On Creativity

Creative funk: This ever happen to you? It's kind of like you are on a treadmill and you just can't turn the thing off? You hit a brick wall idea wise, or your ideas just don't sound that exciting? 

Well, that is where I'm at folks. I think looking at sites like Pinterest and so many other blogs confuse my visual self (although I love them as well because they provide inspiration). I almost feel overwhelmed with media and images, so much so I am not as sensitive visually. So my next question is what does one do to recover? Here are some of my steps I will take to recover:

No media for a week and two weekends. 

If I actually do this, I want an award. I LOVE my iPad. Like really love. 

Buy a cross stitch kit. 

I love doing projects with my hands. I need a project like this.

Keep a real visual journal.

I have never been a good journal keeper. I want to be, and admire people who excel at this. My college roommate and friend, Susan Norton is my champ. She has stacks of journals with illustrations and thoughts.

Leave the building.

For those of you that know me well, know that I live and work in the same building. I live on one floor and work on another. Some days I don't leave. I thought living and working so close would be awesome, and it is awesome if you want to do laundry during your lunch. I have to make an effort to leave the building. Period. If you want to get a drink, I am game. 

What do you do to stay creative?

Comments

[Tony McCollum]

Loved this post. Thank you for sharing it.

[ilva]

yes what do I do, it is a good question.
-I find that looking at photos by the great photographers like Kertesz, Atget, Lang etc helps me a lot, it cleans my mind and makes me somehow get back to that instinctive feeling.
-going to thrift shops and get interesting props can also help when I'm in a creative rut
- just take a mental vacation from food photography, possibly by going somewhere else is also good
- and concentrating on thinking about how to shoot one specific photo can help, making it into an intellectual challenge more than a visual one if you understand what I mean, analyzing it while building it up in my mind and then drawing it.

[Susan]

One of my professors said the best ideas come in bed, in the bath, or on the bus. When you're slightly relaxed and slightly zoned out.

It's true for me, but lack of sleep and lack of variety in my routine are also critical. And I have to step away from the Pinterest. I think my honeymoon there is over. It's a fantastic tool, but one that is so easy to overuse to the point that you can't remember whether you've ever thought of anything yourself.

[Hilary Inspired]

Oh dear, you're spot on with this one Susan! I work online and within the design/fashion online community everyday and the constant exposure while in one sense can be motivating and inspiring in another can be overwhelming and exhausting. I think I should give your list a try too. Not sure if I can make it... but I'll try!!

[julia (life on churchill)]

this is so timely. i think i've been reading too many blogs + pinning ideas to pinterest. well written, thank you!

[filippa]

hi,
Have just pinned your picture :) - but I can only agree to your confusion.
Filippa

[Sandra]

I've been wrestling with being overwhelmed with visual content for a few months now. So much goodness and I end up skimming rather than reading and savouring. Taking a few months of this summer has helped. And paring down which blogs I read.

I end up feeling frozen as far as my own projects go if I let it get to me. Kinda like overeating at a buffet.

[chantelle]

I think the biggest thing to remember is that dry spells are part of the creative process.....we can't be ON all the time. Definitely keep a visual journal, I keep one of images that i find in magazines and handouts from galleries. They are always a source of inspiration. Someone once told me that you always go back to the images you loved at the beginning.......and for me i find that to be true. I have made a list that i keep by my desk of images that i worked with in the beginning and that I tend to repeat. But mostly, know that dry spells always end .....tis the nature of things. ...." droughts depart as suddenly and mysteriously as they arrive. This too, is god. "