Get Inspired, But Not by Other Photographers

There is nothing worse than feeling the desire to create something amazing, only to look at the work of other photographers and feel that desire slowly fade into dejection and hopelessness. With the advent of social media, we have more access than ever to the work of our peers.

What used to happen in camera clubs, newspapers, and local art galleries, now happens in Facebook groups, 500px, and Pinterest. Since we have easy access to so much work, it's natural that we should look to our peers when we want to be inspired. One click of the mouse and literally millions of photographs are at our fingertips. The problem with this new ability is that it's far too easy to either be influenced so heavily by the work of other photographers that our own creative process is stunted, or to feel so intimidated by the quality of the work that our own efforts seem to pale in comparison. Long ago, I decided that I would never make any serious efforts at landscape photography while Marc Adamus was still walking this earth. Did that rob me of growth in this area of photography? I'll never know. What I have discovered though, is that there are other ways to find inspiration that fire up my personal creativity and stop me from comparing my work to that of my peers.

Here are five places you can look for inspiration that don't include the work of other photographers.

The Written Word

The craft of writing creates mental images by its very nature, with books and poems being particularly suited to inspiring creativity in image makers. What is so desirable about looking for inspiration in the written word is that a thousand people can read the same words and conjure up completely unique mental images. It's a virtual guarantee that if you create the image you've seen in your mind while reading a poem or a book, it will be totally unique to you as an artist.

Music

When I was in sixth grade, my English teacher had all of us students close our eyes and listen to a piece of classical music. When the music was over, he asked us to write what the music created in our minds. It was incredibly effective as a creative writing exercise, but it is also a great way to let your mind be inspired by something purely emotional without someone else influencing your mental pictures with words. You don't need to listen to classical music to get inspiration this way, you can certainly get inspiration from any song, whether is has lyrics or not. The next time you're listening to music around the house, write down the mental images you get and see if this works for you.

Your Past

Think of something that affected you profoundly, so much that you've never forgotten how it happened or how it made you feel. Some of the most powerful pieces of art I've ever seen were created out of the personal pain, grief, joy, or hope of the artist. Your past is full of inspiration that is unique to you while also carrying with it the universal connection that anyone who has ever experienced something similar will feel. It can also be incredibly cathartic to connect yourself to your past, or free yourself from it, through the act of creation.

History

History is rife with amazing stories, mythologies, exotic traditions, interesting clothing, inspiring heroes, and despicable villains. All the inspiration you could hope for can be found in the pages of a history book, or with a quick Google search. This is also a great place to look for inspiration to create imagery that people will immediately feel connected to, since we are all linked by shared history.

Other Art Forms

Searching through the artwork of painters, sculptors, and other artists who work in visual media is a fantastic way to expose yourself to compelling imagery that can inspire you to create masterworks of your own. The best part is that the difference in art form removes the competitive quality that naturally occurs when looking at the work of your peers. It has the added bonus of exposing you to different artistic mindsets, from Monet's love affair with light to Michelangelo's skill with form.

Once you have the idea for your work, it's up to you to develop and nurture it until you've got all the ingredients to create a photograph you love.

Of course there are more than five ways to be inspired, and there is nothing wrong with gaining inspiration from the work of other photographers, but these five ways will remove the danger of intimidation and reduce the risk that you'll reproduce another artists work too closely.