Inspiration...

Oh where do I find it?? Is it under this rock, nope, dirt... It it around the corner?? Nope, there is nothing there either... This time of the year, everything looks ugly... Theres no snow, not that I like the snow anyway.. Its cold, I can't feel my fingers, days are short and its always dark, there is no color but brown... The Holidays are over, so there goes the red and green... There is a reason there is a condition called "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (SAD) its depressing!!!! But is my life as a photographer over?? If I see no beauty are my "eyes" gone??

Not a chance....

I should have known this happens from time to time... As an artist, when I'd work on a drawing, I'd spend days non stop with non stop creativity flowing. My days flew, and everything I looked at were shades of light, angles, color, and flair... I wanted to draw everything!! I'd put the pencil or paintbrush in my hand and I'd work as if someone else took over my body and did it for me... But, just as the desire hit me with great abandon, it leaves just as quickly.... A mental writers cramp for the artist... poof.. its gone...

How do you get it back, especially when its your living?!

I know that if I had a few shoots, It would come back. I'd pour every bit of me into the shoot, and it would come out great. But January is a slow month for photographers, it isn't just myself, its all of them, and I'm pretty sure everyone of them have been battling this for the last few weeks as well.. Who wants to have pictures done with a bare brown backdrop, bundled up in big coats, my lens fogging up from the cold air, and seeing your breath... agh..

I desperately tried to get myself out of my funk by taking pictures indoors, of inspirational sayings and quotes... Didn't really work.. GET CREATIVE, DAMMIT!!!!

Until the other day, I had seen some work from a freelance street photographer... All black and white, with people going about their daily lives, and it touched me somehow... This woman collaborated 200,000 photos in her lifetime of all people she never knew, or spoke to... How'd she do that?? Just take pictures of people?? Surely now a days my camera would be thrown in the road by someone if I just randomly took pictures of them... People just don't welcome it..

I decided to try anyway...

I decided to take a little drive, with my camera around my neck, ready to take any shot of anything and everything I see different or unusual... I went around seeking normal things from an average day, trying to find the beauty in it... Hey, theres a guy standing there smoking a cigarette, should I take a picture of him?? No.. He'll see me and get mad... Hey, theres a farmer on his tractor picking up hay, should I?? Nope, I don't want to irritate anyone else on the road... Hey, there's a lady walking across the street, should I?? DO IT KYM!!! JUST DO IT!! ~snap~ Wow... this is pretty cool... its a simple task, yet different, I like the angles, it tells a story... Hey, lets drive here... Wow, look at that!! ~snap~ Oh, the clouds look great there ~snap~ I've never seen that before ~snap~ .....

Just as my creative drive went away, it came back... All from seeing normal everyday things, and stepping outside of my comfort zone...

This may not be the last of my artistic writers cramp, but its nice to see it isn't gone forever... Just sitting back and watching the beauty of everyday life... Seeing things a little more differently, and learning a little about yourself in the process...