Recently I was in a slump “creative wise” I couldn’t find any inspiration (See my EBook Finding Inspiration) I tried some of my self-strategies when the “mojo” goes missing. Even they didn’t work.

Does that matter ? Yes, for me , it does. Being creative feeds something in the inner soul, it is like a photographer who has to get out with the camera constantly or an artist who has to paint. I love the process of thinking of an idea or exploring a thought, looking for elements and having fun in the journey. I can get lost and not think of time or things to do to create an image.

Back to the creative slump. I was listening to music one day and a favourite song came on, one that I have loved for a very long time ~ The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel (I’m playing it as I write this).

For some reason the words spoke to me more than usual. An idea sparked in the brain cells! I listened to the words of the song again. I had an idea to create an image from these words “ Hello darkness my old friend I’ve come to talk with you again” I looked for elements to create a composite image and tell a story based around these words. This is how listening to a song helped me “Find Creative Inspiration” again.

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain

The process

I looked for the background image, then the different elements in my stock library (a combination of my own photos and digital art) I tried different elements some worked others didn’t, then all of a sudden it clicked I was lost in my imagination.

When this happens, I am in the zone, nothing else matters other than telling a story to create an image, in the background I played the song over and over to feel the words. I found having a direction helped the focus and find the“creative inspiration again”.

What next!

Because I enjoyed the process of creating this image, I thought why not create an image for each verse as a self-project. I didn’t set myself a timeline, I just went with it, some days I created an image, other times I gave it some space to rethink what I wanted to create or other days I just wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t do the images in a logical verse order. I just let it happen, yet I felt I had a purpose.

When I wasn’t feeling it I kept playing the song (different versions – I found the original song by Simon & Garfunkel was soothing and the cover by Disturbed was powerful and strong) it helped me in the process) normally I don’t like music with words when creating an image, but I found this helped.

People writing songs that voices never shared
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

Did I struggle with ideas?

Sure did! Some verses I struggled with I didn’t have the elements or the idea I had just didn’t work, then it was back to the drawing board.

One verse made me work in particular, it took me a couple of days to get the concept and the elements together, but it also taught me perseverance and not to give up on an idea.

As I worked through each verse I found a sense of self satisfaction, but also a sadness as I knew I it was coming to the end. I had to give it some breathing space and think about the image I wanted to create for that last verse, and to be honest I had no idea what I wanted to create.

It was also a form of procrastination! I knew I needed to finish the project, but I wasn’t ready to.

To keep the passion alive while I was doing other things I listened to the song over and over to feel the impact of the words, as I did I found ideas would pop in the head.

Another strategy I tried was to have the lyrics open while I was creating an image, this helped me to think what elements would work what wouldn’t. By listening and reading the words it helped my conceptual thinking, set an idea in motion and got the “fire in the belly” happening.

In restless dreams, I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp

Valuable lessons learnt

A couple of weeks and 6 images later I had finished the journey. In the process, I learnt some valuable lessons.

◼ Having a project gave me focus, drive and commitment, as opposed to creating an image for fun or a competition

◼ I learnt to think “outside the box” in my approach to find inspiration again

◼ The project helped my “conceptual thinking” to be creative

◼ Mixing it up keeps the “fire in the belly” alive

◼ Searching my stock library, for elements gave me a purpose and I also found some gems to cut out and use for other images

◼ Shopping list – what elements I didn’t have I went searching for (I looked at digital scrapbooking sites and they were a minefield) it was retail therapy for the creative

◼ When an idea is not working think differently, problem solve or take a breather

And in the naked light, I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening

◼ Photoshop Techniques ~ with this style it is like digital scrapbooking, I had to rethink my layering, composition, colour grading, blending of elements (particularly using digital art) at times it stretched the skills at times

◼ Having no rules to work to I found it liberating, my imagination was the one driving the outcome, not whether I could use this photo or element, which I feel can be restrictive for creativity

◼ I learnt that “showing up” is important ( I have written a Blog on Showing Up)

◼ A body of work that I enjoyed creating and proud of

My Tools of choice

Then the sign said, "The words on the prophets are written on the subway walls
In tenement halls"
And whispered in the sound of silence

◼ Elements ~ a combination of my own photos, fine art textures and digital art I’ve purchased from various sites

◼ Photoshop and Nik Plug In

◼ A song I love

Now what do I do?

I’ve given myself some breathing space before I do another project, life has got in the way and I’ve been creating other images.

But I’ve started to think of a few other songs that I might create another body of work. The idea is “ticking over in the mind”. I found I enjoyed this process and thought why not give it another go.

Stretch yourself

While this may not work for everyone, I found it worked for me and more importantly I enjoyed the process. I like mixing up my style, using different techniques and find enjoyment in creating an image.

Why not try it if the “mojo” is missing it doesn’t have to be a song, start with idea and work to a theme (for example using water as an element).

Find what works for you. Stretch yourself and your skills, look for inspiration in different ways if you are a creative or if a photographer set yourself a mission to photograph the elements you need.

Remember to have fun.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams, I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light, I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
Then the sign said, "The words on the prophets are written on the subway walls
In tenement halls"
And whispered in the sound of silence

Songwriters: Paul Simon / Quentin Evrard