{"id":36850,"date":"2016-12-24T03:11:36","date_gmt":"2016-12-24T11:11:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?page_id=36850"},"modified":"2016-12-24T03:12:34","modified_gmt":"2016-12-24T11:12:34","slug":"how-to-be-a-more-imaginative-photographer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/how-to-be-a-more-imaginative-photographer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be a More Imaginative Photographer"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hanoi,
Hanoi, 2016 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One thing I realize that we are lacking today is imagination.<\/p>\n

We always think that we will be more creative if we buy a new camera, a new lens, or a new gadget.<\/p>\n

But in reality, the limit of our creativity is our own imagination.<\/p>\n

I wish I were a kid again<\/h2>\n

Do you remember when you were a kid, and how imaginative you were? You probably weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t constantly distracted or entertained by an iPad. You probably were bored a lot, and had to create \u00e2\u20ac\u0153imaginary friends\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to keep you company.<\/p>\n

You would sometimes daydream. You would lie on the grass with your friends, and look at the clouds. You would think about the future. You would imagine what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d become when you grew up. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d imagine the future technologies, and wondered whether we would have home robots like the Jetsons (unfortunately, the Roomba is the closest thing we got).<\/p>\n

Where does imagination come from?<\/h2>\n

The problem in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s world is that there isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t enough imagination.<\/p>\n

Why not?<\/p>\n

My hypothesis: imagination requires boredom, as well as lack of external stimuli.<\/strong> However we are always being constantly distracted, and stimulated by our screens. By our iPads, our iPhones, our laptops, and devices. We are constantly scrolling through endless feeds on social media, and we have to check out email (even for 1 second) when waiting for the bathroom.<\/p>\n

When is the last time you were bored? I know that personally, I hate being bored\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and I cannot stand not<\/em> doing anything. The only time I can really relax and come up with good ideas is when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m walking (not listening to music), or taking a shower. These are the only times that I usually don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a device or a screen to my face.<\/p>\n

Will the future be less imaginative?<\/h2>\n

I want to be a kid again, and imagine more. I am saddened to hear that most kids nowadays don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have imaginary friends. They have YouTube friends. They have their iPads. They aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t forced to rely on their own imagination to come up with fun.<\/p>\n

How to imagine more as a photographer<\/h2>\n

Here are some things I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve personally been trying to do in my life to be more imaginative:<\/p>\n

1. Allowing myself to be bored<\/h3>\n

One of the things I fear is boredom. This is why I always have tons of ebooks, my laptop, and smartphone close at hand.<\/p>\n

However by default, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m trying to turn off my devices when I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really need them. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m trying to learn how to embrace boredom.<\/p>\n

Generally when I (have) been bored in the past, that is when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m finally able to let my mind relax, and come up with new ideas. I remember the most imaginative things I did as a kid was from my lack<\/em> of toys.<\/p>\n

The refrigerator box turned into a space ship. I learned how to draw as a kid, just to entertain myself. I would role-play with my sister to pass the time.<\/p>\n

Honestly, it sometimes sucks being an adult. I feel I was a bigger dreamer when I was younger, than I am now. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to try to keep my phone off as much as possible, to help stimulate my imagination.<\/p>\n

2. Look at less photos<\/h3>\n

I feel that it is a good idea to get inspiration from other photographers. Yet, when we are children \u00e2\u20ac\u201d we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need \u00e2\u20ac\u0153inspiration\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from other artists to draw, paint, or photograph.<\/p>\n

I feel that the real world is the best place for inspiration. So perhaps as an assignment, let us spend less<\/em> time looking at other people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s photography, and spend more time coming up with our own imaginative ideas.<\/p>\n

3. Eliminate \u00e2\u20ac\u0153impossible\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from your vocabulary<\/h2>\n

If you really want to be more imaginative, remove the word \u00e2\u20ac\u0153impossible\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from your vocabulary. If you set limitations on reality, you will never imagine truly great and wonderful things.<\/p>\n

As kids, we have unlimited ambition. We want to be astronauts, presidents, and change the world.<\/p>\n

Yet the older we get, the more jaded we become. We start to think more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153rationally\u00e2\u20ac\u009d rather than imaginatively.<\/p>\n

Nothing is impossible. The only limit we have is our own minds, and imagination.<\/p>\n

Child\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind<\/h2>\n

Once again, let us try to become kids again\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to become children. Let us un-lock the inner-child in ourselves, to re-spark our creativity.<\/p>\n

Always,
\nEric<\/p>\n

Learn more: Creativity ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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