Don't look for creative inspiration in your industry

While we are often inspired by following folks in our fields, one of the quickest ways to kill your confidence and lose your ability to create great work is comparing ourselves to them.

A solo trip to Asheville, NC in the summer of 2017 inspired me

I have a problem (a BIG problem) with the idea of looking for inspiration in other photographers' work. Sure, I love Annie Leibovitz as much as the next photographer, but I don't look at her work before going to shoots or before editing photos. I don't even really look at websites, social media platforms, or industry magazines in which photographers are featured.

Over the past year, I've gotten really good at knowing what I'm good at, and where I need to grow. (Where I need to grow is another story for another day, I promise.) What I'm good at is realizing how I can help myself grow, rather than hurt that beautiful process of creativity. Here are some things to help you strengthen yourself in the same way:

1. Don't compare yourself to anyone else in your industry. Not anyone internationally-renown, and not even anyone who is really great at what they do locally. You're totally different from that person and will bring a different set of skills to your clients or customers.
2. So what do you do to look outside of your industry? Well, if you're a painter, look at a photographer's work. If you're a writer, look at famous sculpture artist's work. If your'e a musician, talk to a friend who writes poetry. There is so much out there to make you feel inspired. And it has nothing to do with your industry.
3. If you're looking for creative inspiration (or any type of inspiration, for that matter!), do something weird. I don't mean really weird, I just mean stop doing the same things you do every day. Go a different way to work, go to a small art gallery you've only recently heard of, try an ethnic food you've never had, drive around a neighborhood you don't know very well. You'll probably see things you've never seen. That's a good thing.
4. TRAVEL. Oh my god just travel. Anywhere. Travel internationally. Travel domestically. Better yet, do it alone! Whatever you do, just get the heck away from what you think is normal. See other places, other people, other things. You'll be inspired as hell. Plus, you'll have a great story to tell.

I hope these thoughts are helpful. They've helped me get inspired, stay inspired, and best of all, not lose hope about my own work, self worth, and ability to create beautiful things.

You've got this!
​Autumn