Fractured Creativity

During extended travel time (Judith Gap wind farm below) recently my mind was left to wander and inevitably consumed itself with considerations of possible shoots, workflow and new ideas. Being away from studio connects and camera for hours or days at a time does one good with the right mindset. This break, or fracture, I've come to find essential in the process of my own mental process - creative or not. Typically, however, the creative side benefits more than I ever expect.

For example, I am just now underway with a new multimedia project that I began developing during this fractured creativity. This break in ruts of idea generation and thought processes is accomplished by nearly any sort of extended distraction. For many of the athletes and professionals I work with it's in the form of exercise but it could be anything from knitting to vacation. Ever tried to simply visit a new place right in your own backyard - someplace you've passed by a million times but never given the time of day? As long as it breaks your routine and allows the mind a fracture between multi tasking necessity and genuine idea spawn.

The oft noted father of adventure photography, Galen Rowell, talks about this in one of his essays/books. Scheduled to head abroad to shoot for a client for two weeks he had all affairs in order for departure. At the last minute the client opted for his stock imagery instead and left him with two completely open weeks. (His rock solid contract guaranteed his full payment either way). So, with clients and friends thinking he was gone he suddenly had a chunk of time to explore his Berkeley area home with a whole new head. The results were something he talked about as extremely valuable.

With a large fracture coming up this weekend (more later) I should have an array of ideas fleshed out after this single minded endeavor.

Find your fracture.