Sometimes, to find inspiration, you need to create something for yourself—a personal project that feeds your creativity and motivates you to find your groove. For the past nine months, I’ve been on a bit of a photography hiatus. I haven’t been creating or teaching classes, and I’ve only taken on a handful of assignments and jobs. Creativity, I think, ebbs and flows for all of us, and this has been one of those seasons for me.
That doesn’t mean I’ve been idle, though! My time has been dedicated to building our new home out in the country—our retirement dream. It’s been exciting to plan, dream, and bring those dreams to life. My husband and I are doing all the work ourselves (he takes on the physical labor), and together we’ve mapped out not just our home, but a barn, shop, greenhouse, and my very own studio. Our house will be done in January, followed by the shop/garage and barn. The greenhouse and studio are likely projects for later next year. It’s so thrilling to see it all coming together.
Between now and then, I know I need to get back into the groove with photography—building a new portfolio, making connections, and setting up for a successful business in our new rural town. I have so many ideas swirling in my head that it’s almost overwhelming. I’d love to organize photo walks and hikes in the area, maybe even host a workshop or two. It would also be great to connect with local photographers to see what they have going on.
I know I need a personal photography project, but right now, I’m struggling to come up with ideas. Normally, I have to work to turn my brain off because I’m flooded with them, but at the moment, I feel the idea well has dried up. I am writing this hoping to manifest some great ideas!
On the other hand, my husband, Dan, has found his passion project. He’s a two-wheel guy through and through—he loves Harleys, dirt bikes, and anything motocross. Lucky for him, we have a couple of acres right behind our house where he’s building his own dirt bike track. Each week, he moves a little dirt, creating jumps, whoops, and other features to make riding the track fun. It’s been inspiring to see him dive into something he loves so much.
Maybe it’s time I find that same spark for myself again.
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