(Image of my favourite model, my daughter, for the Parisienne book.)
Well I was aware that after the post-Christmas bubble, those creative ideas start to surface, but this time round I’ve been quite astounded by the force of the flow – as if some block has been released, unfettered, a feeling of freedom, joy, exhilaration.
I’ve been staring at the work of some portraiture masters, and somehow ended up revisiting a gallery of dreamy portraits I’d taken some years back. I’m feeling a pull to explore creative portraiture again in the coming year or so – rather than going back to what once was, a curiosity to see what moods, connections and hues start surfacing now, years on, in another state of feeling and being. It’s interesting what an effect revisiting something from the past can have – in addition to the passion for creating, I also suddenly remembered the insecurities I was going through at the time, lurking in the shadows.
Yesterday, as we were putting Christmas away and cleaning up the aftermath, we ended up rearranging the living room furniture back to how it used to be. I was taken aback by the downer that brought on – like suddenly being hijacked back in time instead of going forward. But the layout works better that way, we feel, the room flows and seems more spacious, and it is actually different somehow – because we are in another time, and we leave something out and add some new element in.
The creative life has its pitfalls – the comparison trap, not feeling good enough, feeling like you haven’t really found your thing or stuck with it, getting inspired by one thing, then the opposite. It’s not always pure joy and freedom – we are humans after all, with things we grapple with, limitations. But one thing I’ve become aware of lately is that whatever sparks one’s curiosity is worth exploring. It’s not that serious, quite the opposite. It can be fun, like play. There is no right or wrong when it comes to inspirations, they are shifting by their very nature. And also, it’s perfectly fine to be swept by all things joie de vivre one minute, and soul-searching imagery the next, or vice versa. It’s all part of the human experience. If it touches you, it is bound to touch someone else, too. Our passions, humour, mysteries, sorrows, joys, idiosyncrasies, lightness and shadow all make up a whole, reflected in what we churn out into the world, and there’s beauty in it all. When we become more accepting of the different parts of ourselves, we begin to accept what we create – it’s all part of the journey. And, on another note, I also believe that we can create what we yearn for. What you focus on, expands – also in photography.
And in the flow, you are bound to see some miracles.
"There's no logic in the realm of imagination. It's more about feelings, emotions and love. You can't explain why you fell in love with someone because some emotions cannot be described. It's the same for me with photography."
- Paolo Roversi
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