{"id":86341,"date":"2018-05-09T23:37:21","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T06:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=86341"},"modified":"2018-05-09T23:37:53","modified_gmt":"2018-05-10T06:37:53","slug":"how-to-find-more-inspiration-and-motivation-in-your-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/09\/how-to-find-more-inspiration-and-motivation-in-your-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find More Inspiration and Motivation in Your Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"86362\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/10\/tokio-diary-iv\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?fit=3712%2C2480&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"3712,2480\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;DC-G9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1525601404&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;12&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"eric kim street photogrpahy tokyo 2018-1033432\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?fit=2000%2C1336&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432-1500x1002.jpg?resize=1500%2C1002\" alt=\"lips\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1002\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-86362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?resize=1500%2C1002&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?resize=768%2C513&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?resize=2000%2C1336&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?resize=830%2C555&amp;ssl=1 830w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?resize=600%2C401&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?w=3000&amp;ssl=1 3000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/> to<\/p>\n<p>To thrive as photographers and artists, we need both inspiration and motivation. But what&#8217;s the difference, and how do we keep our creative flame alive?<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Inspiration<\/strong>: Finding novel ideas from other artists, or from life in general.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Motivation<\/strong>: Having the desire to make stuff, and actually making stuff.<\/p>\n<p>In American English, we use the two terms interchangeably. But realize that they&#8217;re both different (but both essential).<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>How to find more inspiration<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Create Like a Child! Musings at Studio Ghibli Museum\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kww8HphYs5o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For myself, I find inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. I find inspiration when I see children exploring the world, letting their <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/23\/retain-your-childlike-naivete\/\">child-like naivete<\/a> lead them.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kichijoji Park Walking Zen Photography Meditation 1\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Z8jNNgrjkqg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I find inspiration by going to photography\/art museums, exhibitions, and inspiration from nature. I find inspiration studying the <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/learn-from-the-masters\/\">work of other master photographers<\/a> (see <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/product\/masters-volume-i-mobile\/\">MASTERS MOBILE EDITION<\/a>), and also other master artists like <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/10\/11\/10-lessons-pablo-picasso-can-teach-you\/\">Picasso<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/20\/10-lessons-matisse-can-teach-you-about-art-and-life\/\">Matisse<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/15\/claude-monet\/\">Monet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Studio Ghibli Museum GOPRO FUSION VIRTUAL REALITY TOUR: Roof + Castle in the Sky Robot\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/w05uaYw02Vg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I also think a lot of photographers can find inspiration from <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/cinema\/\">cinema<\/a> and film. I have got a ton of inspiration from the films by Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, and pretty much all the films). There is a child-like sense of wonder in these films, as well as all the Pixar films. When I feel a bit jaded in life, or need some inspiration, watching these &#8220;child&#8221; films are great for my creativity.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>How to find more motivation to make more photos<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tokyo Crossing Guard Street Portrait GOPRO FUSION POV OVERCAPTURE \/ ERIC KIM\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZFtPG0MOWtk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In photography, practical things which have given me more motivation:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Seek to teach others your photography technique:<\/strong> Shooting with a <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/09\/new-tokyo-gopro-fusion-pov-street-photography-youtube-videos\/\">GoPro Fusion<\/a> on top of my <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/06\/panasonic-lumix-g9-pro-leica-14mm-f-1-4-lens-review-for-street-photography\/\">new Lumix G9 Pro<\/a> has given me more motivation to shoot! I feel more purposeful to shoot (and teach at the same time), rather than just shoot. To me this is a double-bonus: I make more photos for myself (which brings me more joy\/happiness in life), and I also teach\/empower\/inspire\/motivate other photographers. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Walk more<\/strong>: The best way to find more motivation is to walk a lot&#8211; walk more, and you will see more photo opportunities! I also recommend picking up a good camera strap (like the HENRI NECK STRAP, ERIC KIM NECK STRAP, or HENRI WRIST STRAP &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Eric-Kim-Photography\/pages\/15272203011\">see all products on Amazon<\/a> or our <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/shop\/\">HAPTIC SHOP<\/a>). I like to wear my camera on me like a <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wear-your-camera-like-a-necklace-or-bracelet\/\">bracelet or necklace<\/a>&#8212; when you have your camera always on you and ready, you will shoot more! And the more you shoot, the happier you will be.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Experiment more in photography<\/strong>: Don&#8217;t keep shooting the same way for the rest of your life. Experiment! Shoot <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/film\">film<\/a>, shoot with your <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/phone\">phone<\/a>, start new <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/10\/7-simple-photography-project-ideas\/\">photography projects<\/a>, or experiment with a new focal length (<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/18\/how-to-shoot-street-photography-with-a-24mm-lens\/\">24mm<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/02\/how-to-shoot-street-photography-with-a-28mm-lens\/\">28mm<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/11\/how-to-shoot-street-photography-on-a-35mm-lens\/\">35mm<\/a>).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Think about <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/07\/do-you-plan-on-shooting-until-you-die\/\">shooting until you die<\/a><\/strong>: I think true happiness in life is making new stuff. New photos, new artistic projects, and to innovate new processes\/techniques\/approaches. Therefore, don&#8217;t think of your photography as a social-media rat race of getting more likes and followers. Instead, think of being selfish to yourself as a photographer&#8211; to make photos for yourself that bring you joy, in order to find inspiration to make photos until the day you die!<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/16\/why-you-should-delete-your-instagram\/\">Delete Instagram<\/a><\/strong>: Honestly, this is the best thing I&#8217;ve done for my motivation in photography&#8211; less worries about uploading photos to please others on Instagram, and more focus on shooting for myself, and also <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/21\/why-you-must-own-your-own-platform\/\">investing in my own platform<\/a> (this blog). This has helped me innovate more and have more fun&#8211; sharing more photos that are silly and not &#8220;serious&#8221;, and also finding more motivation to share <em>BOTH<\/em> photography and video (<a href=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/erickimphotography\">see my new youtube videos<\/a>). To be honest, if you want to innovate more in your photography, I recommend you to <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/25\/how-to-start-your-own-photography-youtube-channel\/\">start your own YouTube channel<\/a> (learn more in my new course, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.udemy.com\/photography-entrepreneurship\/?couponCode=ERICKIMPHOTO_UDEMY\">Ultimate Beginner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship<\/a>&#8220;.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Related articles on motivation and photography:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Photography Motivation: The Uninhibited Genius of Being a Beginner Photographer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2cr4UTZeJ58?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/04\/11-tips-how-to-shoot-more\/\">11 Tips to Shoot More<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/16\/3-secrets-that-have-resparked-my-passion-for-photography\/\">3 secrets that have re-sparked my passion for photography<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/03\/27\/7-tips-how-to-shoot-more-photos\/\">7 Tips to Shoot More Photos<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"STAY TRUE TO YOUR BEGINNER&#039;S MIND IN PHOTOGRAPHY!\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/13Ha6VmzsdQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/youtube.com\/erickimphotography\">New YouTube Videos<\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Here are some new YouTube videos hopefully which will spark some new ideas in you and your photographic approach!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How I Work in Lightroom + TOKIO v4 \/\/ Free Lightroom Classic CC Presets 2018\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/C1rpigfz7j0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How I Work: Making Photography Slideshow in iMovie and Editing Workflow\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R3knDipZhUM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TOKIO DIARY III \/\/ BEATS BY KIM VOLUME II\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lnVOqCcOPq4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>NEVER STOP SHOOTING!<br \/>\nERIC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>to To thrive as photographers and artists, we need both inspiration and motivation. But what&#8217;s the difference, and how do we keep our creative flame alive?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":86362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/eric-kim-street-photogrpahy-tokyo-2018-1033432.jpg?fit=3712%2C2480&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86341"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86460,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86341\/revisions\/86460"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}