Perspective

Perspective. Everyone has it. Everyone needs it. Sometimes life throws something at us that changes our perspective and other times we purposely seek out a change. The creative person must always look for new perspectives. This is what keeps our art alive and ever changing. Our perspective helps define who we are and where we are going. By sharing it with others we have the abiality to motivate, influence and move peoples emotions. Hopefully in a

positive way. We can open up peoples minds. But what happens when we are not ready for a change. We fight the change, we don't accept the challenge of the change. Our resistance leads to negative thoughts and emotions that stops our creative flow. so how do we work through this creative block. You lay on your back wherever you are, look around, lay on your stomach, look right and look left, get on a ladder and look down. The point is to change how you currently look at the world around you. The successful artist is the one who takes the extra step, literally, who will see the world slightly different changing their perspective. if all else fails, you buy a nice bottle of wine, call a good friend, no doubt something will come out of your conversation that just may get you to look and see a little differently.

Faith Popcorn has predicting trends for over 30 decades. She and her think-tank group have been helping marketing and advertising agencies use trend information to develop marketing strategies for companies to market their products. I have often wondered how having this information would change my own creative endeavors. Would I be able to find the balance of cashing in on selling art based solely on a trend that would be a sure sale and between creating art that I like in hopes that it moves others. Living a creative life does not always pay the bills at first. We are tasked with finding the balance of a sure sale and what moves us as artists. Living a creative life is living a life of faith. Each day I have to have faith in myself knowing that I have a good photographic eye, the ability to see what others do not, the desire to tell the story that others may not have the courage to tell and to find the balance of the sure sale.

Seeing Through Cardboard

There are many times I have been looking but not seeing. Not seeing the obvious before me; overlooking the details; just not seeing a perspective that allows for a creative journey.

A few years ago I took some art classes at a local junior college. One of the assignments was to cut a piece of cardboard in the size of 8 ½ x 11. Then in the middle of it cut out a piece measuring 4 x 6. The goal was to hold it at arms length and look through it to see how it changed my perspective. This helps to break down the vast world and focus on a more detailed perspective of the world.

It can be a challenge to see the details around us without a conscious effort to break it down. It does not matter if we are painting, sketching or photographing what is before; what does matter is that we learn to breakdown the vast and often vague around us to find a perspective that we can capture to translate into an emotion or a segment in time. A perspective is what can move us to tears and motivate us to greatness.

Those just beginning a creative journey try looking through a piece cardboard for a period of time and see how it changes your perspective.

A Creative Life

Living a creative life is an amazing journey for those who are committed to follow their creative dreams and passions. However it has its challenges for those established creators and most definitely for those who are just beginning the journey.

We started DonZa Photography 2 1/2 years ago. No advertising budget and having a full time job has presented challenges to developing a client base. I have been asked, “How do you keep the motivation going and not give up”. The answer is simple: My best days are those spent with my camera in hand. It is the privilege I feel when someone lets us into their lives to photograph them or video a major life event for them. It is the peace in my heart and soul when I am walking in the desert, mountains or woods. It is the friendships I develop with other photographers and mentors I meet along the way.

I believe every person has a creative tendency. The problem is that we are not given the opportunities or the resources at younger ages to really pursue those tendencies. Art programs are the first cuts that happen in schools. If each of us were taught to develop our creative nature as we did with writing and language I believe we would be a much happier and calmer society.

Our creative souls need to be nurtured as much as our emotional selves. It could be in the form of a hobby, storytelling to kids and seniors, creating food recipes; scrap booking, art classes, violin lessons and the list could go for pages. We all want to create. We all want to be moved. We all would like to be able to move people.

I challenge each of you to find a creative outlet. You don’t have to be a Picasso or Ansel Adams. You only need to creative for yourself and have the courage to share a bit of your end result with those around you.