Between morning meetings, creative briefs and school lunches I sometimes feel incapable of creativity. I find myself wading back and forth through ideas, with no clear direction or motivation to move forward.
Like anything worth doing, being creative takes time.
Writing requires deep thought, organization of ideas, and solitude. Photography requires time out in the world. It seems wherever I am I can find inspirations in people, objects and light. So I occasionally get up at 4am with the sole purpose of leaving the house in search of nothing in particular.
Being out when the streets are quiet brings a calm that I can't seem to find anywhere else. I feel completely free to explore and take photos while in a stream of consciousness.
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”
— Elliott Erwitt
Finding that creative 'flow state' has been something I've struggled with for a long time. Being a professional who's asked to be creative daily has at times made it difficult to enjoy the act of creating without assignment. So I had to change it up...
I encourage you to get out at a different time of day, in a different town, and just be in the space, in the moment. Awake and alert at time when you would otherwise be asleep. Instead of scrolling endlessly, put on your shoes and walk out the door.
Give yourself the time and space to find that inspiration in the world around you. There are no time frames, or due dates and no one is waiting for you.
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