You hear the word inspiration used a lot with artists, what inspires them to paint or draw, but it isn’t a word that photographers use a lot. We seem to have things that we love photographing and we just photograph them right? Though there has to be something behind that, something that drives you to photograph it. It can be called many things, inspiration, drive, passion, influence, motivation, incentive, probably many many more words that are used to basically describe the same thing.
So what is inspiration? I found a definition when I googled inspirations
the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative
Sounds easy, you will be stimulated, you will feel something, and then you will do something really creative. I wish it was that easy, and I know for a lot of people finding inspiration can be so hard.
There are always times when we have trouble finding that inspiration, how to go forward in what we are doing. Something that I have struggled with myself in my own art, and recently with my photography as well. I don’t have one of those photography businesses that is clearly defined and I need to constantly be challenging myself and doing new things, so I have to find inspiration.
There are many ways to find inspiration. Conceptual Photographer Brooke Shaden has some fantastic exercises I have seen her show people on how she finds inspiration. She has a whole routine, not something I have done, but perhaps I should. For her it is internal and comes from within. It can be an interesting approach to watch.
One of the things you can do is to do a brain storming thing as well. Start with one idea and then as quickly as you can write down as many words related to that, ideas that come from one another. Give yourself a time limit, like one minute, and see if something comes out of that.
For me, inspiration comes from around me, it comes from what I see. I have movies that I know if I watch I will see things that will make me want to create. The movies are not always great movies, but I find them so visually stimulating. I can remember the first time I saw The Matrix film. The idea of a world that is almost abandoned was so intense for me. The way the film was filmed, the colours, it was an incredibly inspirational movie to me.
I have found the same thing with places, or photographs of places. For people who follow my blog, they know that I find the town of Pripyat and the Chenobyl disaster inspirational, well not the actual disaster, but what has happened to the town since it was evacuated. The images I have seen of it have inspired many art pieces. Though, not so much of an influence now.
Though things like the above can influence some of my work, I know I see aspects of those in my architectural art images, but things that inspire us can change and lead us in different directions. So while the previous things have been very important to me, they are not so much now.
The artist Brooke Shaden was a massive inspiration to me, and my work changed totally after seeing her and what she does. Now my inspirations come from things that we were told about in art school, other artists. I spend lots of time at the art gallery, or on the internet looking at other artists. It isn’t about photographers who are working now, but also photographers from the past. Then there are the millions of paintings from the last 600 to 700 years to get inspiration from. I love the masters, they did some great stuff, we can learn so much from them, and also we can get so much inspiration from them.
Inspiration can be all around us, we just need to stop, take the time to look and see what there is. We can always learn new ways of doing things, whether that idea comes from a movie, another photographer or a painter who has been dead for 500 years. Open your eyes, open your mind to the inspirations all around you.
[…] I know, that for some, finding inspiration is hard, and for others not so hard, so the post, Finding What Inspires You, is about finding ways, and about how I find inspiration. Please take a look, and it would be […]
It’s always such a treat to read Leanne’s contributions and to enjoy her wonderful photography. I think it’s worth saying that she herself is an inspiration.
I find it so hard to answer comments like this, so I am just going to say, thank you very much Andrew.
I find inspiration everywhere but Leanne is an inspiration in her own right. She reminds me how ordinary things can become extraordinary. Wonderful pictures, always.
That is such a nice thing to say, thank you so much.
Great article. Always enjoy your work
That is great, glad you enjoyed it, thank you Nora.
I too find inspiration from what I see around me in the everyday. I follow quite a few photography blogs, Leanne’s included, and learn from what I see. Movies for me too are often a source of great inspiration, I usually go to a movie when I really feel the need for a shot of creativity.
Movies can be fantastic for inspiration. That is great how you find inspiration, thank you Angeline.
Hi Leanne,
Great article! It is a challenge to find inspiration and stay inspired. There is a wonderful book by Julia Cameron “The Artist’s Way” which is a great book about inspiration and releasing our inner creative child.
Thank you for sharing your images and words,
~Steve
Thanks for the book details Steve, I am sure others will find that really useful. It can be hard to stay inspired, but it is great if you have ways to make it happen. Thank you.
I find people inspiring. Especially clients who recognise and trust what you can do for them. And having the courage to seek out less obvious services from people like artists and independant producers. People who can trust.
That is always great having clients that have faith in you. That is great to hear how you find inspiration Mark, thank you so much for sharing it.
Leanne, any time I lack inspiration, I take my camera and go for a walk. I almost always find something interesting, something that ties into ideas I had previously and then had forgotten about. I think I could count on the fingers of one hand the times I came home without photos.
You have written extensively about paintings and other photographers and the inspiration you find. I also find continued lessons on light and shadow. Those reminders, lessons, improve my photography.
That is a great way, to just go with it. Maybe I should try that sometimes.
Thank you Robert, that is wonderful to hear. I hope you continue to grow.
If we keep our senses awake inspiration is all around us and Leanne you write so well, your work is always inspiring.
What a lovely thing to say Gypsy, thank you, and I agree, inspiration can be all around.
Great article. I like the way some of your art is woven throughout the discussion. I also like your ideas for visual inspiration. You have made me think about inspiration!
All of my story ideas start with a germ of an idea. Sometimes the inspiration for that germ is a newspaper article, sometimes it is a setting. Sometimes it is another book! Then there’s a lot of work to plan the story. Then inspiration happens here and there throughout writing and revising it. Sometimes it doesn’t. Despite all the planning in the world, if the inspiration isn’t there, the book doesn’t fly.
Thank you Nia, that makes sense where you, a writer, would get inspiration, I hadn’t really thought of it like that, I guess I just think of everything being visual. Thanks for sharing how you find your inspiration.
Leanne is an inspiration ! Her work is so unique and well thought out.
Artists inspire artists!
Oh Jessica, you make me blush, what a gorgeous thing to say, thank you so very much.
Inspiration is an interesting (artistic) dilema – what actually inspires some to action?While defined as an adjective – inspiration needs to be thought of as a verb – ACTION IS REQUIRED!
I am a creation junkie – I have to be either planning a shoot, doing a shoot or processing images. I can’t not do it – which is mostly the motivation which inspires me – I get all depressed and maudlin when I’m not working on something – but I realize we are all different.
Good, thought provoking article Leanne.
I am the same Robert, took me many years to realise that if I was doing something creative then I wasn’t really happy. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
Inspirational, indeed. You inspire one to be inspired!
I’m not going to lie, I get a little embarrassed at comments like this, I am blushing and don’t know what to say, it is so nice to hear that I inspire people, I don’t think it ever occurred to me that I did.
Great post, Leanne! I particularly enjoyed your comments about movie-watching.
Movie watching can be such a great way to find inspiration. I love it when I see a movie for the first time and my mind just goes bananas and is full of visuals from it. Thank you Elen.
[…] in November I did a post on Finding What Inspires You, I talked about many different ways to find inspiration, and one of the ways that artists are […]