What do you do when you lose your inspiration?

[Gary A.]

Sign up for a "FREE Harvard University Photography Course, Online".

 

[Frank F.]

If I do not "see" I do not shoot.

Since I started my "daily" project I feel the daily "training" does lead to less days I do not "see".

"Seeing" is like a muscle that can be trained.

There are still some days I cannot bring me to pick up any camera, but also those days get fewer.

Then there is another thing to be distinguished from "not seeing" which is "creative exhaustion". After many hours of writing, editing, taking photos and developing, I feel an emptyness that can only be recovered by sleep, shower and staying away from creative work. Go Walking / sports, play with the kids, watch Netflix or Youtube are OK, but not even reading is possible then. Wiping the kitchen floor is good or vacuum cleaning.

 

[Fred von den Berg]

Forget inspiration and try snapshots for a while. There's nothing like a spot of spontaneity to get the juices flowing again.

 

[smoke665]

Forget inspiration and try snapshots for a while. There's nothing like a spot of spontaneity to get the juices flowing again.

Spot on. For me it's a hobby, for my personal enjoyment. It took me a while to realize that "every" photo I take does not have to be some inspired work of art. The eye sees it all even if the brain doesn't. Relax and don't fret over it.

 

[greybeard]

I have rotating hobbies. Photography, woodworking, playing music, recording music. When I get tired of one I usually replace it with another. I spent the last year making furniture and didn't touch my cameras until last month. Now I back into it until I loose the bug and replace it with something else.

 

[Dikkie]

I used to take photos during my commute to work... I always see something new or nice to capture.

But after 8 years the same route.... it's getting difficult for new things to find....

 

[Drive-By-Shooter]

exactly. unfortunately, sometimes the rotation takes years depending on time and money!
music, weight training and foreign food cooking never rotate out, but others of mine do:
bicycling, scuba diving, ham radio, sports motorcycle trackdays,
there is nothing like a day's workout on a powerful sportbike on a racetrack to reset your stress!

I have rotating hobbies. Photography, woodworking, playing music, recording music. When I get tired of one I usually replace it with another. I spent the last year making furniture and didn't touch my cameras until last month. Now I back into it until I loose the bug and replace it with something else.

 

[Dikkie]

My problem is mostly that I always want to create 'something', to share with others.
Wether it's photos or music or something else...

I mostly have plenty of ideas when I'm busy on working days, and no time to create it...
But than on free days, I'm out of insipiration again and watch youtube all day

 

[Luke345678]

Viewing other peoples work and finding new things I want to try always lives things up for me.

 

[Rick50]

Bourbon - sometimes it helps,

 

[KmH]

Bless you Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Black Velvet.
And lets not forget the Cognac, and Brandy - Grand Marnier, B&B, Courvoisier.

 

[jcdeboever]

Pray