5 Ways to Overcome Creative Blocks for Photographers.

“When you can’t create you can work.” Henry Miller

In the previous article we discussed 6 types of creative blocks and tried to find how to overcome them.
Let’s try to find more ways to overcome creative blocks for photographers.
What can we do when our gear is perfect and we know the technique aspects, but just don’t know what to create?

1. Habits and schedules.
Habits and schedules are very important. They can be your first key for everyday creativity and anyone can cultivate creativity.
Many of the world’s great artists follow a consistent schedule.
For example for Austin Kleon the morning routine is: coffee + breakfast; 3 mile walk; shower; meditate; write; email, Twitter, etc.
The good routine (during walk, driving, etc.) for a photographer is to have a camera as a constant companion.

2. Focus on the process more than on the result.
Many photographers have the strange illusion that every photograph they make must be “good”.
If you have the same illusion, I want to remind a famous Ansel Adams’ quote:
“Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop”.
When you begin to worry that you have not so many good photos, just remember these words. If even great Adams considered 12 significant photographs per a year to be a good crop, you with your idea of bad situation with your 365 good photos can take it easy.

“I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.” Vincent Van Gogh

3. Study photography.
Going to a photography exhibition is a good way to overcome a photographer’s block. Reading and looking at a photography book take it as a teacher or a guide, than it will inspire you to get out and to shoot.
Books by masters of photography such as Ansel Adams, books by modern photographers such as Tom Ang, Scott Kelby, Bryan Peterson and others will help you to find inspiration.

4. Study other art forms.
You could go to an art gallery, listen to a concert or see a dance performance. You may want to choose painting or sculpture, classic music or dance, theater or movies. It will help you to develop your sense of style, to find new ideas.

5. Try something fresh.
 We’re used to do things a certain way. We use the same technique or the same genre, comply with the same rules. One of the best ways to break this is to find something unusual – to try a new genre for example or to seek an unfamiliar place to shoot.

“Smash creative blocks. Change the problem or sneak up on it from a different direction. Try something fresh - a new way with an old theme, a different point of view, unusual tool.” Nita Leland

 If you realize that you are not as creative as you thought you were, don't give up. Just choose a solution that will work for you.

I hope that this post has helped you come up with some ideas to overcome your photographer’s block.

Thank you for reading!
Feel free to comment!

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