Notes from a Creative Soul: Inspiration and Ideas

For me, art and science are inseparable. I am

as interested in learning how our creative minds

work as I am in creating art itself. Besides my

readings on the subject, I talk frequently with

others to learn how they approach their art. What

follows is a peek into what I know best—my personal

creative cauldron— where something is

almost always brewing.

Whether you’re new to photography or a seasoned

professional, finding inspiration and staying

motivated is as essential to the success

of one’s art as developing an artistic eye and

technical skills. This is true for almost any creative

pursuit, from art-making to zoo design. As

diverse as our personalities are, so are our recipes

for creative expression. In a sense, some

artists are like gourmet chefs, though I’m more

often a short-order cook in my commissioned

work. I think of my own creative process as a

“combination plate” full of intention, inspiration,

spicy motivation, and a side order of happy accidents.

As most of my commissioned client work is fairly

conceptual and requires quick problem-solving,

I have to be logical as well as artistic on demand.

With both sides of my brain chugging away towards

those goals, I am fairly good at

brainstorming— but sometimes I become temporarily

stuck for good ideas. Other parts of life

just sometimes get in the way of my creative

flow. When it happens, one natural tendency is

to become frustrated, which only further blocks

one’s creativity and problem-solving abilities.

When that occurs, it’s time to shift gears and

change the frame of mind. I might do a different

task for a while to “unlock” my mind, have an

off-topic conversation or get some exercise to

relax so I return more refreshed.

When I need to contemplate solutions or write

some notes, I sometimes leave my studio, as

it is like a miniature jungle where diversions

abound, potentially capturing my distractible

mind. I formulate my initial ideas best on paper.

I usually write on spiral-bound or tracing pads,

preferring the tactile feedback of pen on paper

more than being at my computer keyboard.

There is nothing mechanical, and no software

interface to get between my brain and the words

and simple sketches. I write and draw without interruption

or editing, as if having a one-way conversation

with another self. I also keep a small

pad in my camera bag for notes, sketches or

sudden sparks of ideas that I want to review during

downtime. I also list words and phrases, and

make diagrams during the collaborative brain

storming sessions I have with visionary clients

and creative teams.

Whether working alone or in collaboration, it

is important not to ‘nay say’ ideas as they flow

— just jot them down and keep moving forward.

Revisit and refine the best ones, and seek an

objective opinion whenever possible. The best of these ideas and sketches get added to my

current sketchbook, or tacked up for quick reference.

I advocate that every artist has a space

where they can pin up a variety of favorite references,

images and inspirations, like a visual

diary. The constantly-changing scraps are very

revealing of ourselves, and can be swapped out

as we discover new and interesting things. I pe

riodically store the scraps I remove in file folders

so I can easily retrieve an earlier reference. Going

through these on occasions, it’s nearly a diary

of my visual life. It’s a trip down my personal

memory lane of former inspirations.

My work spans several art genres, from serenely

rich landscapes to conceptual montages, to

documentary and imaginative narratives. I used

to shoot first, take notes later. I now “check in”

with my senses before using the camera, so

that smell, touch and sound inform my impressions

of the place or event. That helps me for

a connection. For instance,....

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