What does it mean to be creative?

and why does it feel so elusive sometimes?

Hello, I’m Gill and I write a photography blog inspired by the landscapes of Suffolk and beyond. Please subscribe to read more of my writing and visit my website to view my images.

I am standing on a deserted beach with the sea gently lapping over the shingle in front of me. There is not a breath of wind and the morning is blue and tranquil. Beautiful but perhaps not the best conditions for image making. On the horizon I can just see the sun beginning to rise; a fiery red globe behind a thin veil of mist. I glance around at the old wooden groynes and feel rushed and unprepared - what am I going to photograph and why is nothing ‘speaking’ to me?

I set up my tripod and take a fairly average composition, blocking out the sun which is already beginning to spill its light across the sea. I am unimpressed with my efforts so pick up my tripod and dash along the beach looking for something more interesting. Eventually I find some old sea defences, broken and half buried in the sand. I use these as a foreground and make another image that I feel happier about but not ecstatic!

This beach is my project beach, the one that I spoke about in last weeks blog, and the one which I seem to be having a love / hate relationship with at the moment. As a location it really inspires me, but as a project it is stretching me creatively and I am beginning to feel I am not up to the challenge.

Maybe it has been a long winter, but I have been feeling a little out of my depth recently and imposter syndrome is beginning to kick in. That little voice in my head that tells me my work isn’t good enough, or creative enough.

I have always struggled with the idea of creativity. I recently found my old school report from 1984 (the year I sat my O’levels) and my art teacher had written ‘Gillian’s art is generally of a high standard but she struggles with ideas for creative compositions.’

I vividly remember working on a painted piece for an exam, discussing my intentions with my art teacher. She wanted me to take the work in a direction that I felt didn’t fit with my vision. I ignored her advice and my work got slated as a result. Looking back I can now see her point, but at the time I didn’t understand her remarks about creativity.

Today, I still feel as if I haven’t moved on much and creativity is that elusive ingredient that hovers just out of reach. It is the holy grail that when found will turn me into a ‘better, more respected’ photographer. In reality I know this idea is rubbish, but sometimes it is difficult to dismiss.

I have been trying to get out this week and stretch my photographic muscles, working with techniques such as multiple exposure to produce a panel for my inspired blog, and while that was great fun to do and I really liked the results, I don’t yet feel that the images have added much to the overall evolution of my photography. Don’t get me wrong, I love making images of beautiful places and there is nothing better than being out in the landscape at sunrise or sunset or in fact any time in between, but to continue to produce good work I need to grow and develop and stretch myself and I don’t feel I am doing that at the moment.

So what does it mean to be creative?

Maybe this is part of the problem, perhaps I am not really sure.

When I think about creativity I think about curiosity and awareness and the ability to ask questions. I have an enquiring mind and I believe that to be creative you have to be curious. I like to ask myself the question - what if…..?

What if I experiment with different compositions, different techniques or subject matter?

What if I brake all the rules and just play with the camera?

What if I learn new things, will this open my eyes to new experiences?

These are all valid ideas, but do they make me creative?

In the Creative Act by Rick Ruben he says

‘The ability to look deeply is the root to creativity’

I think there is much truth in this idea. Looking beyond the ordinary and mundane can reveal things that might otherwise stay invisible. These things could potentially be the magic ingredients that give an image or project its impact.

Again I think this all comes back to curiosity. If you are curious about something you will inevitably be drawn to look more deeply.

Rubins also says that

‘No matter what tools you use to create, the true instrument is you.’

I guess this brings me back to my current thinking. The world is full of wonder and there is inspiration everywhere we look, but we have to be open to it. Sometimes normal life makes this difficult and I think that is when we find ourselves lacking in motivation, inspiration and creativity. It is all there for the taking, we just have to see it.

To sum up I think being creative is all about:

• being curious and asking questions,

• having an awareness of and interest in the world around us

• Being constantly productive

• Being willing to experiment

• Not being worried about failure

• And making the art that makes us happy.

I also think that creativity is a mindset. We have to open our eyes and our minds and think freely without fear or worry and that is when we will be at our most creative.

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So what does creativity mean to you? I would love to hear your thoughts on creativity, lack of inspiration, imposter syndrome and anything else that I have discussed. Please leave a comment and join the conversation.

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Next week I am heading off to Scotland for a break and to work on some of my own photography. As a result I will also be taking a break from Substack and there will be no more weekly posts until 21st April. I will still be sending out my weekly inspired posts to my paid subscribers and the monthly challenge for April will go live on the 27th March.

Thank you very much for reading and until next time, enjoy your photography.

Gill