Thread: Slump, Bigtime.

Sue
First, hang in there. Don't be too rough on yourself. If you over think these things they become bigger problems and assume control.

Maybe spend some time looking at photographs you have taken in the past, the ones you love, and enjoy them. Do you print many of your photographs? Consider choosing a bunch and have some big prints made, and / or a photo book. Enjoy your photography from a different angle for a while.

You are having a rough time. It's allowed. Be gentle with you.

Luke can you please cut out this woolly-liberal touchy-feely approach and just man up a bit

Thanks all. I just want to want to shoot. One day again soon.

Paul, if you weren't incapacitated and able to defend yourself, I'd give you a proper slapping.

Sue, I'm with everyone - except I promise no virtual slaps, though I do see their worth while sides. I am sure that your worry and concern about your beloved Tom is what is behind this. I would urge you to follow Pelao's advice and be gentle with yourself.

Everyone goes through ups and downs, cool times and hot times with regard to their art... You'll see things will turn around, but you have a well loved pet and best friend who is understandably much more important right now. Perhaps it would be helpful to put the camera club on hold so you won't be tempted to berate yourself for not attending, etc.?

Go check out my thread and I hope it will make you chuckle. Beach wear and photos!

Set the camera in a place of honor, where you see it from time to time, but don't touch it, until the "urge" leads you over to it, without any input from your "guilt". Relax, the photography will come back on it's own. It is who you are.

Ah, I wish I had something useful to say. I've gone as along as a month(!) without snapping a photo. Typically, what gets me back into the swing of things is seeing something unusual, and I feel like I just have to capture what I see. The other impetus is my cats; I feel like I can't go too long without taking a pic of them!

I was browsing your Flickr, and your photo "Tom: Want in. Now." is amazing! It's the essential domestic feline shot in so many ways.

Tom: Want in. Now. | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I'm just now starting to take pictures again. One of the reasons I have a smartphone is for the decent camera, but I found myself hardly ever using it. One of my favorite ways of motivating myself to take photos is to look at work from other photographers (especially those with the same camera as mine). It's amazing to see the skill and creativity of others which often leads me to pick up my camera.

Sue it is very understandable if you are in a slump with your worry about Tom. Don't be too hard on yourself. What you can do are projects around the house, look online for ideas or things you haven't tried yet that will keep you close to Tom but give you some visual exercise. Even if a sick pet wasn't in the equation I would suggest photographing something different or using a camera you haven't for a while, even use film. For what it's worth I have these spells on and off and all my blogs are currently empty at the moment allowing me to decompress from all that's gone on in my life that has held me back, so that when I return I am not daunted by what used to be but rather look at what is in the now and move forward.

Also, as long as Tom is doing well enough, perhaps a little story of him in photos, Tom doing his favorite or typical things. Something to keep you both together and something you will cherish when that day should come. Don't dwell on your worry but celebrate your time together. I've found over the years I have not taken enough photos of my pets, particularly my cat who always turns her face away, and then I am saddened not to have done more. In nineteen years I might have a handful of photos of my cat [partially because I could not afford a camera back then] and I've had her since one day old. Just some ideas, hope you get out of your funk soon.

I've been around 'creatives' all my life - actors, musicians, writers, photographers, painters - the muse abandons everyone at various points, it goes with the turf. It's not something which is missing or has gone away perhaps never to return, it's a necessary break and should be welcomed, in fact, since it's part of the overall process. I've known people who've not worked for an entire year just because they can't find the desire or enthusiasm. No amount of 'pull your bootstraps up' advice is ever going to make any difference to people who simply don't feel the required passion and enthusiasm for the thing they do. Just leave it be and it'll sort itself out without the meddling mind getting in the way and making us feel miserable and lacking, two things which our minds excel at doing to us! :-)