Creativity During Covid

I wish I could say I was bitten by the "closet cleaning angst" bug that so many people experienced in March.  Or was it April?   The months seem to blur together these days, don't they?  Happily, my closets still boast the same pre-pandemic, organized clutter.  

And I don't care. 

As a creative person, living up to my creative potential is a daily endeavor:  It's a need, like eating or sleeping.  Giving voice to my inner visual muse feeds my soul. Whether I photograph an image, or edit that of a client's, each image begs to be translated into it's own story.  Determining how to edit an image can be a struggle.  The key is to just dive into the abyss of of my imagination, and photoshop, and explore the possibilities.   After all, I can duplicate and play with an image several times before deciding on the perfect "feel".   Yes, it's highly subjective.   But that's what makes us visual artists; giving a voice to each image.  

So, that's what I explored today.    I took a rather ordinary (but still lovely) image of this beautiful songwriter. (Okay, happens to be one of my talented daughters...look her up...Haleigh Bowers...)  She writes hundreds of songs.   They may be similar subjects, but different melodies and lyrics.  (See where I'm going with this?) 

I love giving a melody, and a lyric, a story, to every edited image. 

In this image, I chose to explore two different routes.   One is a digitally hand rendered painting.   No, I do not use a plug-in.   Yes, I paint stroke by stroke with my wacom art pen. (If you don't have one, this the one I use).  The other image was also digitally produced by blocking out sections of the original image with the pen tool in Photoshop, and filling it with a single color. Two drastically different approaches. There is no right or wrong, simply how I chose to interpret the image. But the more I can stretch my creative muscles, the more I can be of value to a client as well.   Knowing how to create a super contemporary edgy piece can set my apart from other photographic artists. 

This is an unprecedented time where you can explore the possibilities that exist at your fingertips.   With so many talented instructors, educational platforms (check out Elevate Your Art, or Phlearn, for starters), you can emerge from this pandemic a stronger contender in the photographic creativity than you did before.   All it takes is the dedication and time. What is time anymore, really? 

Have fun, and create!