Stay Inspired in the Online World

 

The question of how to stay inspired in a creative career is always a big one. We live in such a busy world which is filled with the noise of the online world surrounding us. Social media, emails, television – the abundance of information and advertising is in our faces all day everyday.

To stay inspired as a photographer is so important in a visual world to keep motivated and ideas fresh. When I was first starting out I would follow a lot of photographers on social media. I would read their blogs and try to emulate their work. I would learn about the techniques they use and teach them to myself. Although this in part helped me learn, it didn’t really inspire me. In fact it made me lose confidence through comparison which we all know is the thief of joy!

These days I choose a much more pared back method. I choose to strip back my weekends and spend less time with technology. If I’m not out shooting a wedding – I often keep my phone in my bedroom (usually plugged in, as I’m hopeless at keeping it charged!). Having this time to reflect and just be present really recharges me. Luke and I spend lots of weekend time with Erik where we go hiking, visit the dog park or just stroll suburbia with zero interruptions from messages, emails or the thought of ‘oh I must google that right now!!’.

A lot of my inspiration comes from this recharging time and finding inspiration in the following;

1. Spending time in nature by watching the sun setting, seeing patterns in foliage, hiking in beautiful parks and forests or even watching the interactions of strangers.
2. Architecture with its interesting lines, materials and shadows have always inspired me. I’ve loved architecture since I was a child and wanted to become an architect for a long time. To this day buildings, no matter what their age, give me all the feels.
3.  Reading books and magazines is a love of mine. I’m a big reader and love visiting the library.  I prefer paper to screen as it slows me down and make me appreciate the art more than quickly casting my eyes over a screen and quickly moving on. Not only am I partial to photography books and industry magazines to keep up to date with trends and techniques to keep my thinking fresh but also novels and biographies for the human element. Check out some of my fave photography books here.
4. Gardening and getting close to the earth. I know it may sound like I’m either over 70 years old or a hippy, but I love to garden! Watching seedlings sprout, plants flower and the seasons changing is so astonishing. Maintaining my garden, digging weeds and giving old plants new life gives me energy and relaxes me.
5. Holidays are always inspiring. Getting out and seeing new cultures, forgetting routine and visiting new places. During the winter, when wedding season is slow is the perfect time for me to holiday. It freshens my eyes and ideas to see new things and travel to new places. This past Winter, Luke and I escaped to the Otways and along the Great Ocean Road and it was just what I needed to reset my creativity before the upcoming wedding season.

On our trip through the Otways, Luke and I had limited access to the net. It was so relaxing to get into nature and hike trail without any knowledge of the outside world – anything could have happened in the world and we wouldn’t have known. I like to call it the ‘nature bubble’. Below are some snaps.