THOUGHTS ON CREATIVITY

THOUGHTS ON CREATIVITY #1

Perhaps you will say to yourself, “I’m not the creative type. That’s for those born with talent who can imagine possibilities way beyond my capabilities. I could never learn how to be creative.”  This is the myth about so called genius. Everyone is capable of original ideas in their chosen field.  Anna Freud commented about creativity by saying, “Creative minds always have been known to survive any kind of bad training.”  Once we are taught certain formulas and techniques that are used in our work, they become familiar, making it difficult to transcend our self proclaimed boundaries. Thinking differently takes courage because new ideas take time for  most people to get used to. Original ideas seem strange at first.  The first step is to find inspiration somewhere, then zone in on why you love what every it is that interests you.  Take your time. Your special muse may not appear right away.  Continue exploring and looking for what touches your soul.  Once you’re hooked on what seduces your interest then begin developing a style that for fills your intention.  The more practice given to the craft your art form requires, the more skilled you will become, and the better the chance of being creative. . In photography knowing the functions of the camera and the various techniques that can be achieved will help support an image, but it will not guarantee a compelling photograph. Only the eye of a dedicated artist willing to put in the time and effort to discover something new will lead to making  great photographs.  Learning one’s craft and eliminating what has no meaning can often be a long process.  When people become familiar with the possibilities of their camera and what can be produced in processing digital files, then the many permutations that make an art work happen.  Many become put off by not having the finished result be what they had in mind. So, I have asked myself what can be done to meet our goal to create worthwhile art? 

This image was created in the studio by using a view camera and single sheets of black and white film. Rocks were set up and prefocused on. The film was ready to expose. I sprayed the rocks with water and then filed a tray with dry ice. Then I would spray the ice to create fog and tilt it toward the rocks, never knowing what it would look like. Dozens of times went by exposing sheets of film which I would edit later to print this photograph. Strobes lights stopped the motion of the fog.

 Here are a few traits of creatives that are useful to keep in mind.

 1. Be open and flexible. New perspectives and ideas are welcome regardless of how strange they might seem at first.

 2. Be patient and persistent about what you find interesting.  Follow your heart. 

3. Put fear aside to experiment with a different angle, or waiting for the light to change.  

4. Be discriminating in recognizing what in worthwhile to improve your image. 

5. Rely on your intuition to be your guide, without concern about what you seek will be acknowledged or approved by other people.

6. Do not plan too much. Allow ideas to take hold along the process of  evolving an idea to the finished print.