Finding Compositions In Kmart
& feeling creatively anxious
My personal photography time has shrunk in the last month or so. I’ve been so busy with various commitments and I haven’t had a chance to shoot as much as I would like.
Luckily I took my camera out on the weekend and whilst browsing the toy section with my son a few pops of colour caught my eye.
I was so pleased I found a few fun things to shoot and I really want to keep reminding you all that it’s not about these long winded trips out or big photo adventures but instead it’s about being realistic and fitting it in where you can. Kmart turned out to be quite the creative adventure for me and that unexpected aspect really gave me a creative thrill!
Something I enjoyed when reading The Creative Act was the chapter on being open and seeing creativity everywhere. When we go about our usual everyday activities we can tend to get tunnel vision and loose our photographic eye. I’m committed to being open to every moment being a possible creative one!
On Being Creatively Anxious
Do you ever feel anxious about all the things you aren’t doing?
When I open my notebooks and look at my long lists of ideas and dreams or I check back at my to do list, I feel so overwhelmed with everything that I yearn to create and bring to life. Do you feel like this?
I start to panic about time and how i’ll fit it all in. How will I give each thing the attention it deserves and execute on my vision!?
This feeling of pure overwhelm leads to so much anxiety that it can just totally paralyse you. I want to get back into bed and hide from the ambition that was so high when I made the to do list. Things flip from excitement about a project or idea to total anxious dread of how it will get done.
The clear answer here is, you’ve got too much on your plate.
Too many balls in the air, too many minds to go mad with as my mother would say.
I’m very much a person that puts pressure on things that I want to achieve and I’m incredibly impatient. Two traits that 100% have a big effect on my creativity.
Knowing who you are and what makes you tap in and tap out, is really important though and I’m trying to use that to my advantage by investigating my days by journalling.
It’s been something I’ve seen so many people talk about over the years and I kinda thought it was bullshit to be honest. Since taking it up for all of March I can say that it’s def not BS.
It’s been a great way to sit down at the end of the day and go “okay - what the fuck went wrong here?” or “what worked today and why was it so good!?”
I’ve been asking these three questions and just writing a short paragraph under each at the end of the day. I’m sharing them in case you want to try or don’t know where to start. I would not recommend starting with a blank page and no prompt because it’s so daunting and you’ll end up talking yourself out of the whole exercise!
What went well today?
What could have been improved?
What are you excited about that’s coming up?
These allow me to summarize the day, unpack the positives first, then the negatives or need for improvement, bookended nicely with another positive that draws my attention to what I have to look forward to and enjoy in the future.
If you feel so inclined please give these a go or add in your own and build form this. Let me know below if you’ve tried journalling before and where you stand on the topic.
You may have noticed that there is now a survey at the bottom of the newsletter. It’s only 3 questions and will take two minutes to fill out so if you have the time I would really appreciate you taking it.
I’m committed to covering topics that are going to be helpful for you and I want to show up in your emails or here on the Substack app with something that’s going to inspire, motivate and encourage you to be the creative person you want to be.
I recently referred to myself as a creative personal trainer for a laugh but I actually think that’s kind of a good term for what I want to be and show up as!
Thanks for reading everyone and I’ll be back on Monday with a new podcast episode/video for you to dive into - this one will be addressing perfectionism which I know is a huge barrier for a lot of artists.
Love Lucy xx
To fit photography in your day is such a good idea. For me it’s the only way to get any photos at all! 😀 I don’t have time for extensive photo walks. If I remember correctly, this is also how Elliot Erwitt got many of his best photos. They were not intentional at all, just “in between” other work.
Creative anxiety is soooo real. I really need to get back to the "3 questions" because for years I did something similar and it really helps you not beat up on yourself and get a better sense of gratitude.
Over the past couple of years I really started to take my camera everywhere with me. Not only that but I force myself to stop and take a picture on the initial instinct. Maybe I used to drive by a scene and be like "oh the light's not right" or "the scene isn't exactly how I want it". Now I'm more inclined to stop and take a shot regardless. And the next day, stop again and again.