Do you know when it happens? It happens when you discover you’ve become an artist. Or a photographer. Or a creative person. Or all of the above.
It happens to you like a solved mystery. A discovery in your mysterious way of life, solved by knowing you are exactly where you want to be, right at this moment in time.
It is a moment unique to each and every artist.
It becomes a special way of looking at the world we live in. Each one of us blossoms and bursts in our own unique colors radiating from our being. It’s hard to contain, and it shouldn’t be, it should flourish and grow and keep us reaching for more.
Each moment like that can be summed up by this quote my daughter always tells me to do when I’m creating.
“It is when you’re able to create something out of what you see, not what you know.” – Sarah Mae
Whenever I’m stuck on the first picture for my photographs, I know that I need to get past what I know about it, look at what I see, and move the camera in another direction.
I know that each moment right before the sunrise is beautiful. The mysterious fog rolling across the field is intriguing. But is that all there is to a sunrise moment?
I know I can only get so much out of the shot if I look at it from the same angle every time I grab my camera. I look for different ways to view it.
What happens if I take a picture of it in a reflection of a sunrise on a totally different surface? Like our trailer?
When I do that I get a picture of something different, something unique, even if I know it is a sunrise, it isn’t just the same old sunrise.
I look past the obvious, reflect and find that I saw something unique in it after all. And it is that moment I’m an artist, a photographer, and a creative person.
In this world of social media overload, it is tough not to compare yourself with all the excitement people post about what they are doing, where they are traveling, how their life is ‘perfect’ and you should be just like them. It is easy to feel inadequate. Even to the point of saying, “What’s the use, I can’t compete with that.”
It is time to shut off the phone, set it aside and stop to reflect.
That thinking blocks your creativity. It sucks it right out of you if you let it. This past month with the #31SRW photography challenge, it has taught me to avoid that thinking, and take a look at my normal everyday life, and appreciate it more.
Everyday living isn’t boring if you appreciate what you have right in front of you.
I know that a raw steak needs to be cooked before eating. But what about the process in-between?
Can that be interesting or creative?
Hell yea, even a steak on the grill becomes interesting if you look at it from behind the camera lens.
There’s the waiting part, where the table is set and ready for the meal. Sure I can take a picture of the table all set from inside the house, but what about a reflection of it through the window as I’m looking out?
What about the tools to clean the grill before the steak is cooked?
What about the handle on the grill…add my own image as a reflection and see what I get.
Before I walk in or out of the house, what is reflected in the window? Can it be an object to investigate and see something new to capture?
What about the shadows and reflections on the surface of the cover of the grill?
I can see the sky, the clouds, the fence, the handle, the tiny details I normally walk right past without even noticing.
Can I make one section of that look different? I know the fence is straight, but I see it curved here.
That’s my creative juices flowing. I’m stretching my thoughts and discovering ways to look at the world differently from the first answer I see when I grab my camera. I can never be bored with my world if I do that. Can you say that about your life?
What about imagining that the handle’s reflection is a mysterious creature? Do you see it too? Or is it just me?
Follow your intuition, follow what you see not what you know. Your imagination can take you to new worlds right from your unique spot in this world.
An artist named Ellis Nelson didn’t take his inexperience to heart when his thoughts told him he could create something out of ordinary objects no longer being used for their original purpose. He dared to create.
He’s self-taught and creates objects out of metal that he knows were something else when they were first created.
But he sees something and lets his creativity flow into the metal and he transforms it into the object he sees created from his own thoughts about how they can be different.
The challenge as an artist, or a creative person, or a photographer is for you to notice what it is right in front of you every day. Dare to embrace the mystery in it, solve it by looking at it from a different angle…chill-out while you –
Create what you see, not what you know!
This is day 31 of the #31SRW Photography Challenge. Yippee, we’ve reached the end of the month! It was my creation, so, of course, I’m happy to report, I learned more about myself in this challenge than I dreamed I would when I started out. If you joined me by reading my posts or participating in the challenge, I hope you’ve enjoyed it too. I hope you’ve learned more about yourself, how you limit your creativity, or how you stretch yourself when it comes to your creativity. I know I have, and I’m thankful for that.
PS – What do you do to stay creative? Where will August take you for building your creative muscles? Do you have a photography challenge to try or recommend for me for August? Which photo above did you like best?
I loved the flowers the best. Awesome!
Of course…they are bright and cheery just like you!! xx
Your photos this month have been awesome and I am so sorry I didn’t participate more. I think I was stopped by the “what I know” part and also that I was trying to take the pictures the day of the prompt and now I realize I could have used some pictures I had already taken. If you are really looking for another photography project for August, may I suggest the August Break as lead by Susannah Conway? I’ve done her August Break and December Reflections a few times now and always find them fun. Here’s the link: https://www.susannahconway.com/august-break-2018/ I’ll be joining as well. Thanks for sharing your insights and giving us creatives a new perspective.
Thank you, I’ve enjoyed your feedback throughout the month! Glad you’ve taken something away from the challenge! I will definitely check Susannah’s challenge out! Thanks again for hanging in there for the full month!! xx
Added a comment but I don’t see it here. Maybe it was because I put a link to a photography challenge for August? I really enjoyed all your photos and stories this month and I’m sorry I didn’t participate more but I think I got stopped by the “What I know” part and the thought that I had to take new pictures every day. I realized that I could have used pictures I had taken before but by then I had missed so many…anyway, thanks for your insights and for sharing all those great pics. If you are really looking for something to do in August, try the August Break by Susannah Conway. I will be doing it too and if you want the link, I can give it to you or just google the above.
A very creative and relaxing post with a great message … take a fresh look at our daily life to get invigorated 🙂
Thank you, Kate, I appreciate your feedback!!
I appreciate all the work you put into making that post Shelley .. it’s a most interesting display 🙂
Aw…thank you!! 🙂 You made my day!
my pleasure 🙂
Please read my first post