"day 49: creativity block" by Jessica <3's you! on Flickr
I was exploring some of the groups on Flickr.com that feature the work of Christians. Some if the work is really amazing… some of it is really cheesy.
One of the things that I love about Flickr (and have been missing since my camera broke) is the interaction of the artistic community. There’s a sort of esprit des corps among the participants (especially in the groups) that allows for encouraging words, honest critique and artistic development.
My photography improved measurably when I was participating in the discussion regularly.
But the format also allows broad room for one of the most rewarding and challenging creative endeavors:
Experimenting.
Left to my own devices, I like to do the same thing again and again. There are two specific locations near my home in Denver that I really enjoy shooting. One is a hilltop park with views of the Continental Divide. The other is a small chapel adjacent to a mountain retreat near Rocky Mountain National Park.
Experimentation does not come naturally to me, but in these two locations (where I have already shot the most obvious images) I find myself looking for new angles, different perspectives and unusual compositions. In this case, my familiarity with the subject has given me the opportunity to experiment.
I’ve seen this at work in other artistic areas as well.
The choreographer that I am working with on Godspell has, on several occasions, tried out moves that she can “see being really cool” in her head. Most of the time, it works brilliantly… Other times: not so much..
I’ve known directors that would be nervous about any level of experimentation, but I love it. And I LOVE the way she goes about it. One time, she even expressed the nature of the experiment out loud…
“Let’s try this and see if it works.”
While this particular young lady comes to the table with a broad understand of dance and choreography, as well as years of experience as a dancer, she knows that there is pure awesomeness lying just outside the realm of what she knows. She also understands that the only way to get at that awesomeness is to risk trying a move that is untested.
When leaders in a project can have this experimental approach, it invites collaboration, creativity and risk-taking from the entire team. I can’t wait until I get the opportunity to see the cast take this process to the parables in the show’s script.
So, the encouragement is to risk an experiment… You never know what beauty you might discover that was just beyond your conscious grasp.
What kinds of successes (or spectacular wrecks) have you experiences with your artistic experiments?
