A thought:
Focus on your physical and photographic (art) fitness in order to become a more productive photographer and visual artist.
Fitness
I like the notion of “fitness” (thinking about Charles Darwin). Fitness as related to evolution, adaptation, and strength.
This is my thought:
What if the more physically fit you were, the more artistically fit you were?
For example what if you prioritized your physical fitness (diet, exercise) — would this make you a more productive artist?
This means:
- Walk a lot
- Lift heavy weights (powerlifting, deadlift), or body weight exercises (chin-ups, pistol one legged squats, pushups, planches)
- Prioritize your diet (ketogenic diet + intermittent fasting)
- Sleep 8+ hours a night (if possible)
- Lots of black coffee during the day, no stimulants in the evening.
- No alcohol or drugs (not a moral thing — a mere physical productivity thing)
Why fitness in photography?
Thinking of the notion of “artistic/photo fitness” is a good one. We need to be physically and artistically sharp to maximize our creative productivity.
Shooting photos is like physical exercise — the more you do it, the stronger you become.
At this point, I treat photography as visual exercise. The more photos I shoot, the more artistically fit I become.
Visual food
Go to exhibitions, museums, read books, or upload your photos/give critique on arsbeta.com.
For example I was at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC and found a treasure chest of visual inspiration:
You can discover visual inspiration anywhere and everywhere.
Study the masters
Study the masters — their compositions and philosophies to inspire you to become more visually fit.
For example, Henri Cartier-Bresson:
Or W. Eugene Smith:
Conclusion
Shoot everyday, study visual art everyday, and never stop striving for more!
ERIC