Practice

Time can appear to proceed quickly, and other times it feels like it is standing still.  Right now for me, it is moving at a snail's pace for obvious reasons - if you live in the United States you understand. The stress, the worry, the crazy news that we ingest every day can be overwhelming.  I'm trying to make sure I don't take in too much of it in at one time.  I'm hitting the reset button creatively because I need to practice.  Less news, more photography.

This means I work on at least 1 photographic task each day.  Maybe it will be a task that leads to learning something new, make a photograph I like, or who knows what?  I won't worry about that, in fact, I don't really know what those daily tasks will be until tomorrow when I wake up and set out on this mission.  Practice is something that has always been a part of my life.  I practiced piano and clarinet every day as I was growing up and it earned me a Master of Music in piano.  I then pivoted to becoming a wedding photographer, and now - art photographer. 

The creation process is personal.  Creating art is pretty different than creating wedding photography.  I liked to think I was creating art for my wedding clients.  Maybe it was artistic work - but it was not really art photography.  Yes, I made sure my clients looked their best, but it feels like a different skill set now.  My camera skills transferred from wedding work to artwork; however, there's not always a clear flow or plan with art photography.  This feels like more of a stream of consciousness and a 'see where it leads' kind of mindset.  It's full of surprises and twists and turns so far.

Currently, the intuitive aspects are intriguing.  I am sometimes led toward a photograph, subject, or idea when I trust myself.  Other times I find myself just walking in circles at a location with a feeling that my photograph is here somewhere, but I just don't see it yet.  Sometimes the light will change and there it is!  Or I just move on.  My still life work is quite different.  I feel like that is my own psyche at work and sometimes it takes me weeks or months to see and understand what I created and that it was me dealing with some aspect of my life or the world.  This work is nothing like the checklist of the images requested by brides and grooms that I carried in my back pocket to a wedding and had to make sure I produced them one by one no matter what.  I really loved it, this is not a complaint, or I would not have stuck with weddings for 15 years! 

However,  I think the act of play has a great deal to do with how I go forward with this art.  Playing may be the key and it brings me back to my inner child.  I mean the kind of 'play' that is ourselves being totally genuine and letting our intuition and heart guide us along the way.  Letting go of the ego.  The times that I remember getting a huge hit of excitement or a feeling that I had to stay at a location photographing because I am just felt something inside that said keep going, try something else before the light goes away.  It seems to lead to a more playful experimental experience. Then when I'm home, there is usually something there that I like or even love.  Aside from this, I'm working to rid myself of the idea that I am supposed to produce something good every time I go out.  It only leads to disappointment when I've shot images for days in a row and got dragged down because nothing really worked out.  Letting go of preconceived notions or ideas might be a good thing in this creative process, yes?  Realizing that practicing some aspect of the craft every day is where my best work might actually come from.  I can live with that.  I start fresh tomorrow.   

Please feel free to share your thoughts with me.  I'd love to know what you think whether you are an artist or not.  I'm only an email away. 

Stay well and thank you for reading my blog.

Kim