I often like to think that creativity is much like the changing of the seasons. Quite fickle in its direction, at times I have plucked ideas left and right from the creative garden I have planted. At others, I have watched in dismay as everything I’ve planted withers and disappears into the frosty winter earth. However, throughout the years, I have found that all seasons change and, with patience and fortitude, all creative winters come to an end.

 

 

And all it really comes down to, is knowing where to look to find new ideas, budding into a new spring of stories and fairy tales. For myself, I have found several places where, when I go searching, I always return with a giddiness in my heart that can only be alleviated by an open journal, my ideas pouring onto the pages. While inspiration can come from many places, I wanted to share a few places that, through the years, have been the most helpful in guiding me through these creative winters:

 

First, I watch a tutorial or a class. This may seem like a given, but sometimes it’s the obvious things that can be the most helpful. Apart from teaching you how to acquire a new skill, seeing how other people work can often help you shake up your routine and try something you otherwise would not have thought to try. Recently, I watched Bella Kotak and Pratik Naik’s Creative Live course “Fine Art Conceptual Photography from Shoot through Post-Processing”. As I watched Bella guide us through her process, I wanted to grab my camera and shoot something, anything, at that very moment.

 

 

Second, I will never not be inspired by a good book. Right now, I’m re-reading an old favorite (the Green Rider series). While I don’t feel the need to go out and perfectly recreate the characters or story line, I have felt the urge to create something inspired by this favorite series of mine. The inspiration can be something small (the books have made me want to really experiment with the color green) but that one small detail always sets me to imagining once again.

 

Third, I learn a new skill. My current interest: using a soldering iron (I’m hoping that with proficiency comes the ability to stop burning my fingers, dripping hot metal where it shouldn’t be and melting my clothes…). Currently, I’m working on a small crown and I’m GUESSING that as soon as I solder that last brass stamping on, I’ll be wanting to throw it on my head and create a new piece.

 

 

Fourth, I go location scouting (or in non-photographer: I go for a walk or a hike). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found myself walking in the forest or through a beautiful field, itching to bring new stories to life. It’s as if my imagination has run off and all I can do is scramble after it, attempting to catch up.

 

Fifth, I copy someone. But, I don’t actually copy them. Rather, I pick one small detail that I like and recreate it in my own way. One of my favorite artists is the late James C. Christensen. Upon occasion, I have found myself making wardrobe choices for my pieces based off of one of his paintings. The end product never looks like his pieces, but there is an element of whimsy that carries over. Or with Bella Kotak’s work, her ability to transform colors into the most exquisite jewel tones constantly has me dreaming up ideas of how I can create my own jewel toned pieces.

 

Sixth, I am often able to pull myself out of the creative doldrums when I watch a particularly artistic movie. The first time I ever watched The Fall, I was mesmerized. Everything about that movie was absolutely spectacular. The colors were so vibrant, and the costumes so exquisite, that I still think about that movie to this day. Occasionally, I come across another movie like that, and every time I do, I find my imagination wandering for weeks afterwards.

 

 

Finally, when I find myself truly stuck (more than a hike, book, or tutorial can turn around), I start a new project…. I have found that when I get completely stuck in the middle of a project, it is because my eyes have become blind to what I should be seeing. In these situations, I find I must walk away entirely for a little while. Without the weight of my unfinished project nagging at me incessantly, I can once again breathe easy, and later re-approach my piece with new eyes and greater creativity.

 

If, like me, you have found yourself in the midst of these dreadful creative winters, remember to try something new. I firmly believe that creative blocks are a result of performing the same routine on a… well, routine basis. Just as there is no deviation in a mass-production factory, creativity cannot be produced from a life lived exactly the same, day in and day out. You must branch out. Learn new things.

 

So go out of your comfort zone, because that’s where dreams are realized.

 

Yours,