I am afraid that is going to wind up being my artist’s statement…
I am having a great deal of angst/anxiety over the prospect of having to come up with an artist’s statement for a class I’m taking.
- I am having a hard time articulating why I have taken the images I’ve captured or what interests me in taking images.
- I am having a hard time conveying any kind of unique vision in the images I’ve captured or what I want others to see in my images.
- I am having a hard time describing a process I’ve used in taking the images I’ve captured or for that matter in establishing a process.
- Compared to my colleagues, I don’t feel like I have a meaningful/worthy portfolio of work…
- I thought if I acknowledged this, if I said this out loud or wrote it down, it would minimize the anxiety…not yet anyway.
If I see it – I shoot it
…maybe there’s something here I can work with if I think about it.
(OK, this sounds like a pity party..)
1. shoot everything.
2. tag everything.
3. look at collections by tag occasionally and something will prolly emerge
3a. if something doesn’t emerge, continue w/step 1-3.
that’s been my approach. that’s how i’ve figured out what i’m interested in and what appeals to me.
if it moves, shoot it.
if it doesn’t move, shoot it.
Thanks Stephen, I apprciate it.
But Mike…you don’t need to write it now. Your assignment is about creating images with the process we discussed in class, and then bring in your top five. We’ll work on the statement in class. Remember, there will be similarities between your statements, but it will differ with each body of work.
You’re asking about a statement before it is time. See it; shoot it. A good way to go day by day. And then, based on a variety of factors, a body of work will surface (I suggest that you see that by reviewing images), and then you worry about the statement. Don’t let stress over the statement inhibit creating photos.
One step at a time…one step at a time.
Jay Maisel is a legend. Shoots all the time, is never without a camera and is known for having never thrown a slide away. From that experience and stimulus comes direction. (OK, bad example….as well-known as he is…I doubt he has to worry about a statment….lol)
Now, go photograph something!
I can never describe what my “style” is or what kind of photos I take to other people. I don’t even really know myself. I think it is something we all struggle with. Sounds like your teacher has a good handle on things.
Hey Laurie. I’m better now. I have these fits where my competitiveness cranks up and then pegs out my anxiety level. As a project manager, I often tend to focus on things in the future and try to contemplate and quantify all possible courses of action and outcomes. This with the competitive streak of course stifles any creativity I might have. Perfectionism is a hard demon to wrestle with.
I decided in this case (and when it comes to my photography in general) not to try to be the best or “win” and to just let go an do the assignment and see where it goes and try to have fun along the way
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I’m glad you are better but I will say that is what a blog is for, at least for me personally, and I think that you are using it the same way. It is a good way to sort out your thinking, pour out your ideas, get rid of your frustrations. In the end it will be a record of your journey.