Fostering Creativity, Part 2: Managing Your Creative Cycle
Hi everyone! I did it. I made a video blog because I had a post in my head that I thought would just take too long to write. But, in the end, until I figured out how and where to upload it and to get it in here...it probably would have saved me a lot of time to just write it. Honestly, this blogging thing is not for the faint of heart. I really have had to learn so much through this process. But anyway...it was fun and it was a personal goal to do one of these so here you go...
A couple of things before you watch. First, I'm sorry that the top of my head is semi cut off. Next time, I won't listen to my husband when he tells me that everything looks centered on the screen will work on that a little better. Also, I reference a couple of past posts in the video and I wanted to put the links here so that everyone would know what I'm referring to.
Fostering Creativity, Part One: Being Gentle with Our Creative Souls
My 365 Photo a Day Project
Kim Klassen's Dozen Details Interview
So, grab a cup of coffee and sit down for a bit. The video is a little over 20 minutes so you may have to watch it in spurts.
Untitled from Maegan Beishline on Vimeo.
I mentioned in the video that I would make notes if I felt I left anything out. But I really think I hit on everything I wanted to. But what I may do in the next day or two is write a quick summary/overview/outline type thing about the topics that I covered. I know, I'm all over the map when I talk!
Thanks for watching! I know I'm a dork, so don't feel like you need to tell me. But I would love your thoughts on the video {primarily the topics covered} and about the Fostering Creativity series.
23 comments:
Wow! I can't tell you how much I needed this! I didn't realize that every creative person has ups and downs. I'm not as serious a photographer as you, but I quilt, paint and take photographs, and I could very much relate to what you were talking about. I mostly focus on my art, and when I'm having a "low period" I've actually doubted my abilities and that has not served me. After listening to this, I'm definitely not going to give up when I feel defeated. You're very genuine and knowledgeable! Great ideas, thank you so much!
great video meg! it's so nice to hear your voice and your slight east coast accent :))
Hey Maegan,
Wow! So great to see you on the video blog... I LOVED it! And for the record, no dork-like qualities were noticed by me;) You are so real and genuine.
I really loved what you were saying about the creative lows and feeding it so you can grow back to a high. I think I was kind of doing that wasn't aware of it and the awareness will help me in those lows now. I was, for sure, filling some of my lows with self-doubt but your way of thinking will help me stay creative even at my lows. You rock! :)
Wonderful!!
First, it is so nice to see you, and listen to you... made it even more personal and this is a wonderful addition to your already amazing blog!
I really enjoyed the "Fostering your Creativity" series. With your first post I took notice of being more gentle to myself, appreciating the ways I had grown and approaching the new avenues of photography with more care and realistic expectaions.
With this,I loved the way you explained everything... I think what struck with me the most is learning not to fight the stage of the cycle we're in... while when I'm at a high I have no problem taking that flow and enjoying the ride, it's the transition into the low that is the hardest... I think "No... wait... what happened..." It sounds dramatic but it's heartbreaking, and just like a 16 year old girl who just lost her first love, I am grasping for anything and trying to get that high back... wondering all the while, what's wrong with me and what did I do wrong.
Taking the time to shift my focus within my photography is such a great solution... spending that time reading, learning and looking... organizing my ideas and thoughts from the high ... cleaning my hard drive... and realizing that it isn't my fault.
Wonderful... I could go on and on... this just meant a lot to me, so much. And I wanted to thank you... Beautifully Done.
xo
Thank you for the informative video. I don’t consider myself very creative but the little part of me that is I like to nourish and this video motivates me very much. So thank you very very much.
oh my goodness... meg...
i love you even more now!!
you make me happy!! you are soo much like your images..
light and sweet and inspiring!!
this was FANTASTIC!!
soooo excited for you...and your amazing journey!
more, more, more....xxo, kim
Mrs. MB I just adored seeing you, I sense a confidence in you that is just so attractive.
You seem to take the bits and pieces of my mind and bring them into a well thought out conscious. Love the input and output analogy and that I shouldn't always be cleaning my bathrooms, teehee! I'm so glad today is the day I stopped by, I like to think it was meant to be.
Thank you for sharing, loving the idea of video blogs while I sit and dip my mint oreos in milk :) YUM
I LOVED watching/hearing you. So fun to put your actual voice to your written voice.
I love the metaphor you used - it fit even for someone like me whose creativity is most commonly used solving problems at work.
I even found myself applying your words to my latest endeavor - jumping into the online data game (not for the faint of heart.) Somedays I find it entertaining and fun others I dread it - I'm going to follow your advice and ride the waves on the days I enjoy it and cut myself some slack at the other times - I'm hoping this will help me avoid the sharks and other undesirables that come along with dating. :)
What an amazing week for you - the launch of your print shop and your first video blog - I'm in awe of your courage and talents.
soooooo fantastic! gosh, you just made sho much about my personality crystal clear! thank you for talking about the lows. the need for input. the need for rest for the creative soul. such a wonderful way to look at those lows that tend to defeat me. i really wasn't going to hit play! twenty minutes? geesh. but i watched it all and loved it. thank you for the thought and time you put in here!
heather
Great stuff. I make jewelry and much of this applied to my creative cycle as well. I do think I'll feel less guilty now about going with my "high" when it comes. I loved too the part about viewing the "low" as input time and how necessary that input time is to the process. It's so true. Thanks!
such a great vlog!
i have been meaning to do one....maybe someday. ;)
i have been at a creative low with my 365 project for awhile now but i am finding that my creativity is there in other areas. i am looking forward to the end of 365 so that I can go back to just enjoying the process again.
i so needed this video blog! were you reading my mind? my post last night was about ending my 365 day project at day 125. i hit a wall. aaauuugggh! i did come up with something so i'm still going! i also wanted to say thanks for your comment on my stylish and fun camera bag. it works for now but I would really love to have an epipahane bag. which one did you get? i think my one hesitation about purchasing it would be the size. it seemed a little large and i'm not a pro photog so i don't have a variety of lenses i need with me plus the price tag was a little much for me. who knows maybe the hubby will surprise me one day! thanks again for your video blog! i gotta keep plugging away!
I watched the video the other day and I've been going over it again and again in my mind ever since. So many things you said made sense. I could see myself in all of the patterns you talked about but I never took the time to analyze what was happening. I know that in the low spots I do things like clean my neglected house and devour magazines like I've never seen one before but I always thought of it as procrastinating (and sometimes it is). It is such a negative way to view that part of the process. Your version is so much better. A time of input is so much more inspiring than a time of avoidance. It's something I'll never forget, not even in my lowest lows.
Thanks Maegan.
p.s. Your dog was the perfect amount of comic relief. So funny.
I finally got a chance to sit and watch this :)
LOVE this. LOVE seeing and hearing you!
And I also really appreciate your thoughts on the creative curves, using and owning and appreciating the lows as well as the highs.
Well done!
(and OH MY THANKFULLNESS on your tutorial the other day! Will comment there when I've tried some tricks w/ my camera at home!)
Madeline, it was fun listening to you today! More than listening, it was fun getting to see/hear you talk (put a person behind the blog)! You have inspired me! I hope this is just one of many videos to come, but will understand/appreciate you no matter what because of the time involved! Even though I'm a beginner at photography... still feel the creative highs/lows... more lows than highs. You've pumped me up :) Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for this Maegan! I enjoyed this a lot - it was like sitting and having a cup of tea with you! :o)
I really enjoyed your VLOG. You put words to what my body and soul have experienced. I really liked the in/output analogy. It makes so much sense that we need stimulation in order to put out how we interpret the world.
Many thanks and looking forward to more!
Yay! I finally got to watch this today. First of all I am so happy to feel like now I have met you-like for real. :) Honestly I loved it all, so much of it rang true for me and I found myself nodding my head in agreement through much of it. And wow, there really is something to actually listening to what you were saying as opposed to reading it, just a different experience. I loved it! Can't wait for more.
This was really great! And yes, it does help alot. You didn't seem nervous at all. I would love to see more!
Thank you so much for having the courage to post this video, and for the honesty with which you described your own creative cycle. It has helped me understand a lot about my own creativity (for a long time I thought I had "lost it"). Please keep this theme in your thoughts - you seem to have a knack of interpreting motivational and inspirational landscapes and making them clearly visible to the rest of us.
I was just introduced to your blog and this video in particular as I was complaining about my creative low that I'm in right now. Your video helped so much, I really cannot tell you how much. I find I fight those lows because I felt that it was an indicator of my lack of ability rather than a neccessary part of creativity. So thank you so much. I'm already feeling better and will take your advice and give myself a break yet still stay in the water!
oh. i wish i could get across in words how much i needed this right now.
this video was an immense help to me and your analogies are spot on.
thank you for sharing this and i don't think you are a dork at all...
i think you are adorable.
and my son came in while i watching it and loved the coca cola pillow...heeheehee
I am just getting to this video on day 13 of the project. I have been on a creative low the past few days. I felt it and understood it, but I never heard anyone else put my feelings into words like this before. You are so charming and genuine. I cannot thank you enough for being brave and putting yourself out there. I have a lot to share thanks to you and I will be emailing you soon to share my creative story.
Post a Comment