I am looking for inspiration constantly and when I'm in a rut, I've found that taking a step back and viewing something from a fresh perspective can make all the difference.
Here are 3 things I gain inspiration from.
1. Taking a walk
The easiest and most surefire way of finding inspiration, for me, is to simply take a walk. I like to leave my phone at home most of the time, so I can stay present. I'll walk around my neighborhood and soak up everything I possibly can. Look at the little things like a flower pushing through concrete, newspapers left out in the rain, a bug strolling along, birds congregating, bare trees, full trees, a leaf that looks like a skirt, textures. I look for teeny tiny details as well as the big picture.
Here are 3 things I gain inspiration from.
1. Taking a walk
The easiest and most surefire way of finding inspiration, for me, is to simply take a walk. I like to leave my phone at home most of the time, so I can stay present. I'll walk around my neighborhood and soak up everything I possibly can. Look at the little things like a flower pushing through concrete, newspapers left out in the rain, a bug strolling along, birds congregating, bare trees, full trees, a leaf that looks like a skirt, textures. I look for teeny tiny details as well as the big picture.
2. Impressing mySELF
Sometimes when generating ideas or creating, I'm only thinking of how I'm going to impress someone else. I worry that if I present something out of my ordinary that I'll be judged or someone will think I've made a mistake. And this hinders my whole process.
This is especially true for me when I'm creating something that is meant to be thought-provoking or moody. I'll take these out of focus, grainy photos and I'll think they're beautiful...but then I won't post them because I'm worried someone will think I don't know how to take a good photograph. And because of this fear of judgement, I sometimes end up posting boring content, a photograph with no soul.
BUT I find that when I step back and ask myself, "what kind of photos do I like seeing?" or "what type of photos make me feel something?" these imperfect, blurry, emotional photos come to mind. And I don't judge the artist at all! One of my favorite photographers, for example, is Olivia Bee. She unapologetically makes work that makes you feel something. It may be framed in an odd way, it may be extremely grainy, it might be totally out of focus. And I never question her photos! So why am I so worried that someone will question mine?
Once I stop trying to impress people and I just photograph what I find beautiful, I realize that my range gets so much wider. I am inspired by so many new things. I quit censoring and limiting myself. And alas, the photos I take for mood are some of my favorites!
Here's a photo of Olivia's I love : Olivia Bee, "Pulling You Closer", 2014. And below that, two of my photos expressing mood.
Sometimes when generating ideas or creating, I'm only thinking of how I'm going to impress someone else. I worry that if I present something out of my ordinary that I'll be judged or someone will think I've made a mistake. And this hinders my whole process.
This is especially true for me when I'm creating something that is meant to be thought-provoking or moody. I'll take these out of focus, grainy photos and I'll think they're beautiful...but then I won't post them because I'm worried someone will think I don't know how to take a good photograph. And because of this fear of judgement, I sometimes end up posting boring content, a photograph with no soul.
BUT I find that when I step back and ask myself, "what kind of photos do I like seeing?" or "what type of photos make me feel something?" these imperfect, blurry, emotional photos come to mind. And I don't judge the artist at all! One of my favorite photographers, for example, is Olivia Bee. She unapologetically makes work that makes you feel something. It may be framed in an odd way, it may be extremely grainy, it might be totally out of focus. And I never question her photos! So why am I so worried that someone will question mine?
Once I stop trying to impress people and I just photograph what I find beautiful, I realize that my range gets so much wider. I am inspired by so many new things. I quit censoring and limiting myself. And alas, the photos I take for mood are some of my favorites!
Here's a photo of Olivia's I love : Olivia Bee, "Pulling You Closer", 2014. And below that, two of my photos expressing mood.
3. Other Passionate People
I am always inspired by other people who are passionate about what they do. I love seeing people working hard for their dreams.
So if I'm in an inspiration rut, I'll turn on a documentary or a reality TV show. For example, I LOVE the show "Kell on Earth". Some people dislike it because it seems stressful or they think Kelly is mean. But when I watch it, all I see is a woman who has become an icon from working hard and creating her own empire. She raises a child on her own, runs her company, and is still always such a fabulous badass! It always inspires me to keep working on my business, to take pride in what I do, and to straight-up hustle. It always kicks me into gear.
I'll also watch Project Runway or a documentary like "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel", "In Vogue : The Editor's Eye", or "Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present".
Photo : Getty Images
I am always inspired by other people who are passionate about what they do. I love seeing people working hard for their dreams.
So if I'm in an inspiration rut, I'll turn on a documentary or a reality TV show. For example, I LOVE the show "Kell on Earth". Some people dislike it because it seems stressful or they think Kelly is mean. But when I watch it, all I see is a woman who has become an icon from working hard and creating her own empire. She raises a child on her own, runs her company, and is still always such a fabulous badass! It always inspires me to keep working on my business, to take pride in what I do, and to straight-up hustle. It always kicks me into gear.
I'll also watch Project Runway or a documentary like "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel", "In Vogue : The Editor's Eye", or "Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present".
Photo : Getty Images
Those are a few of the ways I gain inspiration. I have plenty of others, of course, such as browsing Pinterest, reading magazines, going to a museum. Inspiration is all around. It's just about putting yourself in a learning mindset and keeping your eyes, ears, and mind open.
-Ashley
-Ashley
No comments:
Post a Comment