Creative people have to be fed from the divine source. I have to get fed. I had to get filled up in order to pour out.
Johnny Cash
I should be ready for it. It happens every year. Every year I photograph my heart and soul out from generally about May-September. Weddings, families... non stop action. This year was March-October so I really, really shouldn't have been surprised. But, I was. I crashed. Pretty hard. The after wedding season crash. Done. Out. Nothing left. {don't worry creatives are always a tad bit dramatic about the creative process} For me it looks like... not really wanting to leave the house a whole lot {at all}. Junking things out. {finally dealing with the insane mountain of laundry that used to look like our bedroom}. I just get tired. I want to watch tv, gap out, zone out, indulgently lay in bed with the kids. I don't typically even want to look at my camera gear. I don't want to sit at my computer. I just want to go to yoga, sleep in, hug my kids. I haven't felt like sharing, speaking, posting on social media... I just wanted to hide out. Tuck away. Regroup. Until today. Suddenly the sun was shining and I had my camera in my hand and found myself in the light. Inspired. I had no idea where I was going... but I just got in my car, piled it full of my kids and a camera... and started driving. We wound up on a trail we don't often go to... as we were walking the light started pouring in through the trees. The big giant magic light. You know, the kind that stops you in your tracks. Except as I was showing the kids the light, taking photos of them, of the light... my mind was blown at how many people didn't even look at it. Couldn't see it. Don't see it. Just walk right by it? It always blows my mind. They shouldn't see it really, perhaps they're not obsessed with light. I love good light. Spectacular light. Irresistible light. Then I started thinking... I can see it. I do see it. Therefor... I should keep catching it. Or at least try. And just like that, the spell was broken. The creative low, the block... gone {for now}. Subsequently I ended up spontaneously photographing the kids again tonight in one of my favourite places {photos shown here}. 15 minutes in the light, with my babies and I'm a happy girl.
I guess all I'm saying is, when the creative juices seem to dry up... when the well appears to be empty. It is time to fill it up. It is not anyones job to fill it up for you. It's up to you. You can't feed yourself unless you go out and look for food, search for it. Go get it. That might mean shutting down for a day or two (or week or two) but if you trust the process you're going to get hungry, and when you get hungry... you get out and get some food. Just go get it. Find it. Just pick up your tools and go out in search of beauty... I'm positive you will wind up finding it. Or if you are actively seeking, chances are it will find you.
