A long awaited sequel.
Holy hell, what happened to weekly blogs? Apologies are in order for being so late with this follow up. In my life outside of cameras, I've been hit with a whirlwind of other projects and things I've been working on that writing a blog slipped my mind. However, I'm not the kind to stop things outright, and I felt bad that the first blog never got the promised follow up as indicated by it's title. So, no time like the present.
Last time was all about preparation for creativity and creative work, but what about actually doing said work? As a small preface, please remember that what works for me might be different than what works for you! But I definitely encourage you to try everything out! I am literally putting everything in this post and it's predecessor to use as I type these out. One thing that I use all the time is rough drafting and planning. Now, I understand the implication, I'm a photographer. How would you do a rough pass at that? Well, just like rough drafting for writing, nothing is going to be even similar to the finish product. I'll either keep lists upon lists of ideas I have for photos, or often times take a "dummy photo" that captures the same angle and vibe I'm trying to go for when I have the real subjects in front of me. Sometimes, if I don't have time or resources to do a dummy photo, I'll take a page of my planner and sketch out my idea with a pencil! (If I can, I actually end up using a lot of charcoal to do sketches to capture light values easier.) For whatever art you practice, I always recommend getting your ideas out there before you start. It's a lot easier to work off of a template for me, and while most of the ideas I have aren't template accessible, it's a way of talking myself through what works and doesn't in a practical setting. Sketching and jotting down ideas brings me to my second point in my creative process. (Also, the one that people hear all the time and like the least.) Use a pen and paper. I'm very aware that almost every single teacher and boss over 50 in the digital age says to write instead of type for remembering purposes, but I actually recommend it for a different reason. Paper can be flipped and torn out of a notebook. What I mean by this, is that it's a lot easier to get all of your thoughts about one subject down on one page and flip and write about an entirely different subject. I've done this with flash-cards before a lot too, but mostly I use a flip-note-pad so I can find things when I need them. As a final add-on to that, find a pen that you really enjoy writing with, something that can move quickly and that you like the feel of. It sounds insane, but this really has changed the game for me in creating more and more rough drafts in quick succession. My final advice for what I do during my process is another thing everyone hates.(Apologies before you read the next sentence.) I put my phone away. I don't mean I turn it off and put it in a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" sort of contraption. But I do put it slightly out of reach, so I have to physically stand up and go to it. That way, I don't lose sight of my goals by scrolling on Instagram for half an hour. Besides, if I'm working with something that requires an app-like getting inspiration from Pinterest or uploading a new post on my social medias for work-I typically just use the online version of the app. I understand not everyone can afford to put their phone away for a few hours, but honestly I just keep the sound on in case I get a call. If I don't receive a call or text, it can probably wait a bit.
Much Obliged,
Ian James
Note: That's all folks! Thanks for reading, and I appreciate you coming back after a long hiatus. I'm going to try my absolute hardest to get more consistent with writing these, but I also don't want to give a schedule in case anything goes wrong. Bye all!
Note's Note: So I don't forget to add, here's the link for the pen I use. (It's just so nice!)
