From our bulletin board at home.... (shot poorly with an iPhone)
This little quote (above) really resonates with me. In our efforts as artists to be "different" are we forgetting to be authentic?
Just a little mid-week food for thought.... would love to hear everyone's opinions....
delightfully,
Chenin
Contact Me * My Portfolio * Stuff for Photographers
Just a little mid-week food for thought.... would love to hear everyone's opinions....
delightfully,
Chenin
Contact Me * My Portfolio * Stuff for Photographers
Trackbacks
Comments
Jenn Galloway said:
YEAH!!!! If there were bells to ring out, I feel like they would be ringing now, after reading this! And this couldn't have come at a better time for me. Sometimes people just get SO wrapped up in blaming people for copying this or that, that people forget to be real themselves. Did that make sense? Anyway, thank you!
(01.14.10 @ 02:27 PM)
julie said:
personally i don't spend a whole lot of time trying to be "different". it doesn't feel natural to me to to try to one up somebody, or to do something just because maybe my eyes haven't seen it before. i feel it is true that there "is nothing different under the sun"...that is except for the fact that each and every human being on the planet contains a different set of dna. my focus as a photographer is 100% of the time on my clients. in my opinion if you want to do something different focus more on the only thing that IS different, on how you can make them feel when they have respectfully chosen to spend time with you and money on you, and make photographs that will ultimately make them feel like their time was well spent and that will bring them back to a moment in time that can never be taken back, but only remembered by the work you have done and the experience you have given them. whoa, didn't mean to type that much, but i guess that's how i feel!
(01.14.10 @ 02:27 PM)
AmyPunky Photography said:
I really love this quote, but I love the quote by Jean-Luc Goddard even more! This is exactly what inspiration must be: a path which brings us to our own creativity and originality. Thanks for sharing this quote with us! :)
(01.14.10 @ 02:40 PM)
Marta Locklear said:
Brilliant! I have been in and out of the Copy vs Inspiration debate for the last couple of years, and this put it so so perfectly! I would love to borrow the quote to ad to my own work space during my time of creative transition. Thank you for sharing!
(01.14.10 @ 02:48 PM)
Stephanie Castillo said:
I LOVE this!!! SO true on so many levels! Thanks a bunch for sharing! I might just have to steal this from you and put it on my fridge ;)
(01.14.10 @ 02:52 PM)
Cristina said:
Love, love, love this. Hate the copying debate. Sure sometimes some things are obvious... but really, you own that pose? Thanks for posting. I agree and it is a great reminder to me. Printing it. Now.
(01.14.10 @ 06:12 PM)
brooke bowland said:
thank you a million times over for this. i think often times people are too hung up on exactly this and forget what they set out to do in the first place. so posting this in my office!
(01.14.10 @ 06:42 PM)
Heather said:
So very true Chenin. I have said this for awhile to my husband as I look at others work. He is a PhD student in Criminology and is always fighting the battle of "well someone else has already done something similar" when it comes to journal articles. For me at least seeing others work inspires me to try new things. Nature inspires me. Whenever I am feeling really burnt out I like to escape with my camera and just let nature inspire me. So glad that I am not the only one who feels that not much it truly original.
(01.14.10 @ 07:19 PM)
Trish said:
I don't like the word 'steal'. It has such negative connotations. I prefer 'borrow' or 'be inspired by'.
"Select only things [to borrow] that speak directly to your soul" is the bit that explains how the end result will be authentic, because you're adding your own interpretation.
I've been a writer for a long time, a photographer for a comparatively short time, and a paid professional photographer for a few months. I know what my 'writer's voice' , sounds like, now I'm trying to determine what my 'photographer's voice' looks like (voice? eye? perspective?) and it's hard not to WANT to be just like people like you, Chenin! But I need to find the authentic ME otherwise I'll never develop a unique style.
Thanks for posting this. Sorry for the stream-of-conscious waffle :-)
(01.15.10 @ 12:57 AM)
Rebecca said:
Great quote. I heard a quote similar to this at a business conference that I attended a couple of years ago. Their moto was: "Steal shamelessly. Share shamelessly." It was all surrounded by a change of attitude that would open businesses up to sharing ideas openly and helping others.
(01.15.10 @ 06:30 AM)
brooke bowland said:
had to share that i shared this one on my blog. thank you for the inspiration. of course...i linked you for putting it out there!!! :)
(01.15.10 @ 07:26 AM)
Candice {The Beautiful Mess} said:
this is so true! great post!
(01.15.10 @ 08:03 AM)
imthiaz houseman said:
great post, i have to agree. that really sits with you. i take inspiration from everywhere and make it my own.
(01.15.10 @ 09:50 AM)
Leah Haydock said:
Love it - in the words of my all-time favorite songwriter, Bono:
Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief
All kill their inspiration and sing about their grief
(01.16.10 @ 07:52 PM)
Abra Michelle said:
Thank you so much, Chenin. It seems I really needed to read this today as it brought tears to my eyes. Hearing it from an amazing photographer as yourself somehow makes it resonate more fully. Thank you again.
(01.19.10 @ 09:45 AM)