Exploring Creativity

The best learning for me often takes place when I force myself out of my comfort zone. Trying a new technique or placing myself into some challenging situation forces me to commit my learning and focuses my concentration. Some examples I have done in the past are: taking pictures for a local museum event, taking pictures for for a Celebrate India fund raiser. Fear, the self-inflicted fear of failure, is a great driving force that helps me to learn something new. Successful accomplishment of some new skill can be very satisfying and is great positive reinforcement. Failure itself is a great learning tool as well. Either way, learning something new can be risky. But the entire exercise can often spur new creative endeavors.

Those of you who follow my blog may remember my attendance in a Introduction to drawing class I took at my local community college a few years ago. Believe me, drawing is not something I would normally do, but I always was interested in exploring its creative potential. While in that class, I learned that there are many universal techniques used in drawing that lend themselves quite well to photographic art. You can read about my conclusions here .

I found value in learning about how another artistic medium approaches creativity and the tools and methods used to create one’s vision. To further broaden this knowledge and to explore another artistic medium, I decided to volunteer my help in a local community theater, Valley Repertory Company . During the 1990’s, I performed in several of their shows. Since then, I have switched my artistic endeavors to the photographic arts. I wanted to revisit this experience and see if there is something I can learn about creativity from this medium that I may apply to my art.

As Prop Manager for the Fall show, “Things My Mother Taught Me” by Katherine DiSavino, I will attend most rehearsals and get the chance to watch these very talented actors and company members bring this show together.

Valley Rep 2

Enjoy!