavily on consistency. That very consistency, albeit positive to your economic growth, may hinder your creative growth. The worst thing to feel is a drain on creativity, and knowing it can be caused by the lack of a challenge is inspiration enough to give yourself one. Personal projects can last for anything from one single shoot to a series across a number of years. They are a way to relight the fire and challenge yourself to launch that passion and learn new tricks. Choose a personal project that is stimulating and achievable, and then get on with it!
- Learn something new
Perhaps there’s a style of photography that doesn’t fit with what you’re currently doing but you’d like to learn it. Maybe you never need to use a flash but you’d like to give it a go. Having a goal and striving for it will spark that creative mind you have and translate over to your day to day photography. Make sure you set aside a little time to reach your goal and have a game plan in place that you can stick to. There are tons of resources out there to learn from, and the amazing line up of KelbyOne instructors is a great place to quench your thirst for knowledge from the best in the industry.
- Go rogue
Sometimes a change of scenery helps. We all know, across all walks of life, that change is refreshing and tends to make positive impact, so bring that into your photography. Do something you don’t normally do. If you’re a portrait photographer, go shoot some landscapes. If you’re a wedding photographer, find some wildlife to shoot. If you shoot on a DSLR all the time, pick up your iPhone and shoot something with that. Don’t think about it, just go rogue and do something different for a change. Enjoy photography without any external or undue pressure.
With a little thought and by maximising on the opportunities, resources, and inspiration out there, anybody can be motivated and take a fresh look at their creativity in photography. The art of capturing light is a beautiful way to harness your creativity – keep yourself inspired and keep challenging yourself to grow!
Much love
Dave
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