Creative disorganization

[Roger Hicks]

An earlier thread I started, on keeping track of CDs, prompted this one. I'm very grateful for all the help and ideas on the other thread, because it really helped me clarify my thoughts. I realized that I don't look for pictures using verbal criteria.

So: in my disorganized way, I often have to hunt through stacks of things in order to find what I want. But I strongly suspect that this is a spur to creativity. I am looking for A; I find B, Q and Z. I see new ways of using Q; I see new relationships between B and Z. This applies whether I am looking for pictures, or a camera, or a filter. And it is especially true if I have recently been on this forum: my mind is fairly fizzing with new ideas.

Who else has had similar experiences?

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)

[Roger Hicks]

Dear BillP,

Yes, that's the word -- but it's sort of like looking for serendipity to happen.

To attach (says he with the confidence of one cwho mastered is several days ago), 'Go Advanced' ... 'Manage Attachments' ... load the pic (I put mine on the A drive floppy or the Lexar Media H-drive, so I can find it) as a JPEG; and Upload. The eighth or tenth time you try it will suddenly become perfectly clear...

Cheers,

Roger

[captainslack]

BillP: Scroll to the bottom of a new message and click "Manage Attachments", click "Upload File", wait, then "Close Window". :D

Roger: "Creative Disorganization?" Another term for "organized mess", I suppose? That's definitely how I term my working habits. In other words, stuff may appear scattered to the four winds, but I (usually) know where everything is and can put my hands on it in fairly short order.

[Roger Hicks]

Captainslack: well, where most of it is, anyway. Or at least some... And fairly quickly...

Cheers,

Roger

[taffer]

"Roger: "Creative Disorganization?" Another term for "organized mess", I suppose? That's definitely how I term my working habits. In other words, stuff may appear scattered to the four winds, but I (usually) know where everything is and can put my hands on it in fairly short order."

This describes perfectly my own habits as well. But to me it's way fun to dive into piles of papers, books, files, negatives, computer hardware etc looking for something. Usually you find several other things on the way and you end saying 'hey, look it's my lost XYZ! I could try to do P or Q with it !' it's like a small daily adventure :)

So in fact, re-reading the whole thread, it's just what you say Roger.

[D.O'K.]

A dissimilar but possibly related experience: when revisiting photographs formerly thought lacklustre or otherwise disappointing I find there is sometimes much more interest in them (whether in terms of content, emotion or whatever). Conversely, some of those which pleased when taken lose their charms when re-examined and begin to irritate. The question is: are these altered responses merely a reflection of changing taste/nostalgia/more critical viewing arising with time, or rather a delayed perception by the conscious mind of what the subconscious "saw" (or rejected) originally when "advising" the brain whether to take the image in the first place? I have read that much of the best creativity is largely driven by subconscious forces of which the artist is unaware, or only dimly aware. If this is true, the positive aspect is that life (including photography!) should be full of such "happy chances" provided the subconscious receives the proper stimuli. The slightly depressing aspect is that much creativity is highly dependent upon the latter: and that it lies beyond the control of the conscious mind.

Best wishes,
D.O'K.

[GermanB]

"Roger: "Creative Disorganization?" Another term for "organized mess", I suppose?

Oscar: as my statistics teacher used to say ... randomly ordered ... :D

Barret

[Little Prince]

Bill, that picture would be memorable to many.

[Roger Hicks]

D. O'K: Yes, I agree absolutely. That's why I never consider throwing pics out until years after shooting them (except for technical failures). . I pull the ones I like and mount them (slides) or make prints (neg). The remaining slides are stored unmounted as 'spares' or 'overs'. When I get around to it -- creative disorder again -- I go through them berfore chucking them out. Negs of course are just filed.

Bill: i see what you mean. Without the balloon it would be pleasant. With the balloon it's excellent.

Cheers,

Roger

[taffer]

Oscar: as my statistics teacher used to say ... randomly ordered ... :D

Barret

Ditto ! :)

[Doug]

It's not "either, or" is it? That one keeps an up-to-date database of info on each roll, and numbers rolls and exposures to some pattern, doesn't mean one doesn't also scan visually through the thumbnails/prints/slides and see things forgotton or relationships not before noticed. Going through those thumbnails, numbered to match the negs by date code to enforce chronological sorting, is also useful to keep a mental picture of the body of work. The written data also results in serentipitous finds on occasion by showing other relationships... Perhaps a neglected shot of that mountain, etc. And of course a visual search won't be likely to find how I processed Verichrome Pan back when, or the most recent use of a certain lens.

RFF causes a fizzing of ideas? :) Indeed, a rethinking of concepts, fresh examination of the work, and the frequent GAS attacks...

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Doug,

You're right, it's not either/or. For me it's completely one and not the other at all. The more I think about it, the more sure I am that I don't actually care AT ALL about key words: it is purely visual. Which was a surprise because I always thought of myself as a person who thought almost exclusively verbally.

Processing goes in the lab notebook, sure, but how on earth do you know the last time you used a particular lens? And why do you care? As for GAS, yes, well, see my latest thread, GAS Masks...

The great thing about this forum is that it shows me how people can be so alike in some ways and so different in others, while still remaining civil -- which I have never seen in any other forum.

Cheers,

Roger

[TPPhotog]

I have to admit to being a completely dis-organized mess. However I agree that it's also creative. It's amazing how many times I'm swearing to myself trying to find a negative when I spot one that I've rejected in the past but now speaks to me or better still see something that sets me off on another project. The only real problem is that I seem to find the inspiration late at night and the brain goes into overdrive just before bedtime.

[Roger Hicks]

Dear TPPhotog,

It's the Rodinal addiction. Rots the brain, y'know...

But yes: I absolutely agree, both about the neg that 'speaks to you' anew and about the brain going into overdrive when you are too tired to do any more work. I leave notes to myself in the hope I'll recapture the inspiration when I wake up.

Cheers,

Roger

[TPPhotog]

...It's the Rodinal addiction. Rots the brain, y'know...Hi Roger,

I have started to notice that ;)

I have several bits of paper with notes on, but somehow some of them seem to lack the enlightenment I had before I went to bed. Possibly some are like dreams that in daylight don't seem to be as logical. There again maybe not being logical is part of inspiration?

Best wishes Tony