Do You Want to Become a More Creative Photographer? Become a Lone Wolf

Creativity is remarkable, but some photographers seem better at it than others, don't they? Here's how to unleash your creative potential, but only if you want to break away from the sheep.

It's sometimes difficult to put your finger on, but creativity is an ability to bring together new, imaginative ideas and forge them into reality. It is often about connecting unrelated phenomena to come up with something new and exciting. Creative photographers see the world in new ways and find innovative approaches by looking at the world differently. Far from being sheep and part of the flock, they are lone wolves out on an adventure.

What Is Creative Photography?

Before we decide we want to be creative we have to understand what creativity is.

According to the psychologist and Professor at the University of California, Donald W. McKinnon, it doesn't have a single precise definition. Instead, he says it is a multi-faceted phenomenon split into four parts.

1. The Creative Process

Firstly, he said that there is the Creative Process. That process in itself has five stages:

a. A period of preparation.

b. A period of concentrated effort to solve the problem.

c. A period of withdrawal from the problem.

d. A moment of insight; the “a-ha experience.”

e. A period of evaluation where one verifies and elaborates on the outcome.

2. The Creative Product

McKinnon argues that to be a creative product the work, be it art, a scientific theory, architecture, and presumably  photography, it must meet three criteria:

a) Novelty

The creative product must be original and not a direct and deliberate copy of someone else's work.

However, he said that the most creative products are those that are novel or original in the experience of a civilization or mankind in its entirety. Therefore, he's suggesting that someone discovering depth of field for themselves hasn't achieved a creative product. I am not so sure I agree with this as it seems to make creativity an exclusive club. I believe anyone can be creative, even if they are not producing world-first art.

b) Purpose

He says that a creative product must have a purpose and be deliberately there to solve a problem or achieve a specific goal. By this, he means as opposed to a happy accident.

c) Produced

He also said that the creative product must be able to be "sustained, evaluated, elaborated, developed, and communicated." For that, the creative product must be produced. So, you have to go out and take the photo and not just talk about it.

3. The Creative Person

McKinnon’s research found that, although many creative people had different attributes, they invariably had some common traits. These traits apply to both artistically creative people and those in other fields, such as science or business.

He said that creative people are intelligent. However, there was no correlation between measured intelligence (IQ) and how their creative work is judged, nor their academic performance at school. They are, however, independent of thought and action and open to experiences of both the inner self and the external world. Furthermore, they are highly motivated to achieve in areas that challenge and interest them while far less motivated in areas that require them to conform.

The creative person invariably thinks most highly of the theoretical and aesthetic, seeking out a deeper meaning beyond that which is presented to their senses.

However, McKinnon claimed that the most "salient mark" of a creative person has a type of courage. This is not the kind of courage that is exhibited by those awarded medals for bravery. Instead, it is the courage that allows the creative person to challenge the generally accepted norms. It’s the courage to think differently from others, to break down common constructs and build something new. It’s the courage to be open to different external and internal experiences.

4. The Creative Situation

Creativity requires an environment that allows the creative person to be creative.

Using college enrollment as an example, he said that if a college wishes to admit mainly those who will do well academically, it should give preference to those whose grades in high school are good and whose scores on tests of scholastic aptitude are high. This is indeed the entry requirement of most universities. However, if a college seeks students with creative potential, it should instead inquire about the creative accomplishments of its applicants during their high school years or even earlier in their lives. He showed that these are the best predictors of creative achievement both in college and afterward.

There's a lesson here for all of us about the environment we allow children to grow up in.

McKinnon went on to point out that creative persons are independent in thought and action. He said that it is this independence of spirit that probably accounts for the zero level of correlation between their academic grades and their subsequently demonstrated creativeness.

Put simply, in other words, the most creative souls are lone wolves and not sheep following the flock.

Do Our Education Systems Fail Young Creative Minds?

Some time ago, I was walking around a gallery of high school students' artwork, including photography. There was one photographic artist whose work stood out miles beyond what anyone else had produced. It was truly original and absolutely stunning. I spoke to the art teacher who told me the person would probably fail the course because they hadn't done the academic research.

Meanwhile, another student whose paintings were better than I could do, but nowhere near as compelling as others, was likely to pass with the highest grades just because they had met the fixed academic criteria.

There’s surely something wrong with any sausage-machine education system where creativity isn’t rewarded, and artists are shoehorned into fitting in with the crowd and are pushed into aiming at solely academic achievement.

What Does That Mean for Photographers?

If creativity involves the capacity to create something fresh and novel, then we should have an environment around us that nurtures that. It's never too late to find that environment. There are plenty of supportive photographers in the world. But, there is also a fair share of those who lack both creative talent and the ability to help others progress; those things seem to go hand-in-hand.

You can be sure that those who react badly to non-conformist ideas are often those who are least creative, while the most creative people will break the rules. Creative lone wolves tend to be independent in their thoughts and actions, marching to the beat of their own drum, and resisting societal norms. They may have an interest in disorder and imbalance. Independence is crucial, allowing creators to express radical ideas and unconventional work.

You Can Become a Creative Lone Wolf Photographer

If you want to be more creative, you can, of course, learn to be so. I can’t tell you exactly what you should do because that will be my creative ideas, not yours. But there are frameworks you can use that are proven to work.

One useful tool for this I found is NAOMIE. It stands for:

N: Need (Identifying the problem or need), e.g., I need to become more creative.

A: Aims (Set clear goals), e.g., I aim to improve my creativity with a particular project by the end of the month.

O: Objectives (Defining specific outcomes), e.g., Starting tomorrow, I will set out to take 36 photos. They will be a unique theme, using unusual techniques, and equipment. I will narrow this down to twelve images that I will be happy to share.

M: Methodology, means listing the exact actions you are going to take to achieve those objectives.

I: Implementation (Putting your plan into action). Go out and do it!

E: Evaluation (Assessing the results and impact). How well did it work? What went wrong? What can you learn from it? What do you need to do next? This, of course, takes you back to the start with new needs.

NAOMIE is a continuous process, and the more you follow it, the further along a creative journey you will travel.

Mix and match what already exists in inventive ways. Most creative geniuses take whatever already exists and mix it up in new ways. Look at your camera’s functions and think about how you have learned to use them and approach them differently.

Next, adopt a mindset that takes you away from the flock in as many ways as possible. In photography, particularly, there is an overwhelming demand for compliance. A vociferous minority acts as gatekeepers for a set of widely accepted rules that you are expected to comply with. Just look at the anger fired at anyone who dares to suggest that it is okay to approach photography differently.

Whether it’s trying a different way of photographing, using an out-of-the-ordinary camera or an unusual lens, or choosing a different depth of field or shutter speed, those lacking a creative spirit will attempt to put you down. But be brave and challenge the culture of conformity.

Finally, be playful. Imagine and experiment. Take time to think about what you want, and then sleep on it and daydream. Your subconscious mind will work on it and help you discover your next step on your creative journey.

Which Are You, A Sheep or a Lone Wolf?

There's nothing wrong with either of these approaches. Many professional photographers shoot like sheep because their clients will expect a particular result. But other photographers break away from the norms and the ordinary and explore creativity. It's just two different approaches and neither is wrong.

In answer to my title, you may or may not want to embrace more creativity. Inside you'll know whether you are a sheep and happy as part of the flock following the lead of the majority, or a lone wolf, taking risks and out exploring the unknown.

Do you see yourself as either a sheep or a lone wolf? Are you deliberately copying the approach you see in other people's work to conform? Do you use particular equipment because it's what the majority do? Or, do you want to break free from the flock? Perhaps you are already the type of photographer who wants to always discover a new approach and find different kinds of results. It will be great to hear your thoughts in the comments.