Getting stale

[Rachel Foster]

This train of thought was inspired by another thread wherein a discussion of feeling dissatisfied with one's work and self-doubts. We all do it, but sometimes it gets more crippling than others. I'm currently in a slump with my photography.

So, my question is: What do you do when you hit "photographer's block?" I've returned to the revision of my novel. It gives my creativity an outlet while taking off some of the pressure to shoot. How do others cope?

 

[Asher Kelman]

Rachel,

Photographer's block, like writer's block is really like saying illness in medical conditions. Really one has to know what's going on. With writers, it seems to be a drying up of ideas or motivation but it can also reflect dissatisfaction or cynicism with our lives in general or even endogenous depression. We are all subject to mood swings, just the depths and periodicity vary. (Of course, it's important to rule out any real issue like lack of thyroid hormone or clinical depression or other such real medical condition as expert intervention is the only route to take).

Illness or not, Alain Briot ideas on action v. inaction are worthy of attention. It's not necessarily original but well expressed and pertinent to your question of work becoming "stale", IOW, photographer's block!

He suggests in dealing with depression about your work, post #27, here, that in these circumstances activity is part of the solution. I think that's true. Some suggest putting the camera down a while, perhaps enjoying oneself with some other pastime or taking a course in drawing, fashion or whatever else related to art that might stimulate the juices again. I'd offer the alternative of simply picking from a reserve lists of projects I keep ready for down times.

A good approach is to not use any big camera, lights, just a point and shoot and simply sample life and have fun.

By what ever means you keep engaged with the outside world in some area related to art, you'll be feeding your comeback!

Asher

 

[Rachel Foster]

True, but one also must remember that depression can in itself spur creativity. One of Sigmund Freud's most creative and fruitful periods was when he battled a severe and crippling depression. I believe that's when he wrote The Interpretation of Dreams.

About the issue of depression and feelings in general: I think it's important to remember that our feelings are never wrong. Our feelings are what they should be. It's how we express them/act on them that sometimes gets us into trouble

 

[Asher Kelman]

I think it's important to remember that our feelings are never wrong. Our feelings are what they should be. It's how we express them/act on them that sometimes gets us into trouble

Rachel,

We think of man being made in the image of god. If that's totally true, then perhaps, you might be correct that "feelings are never wrong". Then, of course, we'd never have known racism or people considered as "pestilence" or "revolting garbage" to be incinerated. I saw a video of little Irish Catholic school girls, pretty in their neat uniforms and teddy bear-backpacks, having to brave a daunting gauntlet of cursing, hateful protestant housewives making it terrifying experience just to get to school. I have no doubt that the women are good mothers, good churchgoers and give to charity. They just happen to have the wrong feelings!

So, let's put aside the idea of man in the image of God, for these folks. Rather I'd offer you that however made, man is at birth a raw unorocessed child-ape descendant, an animal, with no refinement, just urges, perhaps with the fortune of good parents, perhaps watched by angels, but perhaps not.

So our feelings can be primitive and sometimes what we'd want to disown as we mature. Certainly not automatically "never wrong"!

Let's imagine, for the sake of argument, that I myself am a recovering homophobic, so to speak. From my upbringing then, my instant feelings can be distasteful. That's just what's absorbed from wrong upbringing and tribal culture over which one has little choice. Then education takes charge. Now, from my heart and mind new values take charge and those base but strongly eruptive feelings would have to be overcome and conquered, again and again. Feelings might never be utterly corrected. Feelings are therefore, IMHO not necessarily right, correct or appropriate. It not how one expresses them that count, it's how one allows them significance and brings one's higher values to bear.

Now back to photography. Nothing new, just look through your old stuff and see what you have forgotten! The superficial works here. Deal with what's on the surface and whatever's underneath can heal. That's why bandages work so well!


Asher

 

[Rachel Foster]

I would disagree, Asher. You're talking about actions. And as to racism, one needs to go deeper and discover the REAL feeling: fear. What is the fear of? The expression (discrimination) and target (other ethnic groups) is definitely wrong. The actual fear may well be justified.

And....man mad God in his own image.

 

[Alain Briot]

Depression, artistic block, feeling 'empty,' having 'nothing to say,' believing that everything 'has already been done,' and the like often comes from self pity. Self-pity is a drug. Just like our body can become addicted to drugs, our mind can become addicted to self pity. This happens if we allow ourselves to indulge in feeling sorry for ourselves. This becomes a habit that can take away all our potential, just like drugs would if we became addicts.

Self pity is usually caused by self generated problems: we are not 'empty', we all have something to say, and not everything has already been done. Since we caused this state of mind, it is us who can best put an end to it. The approach I found to work best is to move on to new endeavors instead of dwelling onto things past. What's done is done. What is yet to come is undefined still. The possibilities are wide open if we give our future endeavors the opportunity to succeed. For that we need to get started, get moving forward, past the problems we imagined. We need to get to action. Action is the key that will unlock our potential.

 

[Sandrine Bascouert]

I would disagree, Asher. You're talking about actions. And as to racism, one needs to go deeper and discover the REAL feeling: fear. What is the fear of? The expression (discrimination) and target (other ethnic groups) is definitely wrong. The actual fear may well be justified.

And....man mad God in his own image.

definitely true..real problems, wrong solutions

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Rachel,

So, my question is: What do you do when you hit "photographer's block?" I've returned to the revision of my novel. It gives my creativity an outlet while taking off some of the pressure to shoot. How do others cope?

Since I'm not a photographer, I can't address that exactly. But I sometimes get "writer's block".

I generally find that a bagel with cream cheese, plus perhaps 10 IU of short-acting insulin (Humalog is good), will take care of it.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Ken Tanaka]

- Move to a different place on the planet?
- Set the house next door on fire and take pictures?
- Dunk the dog in red paint and let him run through the neighborhood while you snap his skids and drippings. (No dog? Use the husband,)

 

[Charles L Webster]

Get one of Steven's guitars and your lights and go to town.

I recently drug out my old mandolin (my very first instrument subject) and spent an afternoon shooting it just to see how good a job I could do. I didn't focus much on creativity, but on precision and technical excellence.

The mere act of working with the camera, lights, and subject got me inspired and lifted me out of my winter doldrums. When the weather is better, I'll grab the camera and go for a hike, but that's not an option when the weather turns bad.

My $0.02 worth

 

[Rachel Foster]

Good suggestions, all. I'm not worried about it, though, because I have a feeling that my unconscious is hard at work on something. I'm just going to let it tell me when it's ready. In the meantime, my writing is going well.

Charles, I was thinking about something along those lines, but with my daughter's violin and my son's oboe.

Ken, I think dipping Steven in red paint might be pushing it a little. He did, however, help me once before when I was shooting eggs.

​

That's the top of his head, by the way.