Using Creative Doubt as a Learning Opportunity

I’ve been working on a series of photos I call Makers Hands since last October. Recently my pesky creative nemesis—doubt—has been rearing it’s ugly head in this project.

Creative Doubt

There are a few photos in the series that I like but many that simply don’t speak to me. Technically many of the photographs are fine and some are even interesting in a story-telling mode explaining how a particular craft or art is done. But when viewed with my original intent in mind, the images just aren’t work for me.

The last few sets of photographs that I’ve made for the series felt like a chore to edit rather than the joy that I usually feel when I download and work on photos. I haven’t scheduled a photo session with a maker since early June and I’m beginning to wonder if I will finish this series or do anything with it. Am I getting bored with this series of photos? Or is it that I don’t know why I’m doing it any more?

I feel stuck and uncertain about whether there is anything worthwhile about the series. Something isn’t working and I’m not sure what it is.

When I discussed my current state of doubt and questioning about whether to continue the project with my husband, he suggested that I study the photos that I like and find compelling in the series. Instead of quitting and giving up, why not use this as a learning opportunity? Is there something that the images that I like have in common? What is it that draws me into some images and not others? What is my purpose for creating these images? Do my images reflect my artist statement and original intention?

I’ve decided to follow my husband’s sage advice and see what I can learn. Next week I plan to print out several photos from each makers hands photo shoot and start looking at them together and studying them. Which ones grab me? Why? Are there photos that feel like they go together? Are there art forms that work better to express my ideas? Does the artist statement I wrote for this series really express what these images say to me?

My Makers Hands series of photographs celebrates the universal human drive to make and create. These intimate portraits of the hands of different artists creating are intended to touch and ignite the spark of creativity deep in each viewer’s heart.

I don’t have any answers yet and don’t know what will happen with this series but I am open and curious about what I will learn about the project and about myself.

What do you do when doubt appears in your life? Can you use doubt as a learning opportunity?

May you walk in beauty.