Let’s talk about brainstorming and developing your concepts and ideas.
A reader of the newsletter recently asked me, “how do you come up with ideas for your photography and performance art?”
So today I’m going to answer that question for her and teach all of you about how I brainstorm my ideas, concepts, and projects.
BRAINSTORMING
First and foremost I start with the intention of creating something for me. I want the process to be enjoyable and I want the finished product to elicit a reaction from the viewer, whether it is fun or beautiful or makes them feel uncomfortable.
I very much subscribe to the old quote, “It’s about the journey not the destination” - and I recommend you keep that at the forefront of your mind during this exercise.
THE PRACTICAL ADVICE
Grab a pen and paper and give yourself 10 minutes to write things down that you like, and that are personally relevant to you. Places, things, activities, hobbies, subjects, issues...
I might write – Florida, Texas, New York, Italy, the beach, the boat, the pool, swimming, skiing, the mountains, the everglades, my room, my bed, cooking, painting, knitting, reading, costumes, masks, vintage clothes, vintage furniture, the 50s, the 60s, dresses, ball gowns, ribbon, fog, friendship, relationships, hiding, hair, sex, hands, record players, binoculars, weird, different, strange, odd, alone, strong, brave.... It is a stream of consciousness that doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you.
Give FULL disclosure, don’t hold anything back, and write down anything that comes to mind even if you deem it irrelevant. You never know exactly what concept or idea is going to make for the perfect project.
When you create art, you want to communicate a message, elicit a reaction from the viewer. Whether it is happy or angry or curious is up to you. If there is no emotion, there is no driving force. Think about things that are important to you, that you care about, that move you. Add them to the list.
Think about your fascinations, maybe even your obsessions. Write down things that you are passionate about, things that are controversial, things that inspire you. If you choose a topic or approach that you believe in you will be able to achieve greater results than if you choose something that will result in beautiful images but is superficial.
If you show your vulnerability, the viewer will take notice.
Now that you have a list of words, draw a line and begin to jot down photographic ideas that stem from your starting off point. Write down ANY ideas you have, even if it isn’t feasible — you never know what will come next in your mind. If you had an idea to shoot images of Earth from Mars, then write it down.
If you love comedy but have stage fright maybe you have an idea of doing a documentary project of people nervously waiting to get up on stage for their stand-up act at open mic night. You spend some time at the comedy club photographing behind stage and get shots of white knuckles and a man leaning against a wall with sweat rolling down his forehead.
You may never find that man, but the idea is there and you want to know where it leads you, what happens if you and your camera walk into the comedy club. Maybe there is a part of town you want to explore, you pick the quietest and busiest times of day to go there. Maybe you are obsessed with books and want to go to the library... or you want to check out 100 books and do still lifes of them.
My projects have traditionally stemmed from my own need to answer a question or to fill some void I have.
My own struggles are hidden in my work... not cryptically, at least not on purpose; they are all just small pieces that make up the whole. If you listen to your deepest desires, fears, or secrets and search for a way to visually represent them, you can create something that not only speaks to others, but strengthens you.
If you are having a hard time coming up with ideas based on the list of words you jotted down you can try the mad libs approach. Create a series of sentences using three or more of the words you wrote down.
For example, I might say: “I am going to take a shot on my bed, wearing a ball gown, and looking sad and alone.“
Or maybe I could say: “I will find a place that has the essence of Texas, and find something strange, and give a sense that I am looking at it through binoculars.”
As I just wrote that sentence I began to think of finding a place that had a mechanical bull. It is making me laugh that creating that sentence made me go there in my head, but you never know what will come when you take the time to dig a bit deeper without judgement
CURATING YOUR IDEAS
Once you have a list of ideas, it is time to start eliminating. Cross off things that are impossible to achieve (like that idea about going to Mars), things that seem silly, things that lack substance. Cross off things that are overdone, unless you have a fresh perspective. Remember that most ideas have been done in some way or at some time so don’t worry about it unless everyone is doing it, then you should cross it off the list. You want to narrow your list down to three solid ideas that you think, in some way or another, you can attempt.
If you need to walk away from any part of this for a while and come back later, don’t get discouraged. Sometimes it is good to stop and sit on it for a bit and then you can come back with a clearer mind.
SHOOTING
When you have successfully narrowed your ideas down to three, then it is time to go out and start shooting.
HELP ME HELP YOU!
In the coming weeks and months I want provide you all with more helpful tips and tricks. Whether you need help with being more creative, understanding the ins-and-outs of social media platforms, or just want to learn more about my process — send me your questions and I’ll do my best to provide you with helpful, valuable answers. Or email me at: ideas@carolynmara.com
Until next time,
Carolyn
