Creative Energy

marcin wuu wrote, in the comments to yesterday's post:

Hey Mike, did you notice how your articles come in phases, or waves, connected by subject? There's a Leica phase, Apple phase, Film phase, I Bought a New Camera phase, Pool phase etc? We're past the Leica, are we entering Camera Bags?  ;-)

It's true. That happens.

I believe it's mostly organic, though; for instance, after yesterday's post we were talking not so much about camera bags as stolen equipment, and a number of people have stories relating to that; those stories lead to other thoughts on the subject, which lead to more stories, and so on. The same post could have led in some other direction, perhaps assisting on jobs and not getting credit, or working for fathers or family members, or something like that. But that's not the direction it took.

I'm sure I direct it sometimes, emphasis intended, because it might be something I'm preoccupied with. The reason I claim it's organic, though, is that it happens the way it happens. That's what I've observed over many years of doing this. For instance, we could be talking about Kurt Markus right now and, let's say, what it means to photograph cowboys in the modern West, whether it's valid documentary or more like romantic nostalgia. But we're not. But there have been no comments on the Kurt Markus post, but a number of comments about my father's stolen bag.

Over the years, I've come to think of it as "energy." Some subjects have energy, others don't.

I do respond to the energy, too. Sometimes I'll wait to put up a new post because the last one is still getting a lot of response; the energy is there and I don't want to dampen it. Other times I'll work hard on a post but it doesn't get much of a response. In those cases I need to move on; no energy.

It's not 100% up to me. I try to create energy for pool, sometimes, hoping to do my little part to increase the fan base for my chosen sport, but my readers come here because of their interest in photography, and I don't have a godlike power to rewire their brains and redirect their interest. One way I got schooled about this was that, early on, when the audience was bigger, I had a great power to influence people buying books—did you know there were a number of books that we sold more than 500 copies of through our links? One surpassed 800 sales. That's influencing power! Especially considering that a full print run of a photography book might be 3,000 copies. But, when I've tried to recommend other books unrelated to photography, do you know how many we would sell? Six, maybe. Or 12, sometimes three, sometimes none. So it wasn't me...it was me + the predisposition of the self-selected audience, who were here because of their pre-existing and independent interest in photography. In short, Marcin's "phases and waves" are created by my energy plus your energy.

Heck, the site itself exists because it generated energy. I started this blog pretty convinced I would never have the discipline to write as much as one post a day, and my "stretch goal"—which seemed very unlikely to happen—was to keep it going for one full year (I had written a blog about politics prior to this one—it wasn't very good—that lasted about a year). Well, at its peak I was sustaining an average of something like 2.4 posts a day, and next November 28th we'll hit our 17th birthday, God willing. TOP has had energy.

Apply the concept to art
The idea of "energy" is significant because the same thing happens with creative work. You might have noticed it: sometimes you get what you think is a really good idea for a project, and and you strategize for it and gear up for it, but, when you get into it, it sputters...for some reason it doesn't "take." Like trying to start a fire and failing. How I experience it is that I don't have the energy for it. Literally, in that I feel logy and dispirited when I try to apply myself. Hence the term energy. Other times, you'll seize upon a subject and take off. Sometimes it might even surprise you, how much energy it has. Hard work doesn't seem like work, enthusiasm carries you along, and you might even take it further than you first intended. It can feel almost like it's not even up to you. If you read enough biographies of artists, you begin to notice how they find their energy as they work out what it is they're supposed to do in life, how they arrive at their mature styles and concerns. It might not be magical, but it sure is fascinating.

If you're creative, you have to be sensitive to the energy, I think*. And willing to have the courage to make changes based on it.

Maybe that's another topic; but let's see how much energy this post creates.  :-)

Mike

P.S. Does anyone remember a saying about how a plan is an ambition with a deadline or something like that? I can't remember it or find it.

*One of my personal foibles is that I'm too dogged. I keep trying to do things even after I've found out I'm no good at them. You wouldn't believe how long I thought I was going to make a living as a portrait photographer. I had some early successes doing that kind of work—I did a lot of it and made some good money—but I have very little knack for business, and as a main business I failed at it—not just failed, but failed blatantly, comically, decisively, over and over again. It was clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was not going to succeed as a portraitist full time. But somehow I continued to not get the picture. The Universe didn't just have to whack me with the "Get-a-Clue" stick; it had to beat me repeatedly with the Get-a-Clue 2x4. (I still think I'd like to be a portraitist sometimes. I carry around various pet schemes in my head. They've been there a long time and doubtless won't die until I do. Success at these schemes is certainly possible, with the caveat that I'd merely have to be a different person than the person I am. To be good at business you need to be not just realistic but boldly realistic, I suspect.)

Book o' the Week:

Inspiration Leica Akademie (English and German Edition). A "group show" of 76 Leica Akademie photographers from 16 countries worldwide, curated by Heidi and Robert Mertens. It looks to me like this is going out of print soon, so act soon if you want one.

The book link is your portal to Amazon from TOP, should you choose to support the site.

Link to B&H Photo

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Grant (partial comment): "There is too much energy on the TOP site. My life is consumed by the articles that you post. There are too many fascinating links that I have not yet had the time to follow. I have three recommended books only partially read and two more still in the wrappers. Please, I need a break. The dandelions on my lawn are mocking me. Perhaps a food and diet phase would give me time to catch up on my life."

Mike replies: Dandelion greens are very healthy for you in salads.

Kirk: "I believe in the discipline of work. The more you work the more it flows."

Kenneth Brayton: "I have no energy for indoor photography. Just not there no matter how much I try. During COVID I have tried. But whenever I get outdoors it is a whole different level of energy. And much better results. Remember the days of 'Good Vibrations'? There is something to that."

 

Comments

[MikeR]

Try Elizabeth Gilbert's "BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR."

Basic theme seems to be, ideas are "out there" in the ether, looking for a home, and one may decide that you're "it", if you're receptive and welcoming, and willing to put in the work. If you don't do the work, it goes away and finds somebody else. If you do the work, it gives you energy to persist.

[David Dyer-Bennet]

Ebb and flow of creative energy is one of the major forces involved in giving rise to the pile of 80% complete projects around here.

[Grant]

There is too much energy on the TOP site. My life is consumed by the articles that you post. There are too many fascinating links that I have not yet had the time to follow. I have three recommended books only partially read and two more still in the wrappers. Please, I need a break. The dandelions on my lawn are mocking me. Perhaps a food and diet phase would give me time to catch up on my life.

As for your Photography Is Too Expensive phase and your Leica phase, try sticking a red dot on a Lumix DMC-LX100. It has a simple and understandable layout, with a Leica lens and a Panasonic price. In the words of my two favourite philosophers, Jagger & Richards, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, well, you just might find, you get what you need.”

[Bob G.]

You will find the energy if the idea drive you nuts and won't let go.

[Jim Arthur]

I remember the saying as...a goal is a dream with a deadline but don't know the source.

[Mark Jennings]

I think Leonard Bernstein said something like: the key to great work is a good plan and not quite enough time to carry it off.

[Dave]

How's this?

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

(https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/87476-a-goal-without-a-plan-is-just-a-wish)