Giving Ourselves a Chance
"The magic of photography lies in the fact that it offers us the possibility to see the world with new eyes. It can help us to free our thoughts from gloomy reality for a brief moment, and provoke us to allow free rein to our creativity, if we just give ourselves the chance."
I lifted this quote from the latest issue of Leica Fotographie Magazine. There is much here that intrigues me. Consider: "...the magic of photography..." and "...to see the world with new eyes..." and "...free our thoughts..." and "...provoke us to allow free rein to our creativity...". I try to keep my thoughts here to 500 words, give or take, so I won't be unpacking much of this. I invite you to consider these phrases as the mood strikes. However, I want to look specifically at the last snippet:
"...if we just give ourselves the chance."
This speaks to the power of photography to kick-start our creativity, if we just give ourselves the chance. It is this giving ourselves a chance that particularly interests me. It suggests an openness and the necessity of preparation such that when the serendipitous occurs we notice it and capture it. Federico Fellini (1920-1993) said, "I have chosen the best medium of expression for myself. I love the very precious combination of work and of living-together that film making offers." 1.
As photographers I'm going to make the assumption that we have chosen the best medium of expression for our creative and idiosyncratic efforts at self-expression. On a plane recently a row-mate asked me what took me to such-and-such a place. I replied that I was working on a photography project. "So, you're a photographer?" Yes, I confirmed, I am a photographer. I've stated this many times over the years --I am a photographer!--and every time I find it an emboldening and liberating statement. It fulfills Fellini's first dictum of choosing a medium that suits my need for self-expression. In this regard, my choice– to be a photographer--is the first step to giving myself a chance at meaningful creativity. When I say to someone that I am a photographer I am not only giving them information about myself, I am also reminding myself of who I am. (Notice I didn't say, what I am, or what I do. The distinction is important.) It is a step toward the openness that fuels my creativity.
Fellini declares that he loves the "combination of work and of living..." that his discipline gives him. This love of the medium and a life devoted to it is what keeps me going. It is the set-up that affords me the very chance of creativity, of self-expression, and of moving through the world with the required interest and discipline. I frankly cannot conceive of a life without it. To get high-minded about it, photography and the creative effort it affords infuses my life with meaning. It is as simple as that. But simple does not mean easy. To successfully and creatively fulfill the need for self-expression is the work that keeps me going day after day.
Thanks for reading. You can find me at Doug Bruns Photography.
- The Fellini quote comes from a favorite book on creativity: Daily Rituals, How Artists Work by Mason Currey. It is a book I have turned to many times over the years in search of inspiration and motivation.
