Doing my chores

In Inspiration, Mobile
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Right now photography is a chore. Calling myself a photographer surely photography is what I do, but lately everything happens on autopilot and I don’t even enjoy it all that much. The rhythm goes: notice something worth photographing; snap a photo with my mobile; edit it in VSCO; possibly post to Instagram. Many of my photos lately are very similar; rows of houses in some angle in front of a morning or evening sky.

It is clear that I have to do something about this, but I haven’t yet figured out what. Reading this post by Kat Sloma I realised part of what is missing: like Kat I get a lot of creative energy from learning something new, whereas I have been continuing on in the same vein for far too long.

I tried to challenge myself to do more fancy mobile editing, but even that felt stale; it seems I’ve been there and done that when it comes to mobile photography in general. New apps have appeared and old favourites have been updated, but the creativity involved and the technical process required feels like old news.

I suspect that I may find something new to interest me in the world of film, but that means waiting for spring and more light. Maybe that’s okay; maybe what I need now is to accept that creativity ebbs and flows and that it’s perfectly fine to be in a slump, and that I’ll find something new to explore once I’m ready for it.

˜Jenny Graver.

1 Comment

  1. oh, Jenny…the ebbs and flows…it’s true for all of us.
    and maybe (just maybe?) you could embrace the rows of houses and their angles in relation to the morning/evening skies…
    they are part of your story right now. it’s a fine line…embracing what keeps turning up, but not getting stuck.
    for sure, there is value in stretching and trying something new…yes! but sometimes – the ebbs – it’s good to rest there a while.

    the fact that you’re having this conversation (with yourself and with us) demonstrates your openness to process…which is key to photographers, creatives…human beings.

    and, those double exposures…wow.
    xo

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