I've been burnt out lately. There. I said it.
The summer months were insanely busy and while I am more grateful than I can adequately describe for the immeasurable blessings that God has bestowed upon me in many areas of my life, my photography included, I got sucked up into the whirlwind pace that happens when life, work, school, photography, life and more life and more work and more photography are all happening at once. And frankly, I'm not one to take good care of myself. I will run at full blast until death. It's a fault. Thank God for my husband reigning me in and forcing me to take a breath once in a blue moon.
I've been thinking a lot about the direction my art and photography are taking me and whether my current path still jives with what I originally intended when I was dreaming this all up. I'll get into that more at a later time, but in the mean time, wanted to quickly share a much-needed diversion.
My recent portfolio (due tonight) challenged us to play with a scanner and create art by using unique objects and ideas to scan pictures that were later edited in Photoshop. See my two submissions:
HERE.
The second part of our portfolio was a technical assignment. It challenged us to really explore textures, layers and blending in Photoshop by creating a collage of several images. At first, I found this to be incredibly overwhelming. Being a Lightroom junkie, Photoshop and I are not exactly good friends. On most days, we aren't even on speaking terms. I've been learning a lot in class, but I was terrified at the thought of doing some sort of graphic design that far outreached my comfort zone with a good JPEG from my trusty camera.
After a few panic attacks, a host of torn up magazines and a good old-fashioned tantrum, I called a good friend who is far smarter than me. And she tutored me. Bless her. And once I got the hang of it, I realized something. I was actually enjoying myself.
My point is this:
Sometimes you need a creative diversion. Something that is outside your normal expertise or maybe even something that you are an expert at, but differs from the genre you find yourself in most. Sometimes taking a break, taking a breath (thanks Jeff), switching gears...it can go a long way.
I still have some changes and ideas rolling around in my head for what I really want to be as I continue in this adventure that is my photography and all else. But in the short term, I feel refreshed a bit.
Here are my two submissions for collage:
A little explanation is required here, I'm sure. For one, when I said I wanted a creative diversion, I meant it. I went far from my newborn babies, happy brides and playful families and entertained my dark side for a bit. I wanted to do a comparison between heaven and hell. And this is what I ended up with. Yes, it's dark and maybe a little creepy. Or a lot creepy. But it's a creative expression and an outpouring of my thoughts at the time. And I'm proud of them!
PLEASE NOTE: These images were created to complete a technical assignment for a college classroom environment only. They are not for sale, nor do I claim rights or credit for any of the images used. They were appropriated from various internet engines for use in completing the assignment only. They are not a part of my professional portfolio, will not ever be for sale, and will not be used in any promotional or otherwise published pieces or with any connection or association to any business or professional pursuit. Full credit and rights are due to the original artists (who rock!) and in no way, shape or form would I ever demean their creations by any misuse. Beyond this blog post and my teacher's drop box (give me an A!), they will never be seen or used again!
