by Monica Suder
This is a time of great change and uncertainty in our industry. Those who have learned their lessons in this volatile business have been cutting down on their overhead and are using this time to grow and stretch into new directions. They are developing new techniques and identities and exploring new markets and new ways of doing business. They are keeping their focus on their CREATIVE VISION.
Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others (Jonathan Swift)
What is your vision? Vision is your creative well. When it runs dry, you burn out… Have you been thinking about this lately? Or are you pondering the bottom line and your To Do List, or are you getting lost in the digital quagmire? A lot of pros with busy lives have come to look upon shooting for themselves as a luxury they seldom indulge in, or never get around to. Many are worn out from the struggle of clinging to old paradigms.
Let’s start with your elemental and essential nature. What is that? Explore it, write about who you are, what lights you up, and begin to tune into that part of yourself that was, and hopefully still is, in love with photography. What images do you want to put out in the world? What inspires you today? What do you value the most now? Watch for synchronicity between your personal life and your career. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist Way, talks about “The Vein of Gold”. Excavate your own story. Create your narrative with powerful personal images and turn them into a little Apple Book – a great marketing tool.
How to get started?
- Play with ideas, possibilities
- Stay in “Beginner’s Mind”
- Set yourself “Creative Dates” to explore what you love
- Keep a creative journal and a scrap file for images that resonate with you
- Experiment with techniques, invent new ones
- Look at other art forms in galleries, museums and books
- Read about photography
- Collaborate with a buddy – designer, writer or fellow photographer
In today’s media, flooded with mediocre images, personal vision and bold, original ideas stand out. Personal projects reflect your Creative Identity, open doors and help create new markets and new relationships with clients. What will your next personal project be?
I wish you a successful and creative journey!
Monica Suder
Bless those who challenge us to grow, to stretch, to move beyond the knowable, To come back home to our elemental and essential nature. Bless those who challenge us for they remind us of doors we have closed and doors we have yet to open. They are big medicine teachers to us. Navajo saying