Creating with Intention

I recently read an essay by poet Adrian Matejka in which he wrote, "Poetry is built on pieces of the interior even as it is rendered for the public." And elsewhere in the essay, "The art of poetry is, at its heart, about elevating--language, sound, heroes, and myths...." *

I categorize poetry, along with music, among the highest levels of creative expression. Thanks to many pioneers of photographic history, photography is also on that list, albeit, perhaps lower. However, I do not think it wise to categorize the creative effort. Yes, in the art world such a thing happens. And yes, I just opened this little essay by doing exactly that. But in the broader sense, regardless of how we choose to express ourselves, our efforts should be considered of equal measure. Some efforts, a very small portion, will resonate to such a degree that the expression will last and be shared and be experienced over and again. But for most of us our creative expression is ours alone, but for a few friends with whom we share it. 

Consider Matejka's comment, Poetry is built on pieces of the interior even as it is rendered for the public. What we choose to capture with our camera is in direct relation to an alignment with the pieces of our interior. We choose our subject matter because there is something there that speaks to us, that resonates within. Personally, when I accomplish this, that is, make an image that correlates with my interior world of pieces and artifacts, I am immensely satisfied. It is not an easy thing to do and requires a level of self-knowledge that is not all easy to come by. This seems the first step toward making art. The Greeks were right, Know yourself--and the art will follow.

Matejka then shifts from the interior to the exterior, referring to poetry that is ultimately rendered for the public. The second step in our artistic effort then seems to be the sharing of the effort. Today that is most often accomplished via social media. I am going to avoid the rabbit hole of that discussion. Suffice it to say that social media, while affording us an opportunity to share our work, likewise can move against us as the pieces of the interior are abandoned for the common "like" and "follow." Enough said.

And the other sentence I share from Matejka: "The art of poetry is, at its heart, about elevating...." If I could be present enough with camera in hand as to consider my effort as elevating, well, that would be something indeed. Yet, despite the rarity of that happening, it should be the intention. Create to elevate. Elevate the medium, the subject, and most importantly the inner voice.

Everything changes with intention. Our intentions set the course. They point us toward where we want to go. I submit that regardless of the type of photography you practice, landscape, street, documentary, whatever, if you set out to practice your craft with intention you will gain in confidence, in results, and in artistic satisfaction. The next time you pick up your camera, take a moment to ask yourself, what is my intention today?

The take away: Cultivate self knowledge. Read, think, experience, travel, laugh, cry. Self-knowledge is the engine of intention. And intention is the platform by which we best cultivate our craft, perhaps even, in the process, elevating it to art. 

I will, in my next post, speak further about the sharing aspect of our creative efforts. Very few of us create for ourselves alone. Indeed, it is intensely human to make something and want to share it.

Thanks for reading. Please forward this post to any of your photography friends who might appreciate it. You can find me at Doug Bruns Photography.

* from Poetry Magazine, April 2023