Ways to Get Out of a Creative Rut

Recently, I found myself in a creative rut. I took three cameras and a bunch of lenses on a weekend trip only to realise I didn't fancy going out at all. Getting up at 6 AM was too much for me and even during the day, I preferred to stay inside, sip hot coffee and mindlessly ingest internet content.

It's not an uncommon scenario. It's more of a recurring theme in my case. Luckily, it has never lasted more than a few days. Maybe it's just because I love photography so much. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve that may have played a role there too.

Spice It Up

My photography hobby started with close-ups and macro shots of flowers. It's a narrow specialisation and it was expected that it would bore me at some point. I've not taken a flower photo in months! Instead, I like to vary my photography a little. From macro, I moved to woodland photography. Once forests became too repetitive, I became interested in urban exploration and even took a few street shots. I refined my studio setup for product and still-life shots.

Many people do it, including successful photographers. Take Micael Widell as an example. He is a macro enthusiast who specialises in a narrow niche. Thanks to a successful YouTube channel, he gained a sizeable following and even became something of an ambassador for Venus Optics, a manufacturer of macro lenses (Laowa). Recently, he announced that he was fed up with macro photography and turned to street photography instead.

I did the same, just within a shorter period. I explored at least four different genres of photography in two years. I have plans to continue doing that.

Set Yourself a Goal

Short-term or long-term, it doesn't matter. A goal provides purpose and focus. That's why I like to come up with one, sometimes even multiple goals to alternate between.

Sometimes, the goal can be vague and only point me in the right direction. For example, once I decided I wanted to photograph a swamp. I didn't have a specific image in mind. I know a spot full of swamps in a picturesque forest. That's where I went. I came back with interesting photographs.

One evening, I went to the cinema and had a few pints afterwards. This meant I couldn't drive and took a tram instead. Some walking was involved and I saw an opportunity to photograph the city at night. With the early October sunsets, people and cars are on the streets after dark. Neons, signs, car headlights and sodium lamps illuminate the darkness in their own unique ways, creating a mood that I hadn't captured before. I set myself a goal: capture a dark and moody urban scene illuminated only with artificial light sources. On film.

Last Summer, I noticed that the ladybird population was exceptionally high. Naturally, it led to the conception of a simple goal: capture a ladybird doing something interesting. It gave me the push to put a macro lens, a flash and a diffuser on my camera and go out. I didn't even need to go far; my best shots were captured in the bushes in front of my apartment.

Some goals require a bit of preparation or waiting. The ladybird goal was immediately available but capturing a specific species of a wild animal might require more effort. Add a winter coat to that and the goal becomes a time-limited one. Nonetheless, it motivates me to get out and shoot.

Start a Project

When a goal turns into a long-term endeavour, it's more of a project. I have one: gather nature photographs to create a themed photo book. The theme is, uncreatively, the woodlands of Pomerania. I need a collection of at least 20, and ideally over 30 good photographs of forests in the region. This encourages me to be deliberate about the choice of conditions and time of day. When the weather forecast tells me there's a chance to get great conditions, I get up early and drive a few dozen kilometres to get some amazing shots.

There's also a dead tree I particularly like coming back to. Photographing it is another of my long-term projects. Whenever I visit it, the conditions are different. It stands in the middle of a field, sometimes covered with snow, sometimes full of rapeseed flowers in full bloom, sometimes among ripe ears of wheat. My goal is to photograph the tree in as many different settings as possible so I often walk past it on my way to one of my favourite forests.

Become a Pack Animal

I like interacting with others. That's why I enjoy photowalks with a friend or in a larger group. Having a chat while composing that perfect shot is fun. We can compare our approaches, check out each other's ideas or simply engage in an unrelated conversation.

Photo communities sometimes organise photowalks, and so do various companies. Sometimes the events are paid. My Imperial Shipyard photowalk was one of such paid events.

Take a Break

One final piece of advice: embrace the creative rut and do nothing about it. Unless one makes a living with photography, there's no harm in putting the camera on the shelf for a week or two. It's impossible to constantly feel motivated. Sometimes a little break to clear the taste buds makes the subsequent return to the hobby taste twice as good.

I've done that out of necessity (terrible weather or the flu) and because of burnout. My day job or family life is sometimes tiring; going on photowalks is the last thing on my mind when all I need is a good night's rest. Also, photography is a hobby and as such, its only goal is to be a pleasure. I don't always fancy chasing that elusive photo masterpiece. I sometimes need a reminder that I don't have to do it. I can do whatever I want. After a few days, my enthusiasm for photography always comes back.