Searching for guidance and inspiration ?

As photographers we need inspiration to produce ‘creative’ imagery. It is something we constantly strive for, sometimes ideas flow freely whilst at other times we hit a wall and not sure where to look next for our inspiration.

I recently had one such period when inspiration and creative juices seemed to dry up. Whilst looking for inspiration I came across a book entitled The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp. Now I must admit that until that moment I had not heard of Twyla Tharp but after reading the book reviews I decided to purchased a copy. I am so glad that I did, it is a wonderful book to read, a book full of common sense and good practical advice on inspiration and the creative mindset.

Twyla Tharp is a dancer and choreographer and whilst many of the examples in her book are drawn from her dance experience much is relevant to photographers and indeed many genres of aspiring artists.

“The philosophy is straightforward – the act of being creative is something that has to be worked at and constantly nurtured”

Twyla discusses having a structured and disciplined approach to her creative efforts and the power and merit of doing so. Furthermore she eloquently conveys in a very engaging way the message of consistency and dedication to the creative process. Personally, I rarely do “exercises” in books, but having read the book and being inspired by it I am determined to complete the exercises in this book and look forward to applying the new found knowledge to my life and photography.