Gerard Maas Images

Experimenting with something different is a two sided coin: A risk of failing and the ONLY way to break usual patterns and grow your artistic vision. “Failure” is on itself a success when you learn from it and contributes to your growth, so in turn it’s a win-win situation each time you cross the barrier of the comfort zone. Of course, that’s personal growth, but when working with other people there’s an additional element to take into consideration: expectations. People you work with like to see good, nice results. Then failure is not an option, would you say? How do you grow, then? That win-win situation from the beginning is turned back to the flat line of the comfort zone just because of the expectations from others.
How to manage both? One method I’ve found practical, is to move in and out of your comfort zone in a way that you can manage and fulfil the expectations of your work and at the same time grow your artistic value. For a photo shoot this translates in getting a couple of good images in the pocket and then moving to the exploratory areas. Just make sure you have a good idea of what to explore, not to make the other party nervous.
Communication is a key enabler in this process.
So, get the creative juices going, just know how to control the flow.
-gerard.

Tags: creativity, innovation, reflection