I thought since it was nearing the end of year and because I am actually struggling with the creative muse at the moment (which is a story for another time) that perhaps sharing some creative project ideas for the holiday season might be in order. If nothing else to help get the creative juices flowing again.
I read and have heard from a other creatives that even when you are struggling with creativity having a routine of daily creativity whether you feel like it or not, does help push through these times. I do not have a daily routine and as much as I like the idea of this – while I am working it is unlikely that I will develop this, with the competing demands in my life at the moment. However, I am hoping that the holiday break will allow me some time for this.
So here are a few ideas. These aren’t new ideas, but perhaps they will trigger something in you that you might like to try or adapt that will spark the creativity in you.
An Hour a Day
Shoot for an hour every day. You could choose different times of the day in the same location or different locations as you are travelling. However the rule is that you shoot for 1 hour continuously – pushing yourself to find creative ways to express what you are observing. You’ll be surprised what you come up with in one hour. I did this a few years back when I was uninspired and it kick started a whole new path for me.
Get to know your Gear Challenge
Choose a piece of gear and use it every time you shoot for a month (or a week). It could be a filter, a lens, a cable release. This is a good way to become more familiar with the gear that you have. Years ago I chose a 10 Stop ND filter and focussed on this for a year.
Tell a Story
Tell a story about a particular place. A place that resonates with you and brings you joy. Celebrate it in whatever artistic way you want. It might be photography it might be some other creative pursuit. Look at the little things as well as the big things, the natural and man-made things. Select 6-8 photos that best represent your chosen place. Remember this your response to the place and they can be as expressive or literal as you want them to be.
A-Z challenge
Take 26 photos, one for each letter of the alphabet. Find objects and shapes that represent every letter of the alphabet. It could be inside or outside, while on a road trip or travelling. You can make it more challenging my restricting yourself to using a particular lens or piece of equipment, giving yourself a timeframe to complete it in, or requiring that you get all the letters in the correct order. I did this quite a few years ago when I was doing a lot of driving around the country.
Celebrate Gatherings
If you are anything like me, as a landscape photographer I am really slack at taking photos of family and friends. So, my challenge to you is to take photos of and with the family and friends you gather with over the holiday break. You could even put it together as a slideshow using Lightroom or some other software to share with those you gathered with at a later date.
Many of these projects can be adapted to any visually creative medium or tool. Whichever project you tackle consider different techniques, angles, points of view, get low, get high, from the inside, from the outside, at different times of the day, in different weathers, up close, from a distance etc. Most importantly don’t get hooked up on an expectation of a particular result – just respond to what you are seeing and see where things go. Get expressive!