Drop Your Excuses: Leveling Up Your Creativity with Toni Shaw
One of the most frequent comments that I hear as a photographer is, “I lack creativity!” Or, I will sometimes hear, “How can I be creative?” The immediate feeling that I get when hearing this statement causes me frustration, and sometimes sadness.
I understand that some of us struggle with ways to be creative, but I think we let it consume us so much that we gain mental blocks that are hard to get beyond. As a teacher, I immediately want to take that photographer out to a “venue” to show them my workflow and how I approach my creative process. What we all continue to hear are many excuses: I don’t have a studio, what if it rains, I didn’t like what the client had on, I don’t have the right equipment. The list of excuses goes on and on.
The first thought many photographers have about being creative is clothing, makeup and hair. All of these are important, but it does not mean it will give you a creative edge. My first thought is the environment and places I can utilize because 1. It makes my job a little easier; 2. I can provide something new to each client; 3. I know I can find an area where I can add elements via Photoshop or it can be a strong image by itself.
We have to determine if we are going to be our obstacle, if we are going to let others be an obstacle, or if we are going to ignore the negative thoughts and push ourselves to be problem solvers and learn to grow from every shoot that we do.
Ask yourself: What do I keep doing and why do I keep doing the same thing? Why am I afraid to try something different?
