The value of throwaway photos
What good is a digital photo if it never leaves your camera?
Forget about digital cameras — when was the last time you actually printed out a smartphone photo? Delete, delete, delete. Paradoxically, I’m finding throwaway photos make it easier for me to be a working artist.
My smartphone has become my other short-term memory bank. Before I leave the studio for the day, I now take a photo, then type a little text to remind me of where I left off. Even an image without text helps. It gets me back into the creative flow, even when days pass before I can continue a work-in-progress.
And that visual reminder saves time too: I don’t need to un-glue a collage element to fix a preventable mistake. As Jacqui Palumbo noted in a recent article: “We are taking more photos than ever today, but do we really value them?“ Oh yes, yes I do… especially when the rest of my life elbows its way past my studio practice. How do you use your ‘useless’ photos? Tell me on Instagram or Facebook.
Makers gonna make... at a slower pace
For the first time in maybe two years, I have only one project to work on: collage portraits for the Liberty Bank Building.
I enjoyed people-ing at the "Locally Sourced" reception, and sharing my butterflies with everyone.
But my brain craves alone-time, preferably in the studio.
So I took a week or two not doing much of anything, as the experts suggest you do after a big project. It's been a welcome change not to finish something in a week, or schedule events that won't happen for months in the future. Still a few deadlines, but they're not within days of each other.
It might take a few more months of this: my brain refuses to attempt more abstract things like goal-setting. So I intend to keep things low-key (ha!) for the summer, but I'm not making any promises.
Seems all I do is wait
I have elements prepped for the collages I'm planning. Even got a little help from my studio assistant the other day.
Got an idea for another pair of collages too, as I was cleaning up after breakfast.
But I'm still waiting for a break in the action to put the collage elements together. That time seems so elusive from this viewpoint.
Sigh... cross your fingers for me that the kids will sleep late on the weekend and that they'll spend all their waking moments playing outside. Might get some more work and thinking done then.