Desire for Creativity for One's Own Well-Being

There are times when I would like to stop thinking about anything and just devote myself to some creative activity. It doesn't matter which, but without other commitments and thoughts. A month away from everything and everyone: a dream! Does this happen to you too? Wanting to unplug from everyday life and create something happens to me regularly. My daily commitments often hinder me and I certainly cannot realize the projects I have in mind, but I still try to carve out my time.

Sometimes my projects come up very spontaneously, other times I realize them in stages: the ideas swirl around in my mind for a long time where they are partly already worked out, then comes the writing phase, where I write notes and where the ideas are further outlined. These processes happen in stages, when I have a few moments of time. Instead, I usually try to carve out at least half a day for practice, in which I dedicate myself to the project without interruptions or other commitments. At the end of these creative hours I am always happy and relaxed, even if the concrete results may not satisfy me: what counts is having carved out hours of creativity!

My tastes vary and are many: from yarn processing to sewing, from painting techniques to photography. The latest project that has given me a lot of satisfaction and that I would like to take up and explore further is that of cyanotype combined with photography and post-processing. 

I made prints of fresh and dried flowers using the cyanotype technique and then photographed them with the Lensbaby Sol45 artistic lens. If you know me, you know how much I love this American brand, which has made me ‘find a home’ in my artistic photographic expression. In the cyanotype project, I deliberately chose the Sol45 because I wanted to give the shot the kind of blur that only this lens can give. The Sol45 is a 45mm lens at f3.5 fixed and tiltable so you can move the focal point, which is always surrounded by beautiful bokeh. 

The effect is stunning! And I wanted to use it to make unique cyanotype prints. Finally, I processed the photographs in Photoshop, sometimes changing the colors (so that I did not just have the typical blue of the cyanotype) and adding textures to give an extra artistic touch. Three techniques of ‘different ages’ combined: a perfect mix! I had a lot of fun and liked the results immediately. 

I had achieved my goal: to be creative while having fun

I must point out how important it is for me to carve out creative time for the sole purpose of feeling good. I am not looking for appreciation; when I am creative, I don't think about whether my work might be liked or not. It is also true that it gives me enormous pleasure when the results are appreciated, as in the case of this work. I was asked to create some cards and friends chose which ones to print. I felt so honored that I created cards in a different guise from the usual ones, changing the design and adding famous phrases. Seeing your own work printed is, of course, the closing of the circle and is very satisfying.

I would also add that since I got to know the brand Lensbaby with its unique products in 2019, my photographic creativity has benefited a lot. If you have never tried these lenses, it is hard to explain: personally, I have found what I can use to express my visions already in the shooting phase.

If you noticed in that last paragraph, I never mentioned using a Lensbaby lens. Just the Omni pack! Of course you can use a Lensbaby lens but it’s not necessary. You can create these layers with any lens of your choice as long as you have the ability to create an out of focus image! (I’ve labeled the images in this post that were created with a Nikon lens) The products in the Omni Rainbow pack have a unique way of moving, blending, and adding repeating objects that a typical lens cannot.

This is all in addition to creating a single image with the Omni Rainbow products! While most people will buy the pack for that reason, there is added bonus which is creating layers to use in creative photography later! Or maybe creating light layers is the main reason you purchase the pack! Whatever you decide, it’s just another way to take your work from the ordinary to the extraordinary!