What to Do When You're Creatively Stuck - By Larry Mager (Guest Writer)

Photo By: Mihai Surdu (Stock Snap)

In a world where physical activity is performed in abundance, it is all so easy to forget how to nurture your mind as well as your body. Just like the muscles of the body, your mind is indeed a muscle that needs to be exercised daily in order to function to its best ability. Creativity is the driving force of passion behind many people, and when it runs through your veins and body, it can be the most exhilarating experience. However, when creativity runs dry, it feels as though that little flicker of light within has burned out. Fortunately there are several methods and exercises you can implement to relight that flame and get your creativity back up to par!

Tales From Another Age - Art Merging the Past With the Present

Old photographs have always been a passion of mine. I find I lose myself when I look at photos of earlier eras. While creating the work for the Grand Ball series, I've had to spend a lot of time looking through old archives. United States law says that virtually all photographs published before January 1923 are now in the public domain. In simpler terms they are free to use. 

Setting the Scene - Creating the Surreal Seas Series

This is an example of how I set up some of my images. In the image above a scene is set in an all black staging area. Because this image will be taken in complete darkness all the pieces for the scene have been sprayed with an X2 phosphorescent paint. Once the lights go down, the only thing remaining will be those pieces. This gives me a little more leeway to be creative as the wiring will disappear once the lights go out. Using an all black staging area guarantees that only the objects I want to show will be seen. This also gives me more leeway when I am not shooting in the dark to add my own colors and backgrounds after the original image is photographed.

Ghost Ships

The Ghost Ships series was created using scale models of ships that were purchased at a flee market for $5.00 each. Each was spray painted solid black and then coated with an X2 phosphorescent paint. The models were staged with props that were also sprayed with the X2 paint. The staging was done in a completely black setting to eliminate all other light sources and photographed in total darkness. The photos were then moved to the digital studio where the final images in the series were created. 

Each final image has a doppelganger. This allows the viewer to zoom in and see each image larger than their screens may allow. The doppelganger is located beneath each image and can be controlled without having to move to another site.

Image #1 Silents Cries in the Deep

A Prayer Against the Storm

Here in New Orleans, summer means that we begin to think about hurricanes. We don't acknowledge it publicly. But deep down inside there is that nagging uncertainty that our way of life may be destroyed yet again. In 2015 we went through the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I did a lot of work during that time that was hurricane related. One of the pieces was a huge 5' x 5' canvas of a hurricane coming in over a city. It still hangs on the wall of the studio. 

Fast forward to today. We are getting the first of our spring time thunderstorms which come in May and June. This particular storm decided it was going to put the lights out for a few hours. Darkness is always a reminder of Katrina where we learned to live for weeks without electricity. 

I entered the studio to get some candles. In front of the Katrina portrait is my Buddha altar. I try to keep a single candle lit on it at all times. So when I came in, this was the first thing I saw. I had to suppress a shudder when I saw it. Then I had to reach for my camera and try to capture the image. I needed no other greater reminder that its hurricane season than this. 

The lights are back on now. But there is still a darkness that remains.