It's like you've just described my past 18 months. That first hurdle is the hardest, even though it's only the threshold of the door. Getting out is the hardest part after that you begin to wonder what I was worried about.
I feel like this is the first time someone urdenstands what I have been going trough. The urge to create, and the inability to follow with action, the internal pain that accompanies it. Last 6 years I did real estate photography fairly with decent success, but it compelety drained me. Now I have quit the job and I am traveling around SE Asia trying to find my creative voice again. Started to get my photos out there to be seen again after long while and slowly recovering from this ’creative burnout’. Thanks for the video, it really did resonate.
It's the worst isn't it? Just thinking about it makes me feel really anxious and uncomfortable. I can relate to that. I was offered some real estate work but I turned it down as I knew it'd make things worse. If you are doing what you love, but with a subject you cannot vibe with, it's a sure fire path to falling out of love with it. Same happened with me when I spent 4 years photographing pet products. I hope you find it. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, just do what feels right. I'd advise patience too, I got frustrated at how long things took (and are still taking) to turn around. Good luck!
You’re so not alone. I suffer from extreme procrastination when it comes to being creative 🤷🏼♀️ I want to go out an photograph, but I find I always slide back into what is familiar (like house work for example) an it’s almost impossible to get myself to move past this. Not just photography either, I have a guitar I’ve never learned to play, paint brushes I’ve never used, but I’m working on it. Your videos help with my self lectures 😂 thanks
I am the undisputed king of procrastination (just wait for the 'P' video, if I get round to making it!!). I also have a guitar, my wife forced me to put it in the loft as it was never played. Had isn't it?! Glad to be of help, I feel the I'm slowly getting somewhere by doing this.....
5:00 completely resonates with me! I have the frustration of wanting to create many things but always feeling like I will never be able to translate what's in my head to real life. It's like an invisible barrier and it is so hard to break through.
That's EXACTLY it! What I make will never match the idea of what's in my head. I think you can probably guess at what I'll make a video about when it comes to the letter P!!
I just discovered your videos... and love this creativity challenge as I feel like I'm in a "rut". I'm looking forward to the alphabet journey. Thanks for sharing you life thoughts with us!
Rick this year i turn 50 I have felt so down and been at my worst health ever. had no go to achieve any thing or finish any thing. As you said just work because i have to keep my family going. maybe its time for change thank you.
I hope a change treats you well then Michael. I can honestly say that my outlook has shifted a dramatic amount in the last week, just through the act of making this video. I hope you find something similar in whatever it is you decide to chase.
Great video Rick - "follow the Bliss" I went from story telling with my photos, to screenwriting as a direct result of my story telling skills. Writing scripts is sooooo much fun - it takes my creativity to new places and new heights. Thanks again for a great video Rick. J
I moved from Ohio to Michigan last year, it really disrupted my workflow and morivation as i settled in. Hoping to get back out photographing this fall, I have some day trips planned. Great video.
Thanks Kevin. Having not had the upheaval of a move for some time, I can't really relate to what that must be like, but I have a friend who has been through similar. I hope you manage to get out soon and have a successful season :)
Excellent video and certainly resonates, the past year has definitely been a challenge so many things impacting the creativity sometimes hard to know where to start. Recently spent more time just out with the camera to see what different things can capture around town, autumn coming up always a good time of year.
Thanks Bernard. I did exactly the same on a recent holiday and it was refreshing just to do that and not try to pressure myself into creating something in particular. Hope autumn treats you and your creativity well!
Love it. I definitely feel that movement helps get the creative juices flowing for me. The sense of momentum in heading somewhere means I feel awakened. i was always more likely to blog, take photos or videos when I was travelling somewhere for a purpose
Thanks Matt! I totally agree, my mind certainly feels less tethered following a run/hike or similar. Sounds like you need some sort of trip/challenge :)
I'm so looking forward to watching the rest of your videos! I'm doing the challenge also and picked something that I knew would feed my creative well and bring more joy into my life. So important right now
Thanks Rick, this video has come at just the right time for me as I feel a bit stuck in a rut with my creativity, so I look forward to following along with hopefully both our creative development
Good luck with it Chris!! As I've said somewhere above, my outlook has shifted a dramatic amount and the only thing that has changed is making this video and setting time aside to just make stuff. I know it won't always be this easy but it's a start!
Hi, Rick. Just yeah. I think I know what you mean. I have been struggling (a lot) over the last few years - I have been so, so low. I have a few videos about it myself and only this morning wrote a blog post on my website about it. It's not just creativity (which i have struggled with more and more as I have gotten older), but its also motivation. Or rather it isn't I have no motivation - generally. And I think it's hard to sometimes spit these "problems" up into component parts. With a lack of motivation comes a lack of creativity: the two sit side by side. How can I be creative if I have no motivation? This week, I have been up three times for sunrise (though I only went out twice). I feel better for it. BUT it was really hard getting up early. What is it that Nigel says? "You'll never remember the extra sleep like you will the sunrise on the hillside?" the sentiment is right even if I got the quote wrong. If you want a change of environment and a collaboration, we should talk about you visiting Norfolk. I have holiday cottages here that I need to make pay in the slow season, maybe some residential workshops?
How can I be creative if I have no motivation. That's exactly it. I know in my heart of hearts that creativity (taking photos, making videos) is the thing that I want to chase, but I just don't want to do either of those things at present. Or rather didn't want to do. I'm sure this will be in constant flux for the foreseeable. 'You'll remember the hour on the mountain, not the hour in bed'. I think!! it's true though, I juts wish it was always that easy. Good on you for 3 sunrises this week though. That sounds awesome, I'll keep it in mind - thanks!
@RickBebbington I find that motivation can be fleeting and it needs to be seized. I got up early this morning too, no sunrise (cloudy as heck) but I got some flat light mundanity which I have yet to review. Have you tried writing or talking about your lack of motivation (maybe to camera)? I got a 1500 word blog out of it yesterday.... Somehow, it seemed to work: I found a hook and just typed out my feelings
So excited to see you back in the game my man! Looking forward to see what you’ll come up with for B then C then D…and seeing that board fill up with Instax prints!! 📸
Fantastic video Rick. I will certainly be following your progress here and signing up for the newsletter. The things you talk about are just so me. I first came across your work 8 months ago when you did a video about creating alone. This resonated with me to such an extent, it is one of my all time favourite videos. So glad you’re back and looking forward to the series.
Thanks Alan, I really appreciate it. Hopefully I can continue to do things that help! Weirdly, that video you mentioned was the last time i really did anything for myself in a creative fashion. Seems a bit strange given how much I enjoyed the process and how proud I was of the output. Such is life! Thanks again mate.
This sounds like fun! I look forward to the full board. Sean Tucker has a good video on motivation. When I don't want to go out, I hear his voice say, "Just do it." Certainly not unique, but it has gotten me out of the house many times to explore with no bad experiences so far. In fact, some have been my favorites. Have a great creativity trek!
I know what you mean - it's so simple isn't it when you break it down. I'm hoping this new found enthusiasm will make 'just doing it' a bit easier. Thanks Brian, appreciate it.
Mate you are not alone. Many of us are feeling the same.
Рік тому+1
Very good video, … as always. Can’t wait to se what’s coming. I love the topic of course but I also love what you create concerning photo and video. To boost my creativity: - Inspire myself from different creators - Try to see the world like a 6yo child - Stop watching yt videos and get out!
Thanks Gabriel, I appreciate it. I love the idea of seeing the world as a child - I have a 7 and a 4 year old and get so envious of their curiosity and creativity. Your last point will definitely be something I'll come onto!
Very good and thought provoking, but also timely for me as we approach the autumnal season. The season many have been waiting for. But I am not sure yet of what I want to achieve as my autumn output to look back on, when winter arrives. The same old same old typical imagery that portrays autumn, or to self-impose added pressure of delivering something different. If the latter, then how do I find the process to deliver something "different"? There is also the uncertainty that comes from the latter, which I know is surely being more creative, and hence should be more satisfying, but the other side is the potential for failure to meet ones own creative expectations, and the psychological disappointment from that. I think I need to plan to at least come out the other side of this autumn with something "ordinary", to at least satisfy that basic requirement of getting out there, and rewarding myself with the "ordinary" imagery and to therefore reduce the pressure from the "I must be more creative". But to also include time on each journey out into the field to experiment more with compositions, or camera settings, focal lengths, lens choices. Allowing each location visit to cover off both aspects (the ordinary and the freedom to be creative) may or may not work. But I will try it. The other aspect is to be creative in the editing, to produce a consistent style, or a ring-fenced theme in itself. To allow myself to deviate from the reality of the image, and to see how I can portray a certain resonant mood. But then, do I portray images that reflect my own inner mood, or do I seek to portray the opposite? I have some things to ponder on, but for me, I must have a purpose to aim for, and that is the issue ... being purposeful. It has been said before but a defined project can help provide focus, and motivation. The A>Z project seems to be that, but it is quite open ended. I once attempted a 365 project and after about 200 days, I was not enjoying it at all and by Decmeber, I was hating it. So much so, the following year I barely took any images. I think therefore I prefer a more closed type of purpose. Typically that has been to repeatedly visit the same location ( a woodland) to find compositions that I have not found before. However, the compositions I have been looking for have always been the "ordinary" or "standard" woodland images. After writing this down, the idea is forming, that I visit that same familiar location this season, but seek to be more creative amongst the familiar; whether on the field camera set up, or in the editing process. I will let this brew for now in the subconscious, whilst looking for outside sources of inspiration. This vlog of yours has been a timely nudge to think what I want from my photography this next four months, after a summer recess. Thank you for the nudge and look forward to what follows. And yes, I feel similar to what you have expressed, but thankfully without resorting to trying to buy my way out of the rut. I was out at Higger Tor the other week for a Heather season shot at sunrise. The usual standed composition. Being there was enjoyable and rewarding; just the process itself is satisfying for me, but the output was meh and not satisfying, from an artistic point of view. Looking back, I did not allow myself any time to be creative; just 2 to 3 hours of doing the same old same old. That is I think where a change is needed. It is a mindset change to allow time and freedom to experiment after bagging the meh shot.
Thanks Warren - hopefully the 'nudge' helps. What you've said totally resonates, and similarly I find myself wanting to chase originality rather than the tried and tested. I think a lot of our thinking is unfortunately influenced by what we see on social media and UA-cam, leading us into thinking that we cannot go to certain places or shoot in certain conditions without chasing a familiar shot. It definitely takes an element of bravery to step away from that. I wish you all the best with it and will endeavour to try similar.
`My way of thinking is not like yours, I open windows, whilst you close doors. Can you see it,feel it or begin to understand, Caress with your spirit, touch it with your hand. Don't dismiss art just because you don't know, Plant creativity in your soul and let the seeds grow. Begin now to think and work outside the box, Forget the obvious, learn that creativity rocks! Iain C.
Hey rick, cool video, defos hearaing you about losing the creative flow and how hard it is to get back into it I lost my creative mojo back in 2015 after my first and only psychosis, so ive been in a limbo of , wanting to be creative but beeing scared of my own creativity. Im also getting back on the horse for alphabet superset, im looking forward to following your work. New subscriber here......where do u find them all, that should be ur next secret u reveal ;)
Thanks Sam. That must have been horrible for you mate, but I'm happy to hear you feel ready to get back on the horse. Thanks for subbing, hope you get some value from what i make ✌
It's like you've just described my past 18 months. That first hurdle is the hardest, even though it's only the threshold of the door. Getting out is the hardest part after that you begin to wonder what I was worried about.
I couldn't have put it better myself mate. I feel like such a weight has been lifted the last 2 weeks and now I'm not sure what the problem was!!
I feel like this is the first time someone urdenstands what I have been going trough. The urge to create, and the inability to follow with action, the internal pain that accompanies it.
Last 6 years I did real estate photography fairly with decent success, but it compelety drained me.
Now I have quit the job and I am traveling around SE Asia trying to find my creative voice again. Started to get my photos out there to be seen again after long while and slowly recovering from this ’creative burnout’.
Thanks for the video, it really did resonate.
It's the worst isn't it? Just thinking about it makes me feel really anxious and uncomfortable.
I can relate to that. I was offered some real estate work but I turned it down as I knew it'd make things worse. If you are doing what you love, but with a subject you cannot vibe with, it's a sure fire path to falling out of love with it. Same happened with me when I spent 4 years photographing pet products.
I hope you find it. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, just do what feels right. I'd advise patience too, I got frustrated at how long things took (and are still taking) to turn around. Good luck!
You’re so not alone. I suffer from extreme procrastination when it comes to being creative 🤷🏼♀️ I want to go out an photograph, but I find I always slide back into what is familiar (like house work for example) an it’s almost impossible to get myself to move past this. Not just photography either, I have a guitar I’ve never learned to play, paint brushes I’ve never used, but I’m working on it. Your videos help with my self lectures 😂 thanks
I am the undisputed king of procrastination (just wait for the 'P' video, if I get round to making it!!). I also have a guitar, my wife forced me to put it in the loft as it was never played. Had isn't it?! Glad to be of help, I feel the I'm slowly getting somewhere by doing this.....
Love your honesty in this video Rick! Look forward to seeing how your journey evolves, and I’m cheering for you 👏🏻
Thank you :) me too, I'm currently as clueless about it as you guys 😂
5:00 completely resonates with me! I have the frustration of wanting to create many things but always feeling like I will never be able to translate what's in my head to real life. It's like an invisible barrier and it is so hard to break through.
That's EXACTLY it! What I make will never match the idea of what's in my head. I think you can probably guess at what I'll make a video about when it comes to the letter P!!
I just discovered your videos... and love this creativity challenge as I feel like I'm in a "rut". I'm looking forward to the alphabet journey. Thanks for sharing you life thoughts with us!
Thanks Sally - great to have you here :)
Rick this year i turn 50 I have felt so down and been at my worst health ever. had no go to achieve any thing or finish any thing. As you said just work because i have to keep my family going.
maybe its time for change thank you.
I hope a change treats you well then Michael. I can honestly say that my outlook has shifted a dramatic amount in the last week, just through the act of making this video. I hope you find something similar in whatever it is you decide to chase.
Great video Rick - "follow the Bliss" I went from story telling with my photos, to screenwriting as a direct result of my story telling skills. Writing scripts is sooooo much fun - it takes my creativity to new places and new heights. Thanks again for a great video Rick. J
I moved from Ohio to Michigan last year, it really disrupted my workflow and morivation as i settled in. Hoping to get back out photographing this fall, I have some day trips planned. Great video.
Thanks Kevin. Having not had the upheaval of a move for some time, I can't really relate to what that must be like, but I have a friend who has been through similar. I hope you manage to get out soon and have a successful season :)
Excellent video and certainly resonates, the past year has definitely been a challenge so many things impacting the creativity sometimes hard to know where to start. Recently spent more time just out with the camera to see what different things can capture around town, autumn coming up always a good time of year.
Thanks Bernard. I did exactly the same on a recent holiday and it was refreshing just to do that and not try to pressure myself into creating something in particular. Hope autumn treats you and your creativity well!
Love it. I definitely feel that movement helps get the creative juices flowing for me. The sense of momentum in heading somewhere means I feel awakened. i was always more likely to blog, take photos or videos when I was travelling somewhere for a purpose
Thanks Matt! I totally agree, my mind certainly feels less tethered following a run/hike or similar. Sounds like you need some sort of trip/challenge :)
Amazing and inspiring all in one. This is going to be a new chapter in my life. So glad I came across your UA-cam channel.
I'm so looking forward to watching the rest of your videos!
I'm doing the challenge also and picked something that I knew would feed my creative well and bring more joy into my life. So important right now
Thanks Cassie!! Sounds like the challenge is going well so far??!
@@RickBebbington Mostly! Just need life to stop delivering more chaos and it would be going a lot better then LOL
@@cassie_hart sounds scarily familiar 🤣
Excellent video. Thanks for making it🎉
Glad you liked it :)
Thanks Rick, this video has come at just the right time for me as I feel a bit stuck in a rut with my creativity, so I look forward to following along with hopefully both our creative development
Good luck with it Chris!! As I've said somewhere above, my outlook has shifted a dramatic amount and the only thing that has changed is making this video and setting time aside to just make stuff. I know it won't always be this easy but it's a start!
Hi, Rick. Just yeah. I think I know what you mean. I have been struggling (a lot) over the last few years - I have been so, so low. I have a few videos about it myself and only this morning wrote a blog post on my website about it. It's not just creativity (which i have struggled with more and more as I have gotten older), but its also motivation. Or rather it isn't I have no motivation - generally. And I think it's hard to sometimes spit these "problems" up into component parts. With a lack of motivation comes a lack of creativity: the two sit side by side. How can I be creative if I have no motivation?
This week, I have been up three times for sunrise (though I only went out twice). I feel better for it. BUT it was really hard getting up early. What is it that Nigel says? "You'll never remember the extra sleep like you will the sunrise on the hillside?" the sentiment is right even if I got the quote wrong.
If you want a change of environment and a collaboration, we should talk about you visiting Norfolk. I have holiday cottages here that I need to make pay in the slow season, maybe some residential workshops?
How can I be creative if I have no motivation. That's exactly it. I know in my heart of hearts that creativity (taking photos, making videos) is the thing that I want to chase, but I just don't want to do either of those things at present. Or rather didn't want to do. I'm sure this will be in constant flux for the foreseeable.
'You'll remember the hour on the mountain, not the hour in bed'. I think!! it's true though, I juts wish it was always that easy. Good on you for 3 sunrises this week though.
That sounds awesome, I'll keep it in mind - thanks!
@RickBebbington I find that motivation can be fleeting and it needs to be seized. I got up early this morning too, no sunrise (cloudy as heck) but I got some flat light mundanity which I have yet to review. Have you tried writing or talking about your lack of motivation (maybe to camera)? I got a 1500 word blog out of it yesterday.... Somehow, it seemed to work: I found a hook and just typed out my feelings
So excited to see you back in the game my man! Looking forward to see what you’ll come up with for B then C then D…and seeing that board fill up with Instax prints!! 📸
Thanks Moly! Me too, plenty of ideas- just need to maintain the 'action' element!! The Instax board is now my primary motivational tool 😂
Fantastic video Rick. I will certainly be following your progress here and signing up for the newsletter. The things you talk about are just so me. I first came across your work 8 months ago when you did a video about creating alone. This resonated with me to such an extent, it is one of my all time favourite videos. So glad you’re back and looking forward to the series.
Thanks Alan, I really appreciate it. Hopefully I can continue to do things that help! Weirdly, that video you mentioned was the last time i really did anything for myself in a creative fashion. Seems a bit strange given how much I enjoyed the process and how proud I was of the output. Such is life! Thanks again mate.
Rick, could you post an amazon link to book you mention around 2:20, thanks
Thank you
You're welcome
This sounds like fun! I look forward to the full board. Sean Tucker has a good video on motivation. When I don't want to go out, I hear his voice say, "Just do it." Certainly not unique, but it has gotten me out of the house many times to explore with no bad experiences so far. In fact, some have been my favorites. Have a great creativity trek!
I know what you mean - it's so simple isn't it when you break it down. I'm hoping this new found enthusiasm will make 'just doing it' a bit easier. Thanks Brian, appreciate it.
Good stuff - an issue I imagine most of us encounters at some point. I'm looking forward to following your story.
Thanks Steve, appreciate it
Nice one buddy. Too long since we've had a sunrise shoot. Lets try and rectify that!
Absolutely mate, that would be a pleasure!
Mate you are not alone. Many of us are feeling the same.
Very good video, … as always.
Can’t wait to se what’s coming. I love the topic of course but I also love what you create concerning photo and video.
To boost my creativity:
- Inspire myself from different creators
- Try to see the world like a 6yo child
- Stop watching yt videos and get out!
Thanks Gabriel, I appreciate it. I love the idea of seeing the world as a child - I have a 7 and a 4 year old and get so envious of their curiosity and creativity. Your last point will definitely be something I'll come onto!
Very good and thought provoking, but also timely for me as we approach the autumnal season. The season many have been waiting for.
But I am not sure yet of what I want to achieve as my autumn output to look back on, when winter arrives. The same old same old typical imagery that portrays autumn, or to self-impose added pressure of delivering something different. If the latter, then how do I find the process to deliver something "different"?
There is also the uncertainty that comes from the latter, which I know is surely being more creative, and hence should be more satisfying, but the other side is the potential for failure to meet ones own creative expectations, and the psychological disappointment from that.
I think I need to plan to at least come out the other side of this autumn with something "ordinary", to at least satisfy that basic requirement of getting out there, and rewarding myself with the "ordinary" imagery and to therefore reduce the pressure from the "I must be more creative".
But to also include time on each journey out into the field to experiment more with compositions, or camera settings, focal lengths, lens choices.
Allowing each location visit to cover off both aspects (the ordinary and the freedom to be creative) may or may not work. But I will try it.
The other aspect is to be creative in the editing, to produce a consistent style, or a ring-fenced theme in itself. To allow myself to deviate from the reality of the image, and to see how I can portray a certain resonant mood.
But then, do I portray images that reflect my own inner mood, or do I seek to portray the opposite?
I have some things to ponder on, but for me, I must have a purpose to aim for, and that is the issue ... being purposeful.
It has been said before but a defined project can help provide focus, and motivation.
The A>Z project seems to be that, but it is quite open ended. I once attempted a 365 project and after about 200 days, I was not enjoying it at all and by Decmeber, I was hating it. So much so, the following year I barely took any images. I think therefore I prefer a more closed type of purpose.
Typically that has been to repeatedly visit the same location ( a woodland) to find compositions that I have not found before.
However, the compositions I have been looking for have always been the "ordinary" or "standard" woodland images.
After writing this down, the idea is forming, that I visit that same familiar location this season, but seek to be more creative amongst the familiar; whether on the field camera set up, or in the editing process.
I will let this brew for now in the subconscious, whilst looking for outside sources of inspiration.
This vlog of yours has been a timely nudge to think what I want from my photography this next four months, after a summer recess. Thank you for the nudge and look forward to what follows.
And yes, I feel similar to what you have expressed, but thankfully without resorting to trying to buy my way out of the rut.
I was out at Higger Tor the other week for a Heather season shot at sunrise. The usual standed composition. Being there was enjoyable and rewarding; just the process itself is satisfying for me, but the output was meh and not satisfying, from an artistic point of view. Looking back, I did not allow myself any time to be creative; just 2 to 3 hours of doing the same old same old. That is I think where a change is needed. It is a mindset change to allow time and freedom to experiment after bagging the meh shot.
Thanks Warren - hopefully the 'nudge' helps.
What you've said totally resonates, and similarly I find myself wanting to chase originality rather than the tried and tested.
I think a lot of our thinking is unfortunately influenced by what we see on social media and UA-cam, leading us into thinking that we cannot go to certain places or shoot in certain conditions without chasing a familiar shot. It definitely takes an element of bravery to step away from that. I wish you all the best with it and will endeavour to try similar.
Great video mate and good to see you back
You forgot to mention drinking lots of coffee !
Cheers mate - really enjoyed making this so it's good to be back!! I did, maybe that can be my letter 'C'!!
`My way of thinking is not like yours,
I open windows, whilst you close doors.
Can you see it,feel it or begin to understand,
Caress with your spirit, touch it with your hand.
Don't dismiss art just because you don't know,
Plant creativity in your soul and let the seeds grow.
Begin now to think and work outside the box,
Forget the obvious, learn that creativity rocks!
Iain C.
Hey rick, cool video, defos hearaing you about losing the creative flow and how hard it is to get back into it
I lost my creative mojo back in 2015 after my first and only psychosis, so ive been in a limbo of , wanting to be creative but beeing scared of my own creativity.
Im also getting back on the horse for alphabet superset, im looking forward to following your work.
New subscriber here......where do u find them all, that should be ur next secret u reveal ;)
Thanks Sam. That must have been horrible for you mate, but I'm happy to hear you feel ready to get back on the horse. Thanks for subbing, hope you get some value from what i make ✌
Maybe shooting a sunrise isn't the be all and end all of creativity?
Sunset then?! You're right, but sunrise is just an example of the pressures we can put on ourselves.
I'm a complete amateur, but I might get better, because I've decided probably the most important aspect is light. @@RickBebbington
5:08 literally in the exact same place you’re talking about and don’t know what to do about itb
I just don't know what to believe anymore.