This I feel drops right into your train of thought. " He who works with his hands is a labourer. He who works with is hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and head and his heart is an artist." Francis of Assisi

I teach digital photography to a small class of high functioning ddd young adults. they are on the Downs syndrome and autistic spectrum. I have taught the he basic relationship among ISO, shutter speed and f stop. The work that they give me is original, insightful and imaginative. No "sunrise over the Grand canyon " of flower petals, but interesting. In October of 2016, I will integrate their work into an exhibit contrasting the work that they did on their first visit to Newark with work done by local pros. I hope that they will give the audience a definition of expressive creativity. By the way; no mention will be made in the program of any disabilities. The quality of their work stand alone. This is going to be fun. thanks for this post. I have watched it 4 times and it still keeps me pondering

Ted - WOW - I am deeply moved by your video AND how much you got from what I was sharing in the #AskTheRabbi AND how you wove it into your own perspective. I love your idea and would really be open to having further discussions about creativity. Similar to lessons from the wilderness, there are profound lessons on creativity from the stories of creation. You may be particularly interested in the Kabbalistic notion of creation which is all about light :) which i know is a BIG DEAL in photography. Let's keep talking and THANK YOU - I can't get over how you put this together and are bringing a new thing forward. I'm IN! Can I be one of your non-photographers?

Ted, I think you might have stumbled upon something here that would very much be interesting. You have all these people in the creative world who are artists like ones who draw, paint or ones who are graphic designers like you mentioned. You also have interior designers and architectural designers and much more. These are all people who use creative thinking. It would be SO interesting if you really could get some of these on the show and give them a camera and a task. That would really be fun. Great video as always Ted. I've been struggling in the creativity department for a while now so I've really just been watching a lot of these kind of videos in hopes I can get some kind of creativity back.

What really keeps me from getting out and take pictures is that I'm super insecure and I get shy when I take photos around people. I know it seems stupid but that's a real problem for me.

I'm a loner. That's why photography and I work really well together. Admittedly though sometimes I have a hard time liking my own photography. In the end that doesn't matter really. What matters most is that on that day I got out of bed, made my mind up to go out, grab my camera and shoot the city, the streets, the people, something, anything. Then I come home and force myself to unload my sd card onto my pc. I can't let those photos sit in that card otherwise I'll procrastinate and avoid them for days. Now I'm working those photos over, looking at what I shot, what I missed, what I accidentally captured. My point is photography is a process in which we all sort of follow, personally. From start to finish it's how that act of photographing, something, anything, defines what we were that day; a living, breathing, actively creative set of individuals. And that's my point, the proof of it all is not the photograph, surely that's the end result, but the real proof of my efforts is in the act of doing what is most difficult for a lot of us, continually living a life which actively records time and space, and the light that shines there upon it because that means the world to us. We capture our lives and the lives of others because that gives us meaning. That's worth the struggle and sometimes desperate efforts in photography, music, writing, in all art, really. It does for me anyway. Thanks for the ongoing inspiration. I always look forward to your videos because maybe I'll discover another angle at looking at art & photography, one which might reveal something I never thought I could understand or appreciate before.

For years, I watched other competitors in the corporate video production industry arriving at shoots wearing dress shirts and suits... I took a little flak from some people for showing up in a t-shirt, black North Face vest, and jeans. Though because of what my competitors wore, they never got down on the ground with their camera, laid in the dirt, or climbed up into dusty spaces... they just showed up, put their camera on a tripod and did the same thing they did before. I'd always be pushing for something different, and putting a lot of deliberate thought into how to make a shot more interesting... and so I think a big part of being creative comes from regularly pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone, experimenting, and developing the foresight to be able to see (to a certain degree) new permutations in our mind before we even press the shutter or hit record... then have the discipline to follow it through and just make it work somehow. As always, love hearing your perspective Ted, and would totally watch! Your content's already helping me think differently, and more of that would be great :)

I think it would be very interesting to have non-photographers take part in forming the assignments. Musicians and writers could be interesting as they are creating mental images from other than visual media. Artists like painters and sculpters are cool, but still work within the realm of visual imagery, so the difference in thought process would not that big.

My wife and I get stuck replicating other photographers instead of creating more original work. I think it would be amazing to have interviews from other creatives.

I've been a professional photographer for 30 some years now and just recently I've been trying to get that passion I had in the beginning back. I feel like I've been in the wilderness. Your video's have challenge me to think differently and have been helping rekindle that fire. I'm looking forward to the photo assignments.

Bored? Burned out? Feeling uninspired? Shrooms :) (seriously) I tried assignments on my channel a couple of years ago. It was ok. But I'm looking forward to what you come up with. Count me in, Ted!

Ted, you are spot on. I'm genuinely frustrated with the amount of garbage on youtube when it comes to photography. There is only so much that "gear talk" can do. It doesn't help people who are starting out get into thinking about why they are making photographs. It's much easier for them to be drawn in to those distractions, such as which lens or camera they used. Whilst understanding the technical aspects of photography is certainly important in fulfilling what you want to achieve creatively, it is not essential. It doesn't help you to fulfil your creative vision. There aren't many people on KZfaq talking about this aspect of photography and in my opinion it is the most important part of the process of making a photograph. I'm glad that you are on here and I hope that beginners stumble across your channel before they get to the ones that just talk about megapixels, lens sharpness and bokeh.

My problem is that I am sort of stuck in one location, due to health and wealth problems. It's getting tougher to see the artistic, compelling photograph in an area that I have mined for years for the good stuff.

I can fully relate to this video. 5 years ago all I took pictures of was flowers and stuff, in my eyes at the time it was cool, but looking back it seems so amateur. Moving from digital to film made me really think about composition and framing rather than finding a different flower. I liked the Rabbi story as well.

This is something I would love to see. Cross pollinating vision, perspective, backgrounds, ideologies...it's a rabbit hole of endless discoveries. Can't wait to see how it evolves!

Talking and interacting with creative minds/bodies is always refreshing and a great learning opportunity. Obviously people tend to think about other kinds of (non-photographer) _artists_. I'd like to suggest you broaden this a little bit, to also include _scientists_ and _researchers_. Being (also) a researcher myself, I can attest that doing research is a creative endeavor, and involves its own kind of artistry as well. And you'll find that photography is often a shared passion among them too!

For sure, I think it would be great to have a different perspective from people who aren't necessarily photographers.

I think a common stumbling block is subject. The way to get interesting photographs is to stand in front of interesting things. This means that you often saturate your interest on certain subjects, or do not have the time or money to go travelling to go to places to explore more. Other hang ups tend can just be around the effort - so it takes conscious decisions to get out and take photos. It takes even more to process your photos (selecting the ones you want, processing in lightroom, some photoshop etc) it all adds up. I almost think this is why people get so obsessed with gear... the new gear gives them the excuse / motivation to get out and shoot and want to spend the effort to ensure they have good images. Lastly, the other thing that tends to be a hold-up that I have seen is people. Photography does tend to require to be around people that don't mind stopping for a while to let you take photos, and spend the time trying different things to get the right image. I know that in some groups I just can't take the photos I want to. I feel that photography for a lot of people becomes a thing that they have to go and do alone. Maybe it's why we like challenges that people give us on youtube, maybe we should actually just actually meet other photographers and make a habit of going places with them. Great episode. I certainly think understanding, and being able to recognize the things holding you back is a great topic for discussion. Only once you know them and can identify them, can you actually overcome them.

This is exactly the kind of content you don't find in "photography" channels. That's why I love and support The Art Of Photography. Thanks Ted.

I am that person described in your video Ted.I have a full time job,2 kids and other commitments too and probably only get an hour to myself for photography a week too,so I'm really keen to maximise the potential in the time I've got ... So sign me up!!!

I have been isolated for almost a week in Madrid. I Am living alone and days can be very long when you can not go out to meet your friends and loved ones. This was actually how I came along this Chanel. Photography is one of my many passions and I have decided to take advantage of all this free time I have now to start again to get back into it. I am happy to hear about this idea. I think hard times makes creativity come to life in the best way possible. Some of the most meaningful work in fine arts, music, cinema had been developed during very traumatic times. Thank so much for you great work and for helping to make these long days easier to deal with.

Chase Jarvis recently did one month series involving extended interviews with people outside the photography community. I bring this up not to point out that it's been done before, but to share what I found useful. Mostly what I took from the series was the importance of a positive attitude, perseverance, and getting your work out to the public. I did not, however, find the series particularly useful for increasing my skills as a photographer. If you did do your own series involving people outside of the photographic community, I think a focus on creativity from other visual arts would be the most beneficial to me personally.

Ted, I totally agree with the idea of having someone removed from photography to share their creative insightfulness. In terms of challenging aspects of photography, I find that I struggle with creating work that interrelates (a body of work) but work that likewise, can stand strongly on its own. I've recently moved into shooting in medium format and love the experience. I find that this experience has helped me in loosing my phobia of photographing people and thus will continue to move through this growing pain while cultivating overall my street photography skills. In summary, my fundamental question is how do I build a body of work and work that matters verses just a lot of one offs? Perhaps this is 'wilderness' I must travel as so well expressed in your video.

Hi Ted, as you state from time to time in your videos about photographers, how they have classical training in painting, drawing, design etc., I very much think that any input you can provide into the topic will help develop anybody's photography who is open to it. So I very much welcome the idea. When watching your videos I always think I should find other creative stuff to broaden my view on how to look at things. To have these information on this channel as well as the other insightful stuff that you produce is just the greatest news. Thank you for motivating people to be creative and to think a little more before acting. I always get a smile on my face when a new video pops up in my subscription-list. All the best from Germany!

Ted, non-photog guests would be great. All the great photographers have a broad based education and expose themselves to many different fields. We can all learn from each other.

Ted after watching this video, I'm more enthused than ever to work with you & our assignments. THIS will help me grow more than anything else as an artist trying to be a photographer.

What a wonderful analogy! Thanks for sharing this.

1. Yes 2. Always looking for inspiration 3. Have the time 4. Great Video!

The idea of a series with non-photographer guest is exactly why I watch this channel !

as a professional writer and translator, who is increasingly developing his longtime hobby of photography in a serious manner, I'm also discovering, that my literary interest in some sort of storytelling reflects in how I see photography, let's say, as a stream of more or less mutually dependent images. So yes, I fully agree with the idea of artistic crossfertilisation, you're suggesting here, Ted. Much looking forward to its possibilities!

I started getting a little bored with digital and I still do most of my work on digital but for more fooling around being relaxed creative I now shoot film (getting in to medium format when I find the right camera for my budget) and so at the moment I feel so much more creative when I'm "limited" as I am on film ..

1. I think it would be great to have an articulate non-photographer participating in discussions -- and helping to formulate what we're going to work on for a period of time. 2. I'm fundamentally lazy and sometimes I just can't get myself moving on an idea. The way I get myself out of "gee I ought to" is to involve other people: I have a wonderful group of friends whose creative ideas are much better than mine. I can throw out a basic thought and these friends will help me mature the idea, do things with it that I never thought of doing, and give me the energy to set a date when we can meet to work on the idea. Thank you very much, Ted, and also the contributions of folks who add thoughtful and well-phrased comments!

As far as stumbling blocks go, I think mine are 1.) getting overwhelmed by the many ways to think about shooting a scene, 2.) the amount of techniques/skills that I have little knowledge or mastery over, 3.) and of course time. I think some of those things will be solved by continued practice and experience and by watching those like you impart knowledge, but when it comes to time, I think the best solution is to always have my camera on hand. Not because I need to capture every moment, but because it will be available when I have a bit of time free, or inspiration strikes.

YES, absolutely, you should invite other people (artists, philosophers, workers in manual fields, etc.)... I once heard speak a (general practician) doctor about poetry... he had never written a verse, nor had he ever read much poetry, but his thoughts about what he felt was poetry and the links he could suggest between his field of work and poetry were just so amazing! I could never read and write the same way thereafter. I also believe that what one has to say about his/her art often applies to me... Also a suggestion : you should eventually start a discussion about the concept of "beauty" (and its counterpart). I know it can get a little (too) philosophical at times, but it is central to any genuine gait in "art" (and not so "art") photography. Whether what we do is or not ugly in the eyes of others, we probably all aim for beauty in what we do. And to respond to the other question... I too have inspiration blocks these days and I find it terrifying. I just came back from a two month travel (to beautiful Mexico) where I took hundreds of pictures daily (I am more into Street Photo)... I am now back to my country (Montreal, Quebec) and I am not even able to think about going out with my camera at this point ! ! ! :-( I was talking to an old friend recently (I have not seen him in about 10 years). I was telling him how depressing this uninspired period was... his response flabbergasted me : he has been quite a good semi-pro photographer for a long while (probably 20-30 years)... about 7-8 years ago he decided to organize an exhibition of his work and produced a lot of pictures for the show. The exhibition was held about 5 years ago and the day after the closing of it he put his camera away for what he thought would be a little break. He never touched his photo material since (except for a few photoshoots here and there requested by friends). He was not really happy about this... I am afraid to be stuck in something similar (even if I have not had photography for as long in my life as a hobby)... How to awaken the fat bear of creation when winter lasts too long? :-)

Absolutely love the idea of having different types of creative people on the show.

I find the majority of my photographer friends (both pro and amateur alike) have other creative pursuits, and I always try to find if there is a correlative or causative relationship. Music seems to be the most common passion. I've had many non-pro photographer friends on my show because of this curiosity and I would love to see painters, musicians, graphic designers, architects etc. on your show as well. Look forward to the series if you decide to run with it.

photography is and isn't Art it is and isn't creative. or is all about what and how you do photography with the camera. Photography itself isn't either one, the way is.

Hey Ted . It's so nice to hear from you once again. 1>>It would be awesome to have creative personalities from outside the world of photography. As people say " You never know ". 2>> Talking about stumbling blocks which I had in recent times , being honest to the core , I have never won any awards or significant prizes in any competetions hosted by societies or mags or whatever. There are times when I think whether I am good enough or not. In these days of social media we see so many people getting their work recognised and becoming famous outright. It makes me feel self-doubt and stuff like that. But being honest again , when I grab my camera and go out on my own hunting for pictures I hardly feel those negative energies. I feel myself immersed in the process of picture taking and it feels so so good. It's like meditation. Then I realised that apart from the temporary high and recognition these awards have hardly any value. What matters to me is whether I am feeling good in the process or not. I know I am not going to make it big because I have a day job to do and my family to take care. I have hardly 2 hrs or so every week to go snapping but inside me there is a huge hunger to make moments freeze as they are for viewing in future and that hunger needs to be fed. Nothing else matters . Nothing else.

Everyday when I go to photograph I work with light - I work with composing light - I work with observing light - every frame is based on the depth of seeing - of a unique kind of visual intelligence

Right now, I am in the wilderness. I watched this video at totally the right time. My life is in transition, coping with depression and anxiety, the loss of a job of 15 years, and I've done very little photography lately. I've had to come to terms on my own that creativity and inspiration just aren't happening right now, and nor should I try to force it. I don't really talk about the technics of photography, thats about as interesting as painters talking about brushes, making pictures is something I just do. I've never been taught composition, etc. But, in the past inspiration has hit me when I least expected it. I guess, I just have to stop stressing about it and allow the creativity to happen on it's own. This video is a seed. I am really looking forward to how this series/experience unfolds. The wilderness is filled with infinite unknowns. A scary, yet exciting journey!

1. Definitely: always useful to see how laterally concepts of creativity are applied. One of the main things I've loved about post-graduate studies at university. 2. Probably self-confidence the most. It's a sense of setting up a platform for a project and then having the time and psychological energy to see it all the way through. Tends to be a sense of filling the glass of an idea half up most of the time (and finding it more difficult to squeeze the rest of the juice in there). Thanks for this video as always. All the best, Ted!

when i get a block when writing music, i turn to the camera for breathing space. and vice versa. j.

In art comunication and interaction is very important. We use the word DUALITY for the motion of idea and skill. The duality between medium and individual help create new idea. So YES I do believe inviting guess non related to photography would be a good idea.

I think it would be a grand idea to have non photographers involved.Im sure they will bring someting different to the table.Excellent idea!

One of the biggest reasons I have really taken to photography is specifically because I wanted some new creative experiences to counterpoint ones I am already passionate about. Yes, please bring in other artists to collaborate with. I really dig your thoughtful approach.

1. The inclusion of people from other media is a GREAT idea. I'm a musician myself and know a few people from across a range of artistic platforms and there is nothing more intriguing and engaging than hearing how other creative people go about conceptualising and executing a piece of work. 2. Stumbling Blocks: I only shoot film (as I'm sure many other people here do), so there is a time-frame issue. Apart from that, I think I would be refreshing to make myself FIND the time to go and shoot things for the assignments. I'm very much looking forward to hearing more about the assignments!

Yes bring in non photographers! Especially musicians.... the relationship of sound & silence is certainly akin to our light & shadow. A student at a W. Eugene Smith lecture complained that Smith only talked about music that day. Smith's response? "What goes for one goes for the other". Just last night I re-watched a Keith Jarrett dvd and he stated "Music doesn't come from music" and went on to explain about the importance of life's experiences for a musician. And I thought virtually everything he said would be applicable to photography as well....time to drag out those LP's & CD's again before I go out to shoot ;-)

Yes! Please bring some non-photographic artists on the show! What makes this channel unique over most of the KZfaq photographic world is its focus on the art. It would be refreshing to see some non-photographic input about visual art on KZfaq and I can't think of a better venue than this!

I love this idea of bringing non-photographers into it; we may practice in different disciplines and media, but the common ground is we're artists and are nourished off of the work and practices of others.

The interdisciplinary aspect of art and artist is something that always appealed to me very much. I learned so much from your show as a musician -or from reading Ansel's autobiography, because it is all about the same things, but from another angle. So great idea !! As with the perspective of the challenges, I'm totally with you on this!

I totally agree with you; Bring artists (designers, painters, illustrators, advertisement people, writers, musicians, etc.) in the conversations. Their approach to art is more direct, less distracting from us and the tools we use. The major difference in the way they work is that they have to choose their ‘concept’ beforehand. They start with a blank page, a blank canvas. Our world as a photographer is quite different - we got to get rid of the distractions seeking for a concept (unless you do still life or something close to it). Because of that, the initial thought processing of a photographer differs from most artists - but our objectives are similar. I only have one stumbling point: I do not possess any lighting equipment (besides the in-camera flash), so if I have to shoot indoors, I wait for the right time where I can use natural light, or I try to make good use of the lamps I have at home. Thanks Ted for asking about our limitations before we start any assignments.

I completely agree! Whenever I see photos, I always quiz myself about the technical aspects like "what camera body or lenses were used?" or "what were the settings?" It's a bad habit and it's killing my creativity because I get caught up on gear and technique rather than being a creative artist.

I heard you say once that the challenge is to "live creativity or live a creative life" the question is how? while there is no right or wrong answer I think bring on other creatives can provide insight to that process so yes bring on other creatives who are not photographers

YES I totally LOVE the idea of bringing other creative into the process. I have meet ups with a group of photographers quarterly where we bring prints to share and critique. This month my friend who hosts these events invited a graphic designer friend who added SO much to the exchange. I received some really valuable feedback on my work from a different perspective. After Friday nights JAM it was unanamous....he is a regular invitee now.

Love the analogy Ted. Hell yes to non photographers having an artistic discussion

Great video.. For my photography BA first year there were 3 units not related to photography at all. They were about painting, museums, and those sorts of things. As a primer to thinking about photography. Out of, maybe 35 people guess how many people were complaining to the lecturer or to the head of faculty about "we're here to do photography, not study painting"? About 10 people that i knew about. Which is so depressing! I get it, photography degree. We aren't here to paint... AND bearing in mind, i studied in London, some of the best galleries in Europe, if not the world were on our doorstep. Having a guided tour by a lecturer of 20-something years. Who was just crazily knowledgeable. Getting up close with Bathers at Asnières, or The Arnolfini Portrait. Invaluable knowledge and understanding. Which helps painters and photographers equally.

Finding more time for photography and lack of inspiration from time to time.

I'd love to see non-photographers. This channel is titled The Art of Photography, one of the photography channels on KZfaq that put the Art in the forefront, and discuss how photography is a peice of that. I think this would fit that really well.

This is a great idea! I think it's super important to get different perspectives so you're not just speaking the same language over and over. As a musician who is messing around with film photography I've found this so refreshing, simply diversifying the conversation. Definitely use diverse people for these videos. I love this channel!

Ted, great video, like the direction your heading as it have nothing to do with which F-Stop I should use for my selfies!!Key observation on your 'creativity' track is the ability to actually apply critical thinking to the creative process. Ergo, OK I'm in the wilderness, the fish stinks and I'm not taking any photos. So, what can I learn from other who have also wandered about, and rather than just copying their formula actually thinking about how I can apply their experiences to create my own 'style'. So to your questions: 1. Other creatives, absolutely, getting to hear from anybody who has stumbled around in the wilderness and got to the other side to create their own authentic ‘voice’ is worth learning from. 2. Am I stuck…yup. Went to Vietnam for the month of March, shot over 2,500 photos and in going over them to see if I could tell a story (taking a led from your recent videos)...not a lot going on!!. It’s like taking ‘mindless’ photos. So, would love to learn from you and other creatives, how to apply ‘mindfulness’ to creating my authentic art in photography.Keep up the great work and I have to dash, as I think I might need to go stumble around in a gear shop looking at some new lenses for the camera which will greatly improve me ability to take meaningful photos! ;-)

Wow the biblical analogy is great ! Here is my take on the possible answers (which turn into other questions...) 1. talk to a jazz musician. I have often had this conversation when looking at people's photograph's or trying to build series where the visual cue is somehow like a piece of jazz music or even classical music when there are strong visual rules (repetitions, use of the same color in different places, repeating lines forming a strict composition, etc...). Maybe there is a link to be made between jazz impro and the way we form visual compositions... 2. I often find myself stuck in situations where I have a series that is visually successful where inspiration just stops coming because either I can't put the idea behind the photograph into words or if I succeed in doing so, the words somehow bind me to an idea that is too precise or too restrictive to be a source of new inspiration. I love your podcasts Ted. You are going a great job !

I would totally watch man, as always!

Wonderful video as usual! A confession to share here. I was never in to photography. I am a musician and an engineer. Just to get break from music, I started watching some random photography stuff on KZfaq and came across this channel. The composition series moved me a lot and for the first time I really felt someone was talking about art involved in photography and got hooked to this channel. Only after that I started borrowing my friend's DSLR and taking images. It's been a value addition in my life. I really welcome this idea of having other people on show. About limitations in photography, my first and most important challenge is that I don't have any direction to progress. I don't know what should I shoot next. So if there is an assignment or some challenge, it will give me direction to move. Eagerly waiting for photo assignment. Thank you, Ted!

Yes great idea to draw in influences from outside photography. I gave up painting through lack of inspiration [technique not an issue, deciding what to paint more so]. Not yet at the creative stage with photography - I think for me just finding time to go out and take pictures every day is the most important step there.

as a photographer I'm always looking for new creative ideas. between family, full-time work & part-time food photography projects for clients, i try to find time to watch KZfaq to try & find new creative ideas from people like yourself. so I'm happy to see what non-photographers can do to put a spin on the art of photography. I really need to get my butt in gear creatively.

Yes to non-photographers. Cross pollination is the key to diversity of thought/ideas. Go nuts, get the guy/gal on your garbage truck to present an assignment. The more out there, the better! Also, when you do photographers, get a variety of backgrounds: photojournalists, portrait folks, wildlife photogs, wedding photogs, fine arts people. Really mix it up so we are challenged.

Waiting for the first assignment, and very excited!

Yes! Part of being creative and learning to see is having new perspectives outside of our domain! Always open to other people who can offer new insights.

I love the wilderness analogy.

Hi Ted, I'm in my mid-thirties, and resigned from my job 18 months ago to take on the at-home-parent role to our little tiger. I've had a fantastic time, and in that time, my passion for photography has become an obsession. I do have a fantastic model! This week I started photo school and am working towards a career change. The creative aspect to photography is my foremost interest however, and my first classes have assured me that I will surely be challenged. I think I am making my way through the wilderness, as in your story. I've begun working on my first assignment which is 'joiner' photography and have taken on inspiration from a favourite song of mine, that I listened to on the way home from class. If you don't know it, give it a listen. It's A Perfect Circle's cover of When the Levee Breaks. Brilliant. I think the creative process transcends art and can be useful in many aspects of our lives. I reckon your idea of incorporating various artists to inform photo assignments is excellent. Cheers!

As you said in your video, I have stuck for time because of kids and job. I have to say that there are a lot of youtube channels out there, but yours goes to a totally different level, and that's what I like about it. You make the case of not just clicking the shutter, but making an image with purpose. I'm new to photography, so I will admit that I am clicking the shutter right now, but I aspire to make more meaningful images and become more of an artist. There are thousands of contests that reward clicking the shutter, and photoshop genius, and while I do partake in those, I would love to have a challenge like this that goes to the next level. I think bringing in artists from other genres is the perfect way to do that. I would definitely tune in, and I applaud your striving to be different than the rest.

Hi, Ted. I think bringing in non-Photographers to the show would be such a great idea. Personally, my biggest setback with photography is not knowing what to shoot and then having the motivation to go and shoot. - Another great video btw!

Photography as *art* is the most difficult of all other disciplines. We do not start with a blank canvas. We have a scene in front of us that we do not control. Unless we do something creative in the viewfinder, we are merely duplicating. YES YES YES PLEASE to artists outside of the photography realm! Even a photo editor from a magazine would be great. Awesome stuff as always Ted. Thank you for sharing!! - Jon

Ted, you have picked exactly the right issue. Creativity can root from anywhere, and having creative 'non-photographers' on your channel can really help. And I am one of those who has not been able to pursue photography due to family commitments. As a result, I have got into a place where my inhibitions overbear on my ideas. Would love to hear from experts (including you) on how they dealt with it and got out of this phase.

in the way You've put it, for sure!

Love how this assignment idea is progressing. Reading through the comments there are a lot of good ideas. Work has been really busy as of late, haven't much time to get creative.

Hello, Ted 1. I think it's a great idea to present the work and ideas of "non-photographers" 2. My stumbling blocks: - lack of meaning/purpose of my work (WHY should I paint/shoot photos etc ) ; just because I like it ? Is there a point in what I'm doing ?) - lack of finances (should I buy a film and spend money on processing/scanning it or should I buy something to eat or pay a bill [true case right here]) - lack of confidence: (when I see the tons of art products that are made I get frozen) - lack of time (creativity should take more time than paying the bills, or doing home maintenance) Best regards, Alexandru

great video. I've always explained to my dad that I thought it was weird that I'm more inspired by music and movies than other photographers. I'm really excited for your assignments! also something that hangs me up is me just living in a very flat and boring town and all the nature is blocked with no trespassing signs.

A lot of people would say there isn't "Creativity" or "Creative thinking" per se but there is creativity within specific fields. Creativity merely means "making" and including different "makers" would be a good idea. Why not bring a sound artist in as well.

I like the idea of occasional input from those outside the photographic medium. A good creative writer creates images with words. From a good poet the message of the poem is often "between" the written lines. Or as I once heard a poet say, 'the meaning is on the"white" of the page. With many photographs the meaning sometimes comes from what is absent in the frame or what is symbolically or metaphorically hidden within the frame. Creative writing, poetry, and fine art photography are very similar in their formulation, execution, and presentation of ideas

It's fantastic to know the point of view of non-photographers, is a good way to refresh our vision...

the more the merrier! please do get more people to come and talk to us. and speaking of stumbling blocks, i myself have only one, i feel stuck in a place. i dont feel myself improving and i criticize myself to the point of giving up. i did this when i was playing the drums! but that was a long time ago! it would be great if you could shed some light on this dilemma i have here! thanks.. love you videos as always :)

I'm a musician that uses photography to enhance my passion, if I was stranded on an island, I would beat on hollow logs with sticks to make rhythms, its ingrained in me, part of my 23 chromosomes. Creativity is like a muscle, the more you flex it, the more you want to.

Hey Ted. Thank you again for sharing this :) Watching movies inspires me, listening to music, meeting other artists and going to galleries. inspires me. Full support for bringing other artists to the show. I think it a great idea. My best friend is a Painter and I am really inspired by her work. I think collaboration between different artists really pushes you to see things from a different angle. I myself am trying to figure out how to combine photography with different form of art. And answering your question about being burnt out: Sometimes I can't concentrate. Every day I wake up with an idea in mind, then bomb it vanishes. I just get distracted working different jobs and having the family around. You just feel everything is hectic.

Hi Ted! I think that getting people who aren't photographers on the show is a great idea. I often find that when I talk to other people who are creative in different ways to me it helps both of us to think in news ways and have fresh ideas. It also is beneficial to be able to brainstorm in news ways but also have your ideas questioned in a "okay, but what about this?" kind of way! Some of the stumbling blocks I have come across you have mentioned- between burn out and a day job- and I have also tried to do some of those photo challenge assignments but like what you were saying, giving the subject of "trees" isn't really gonna help anyone progress. I have tried to come up with ideas myself but without these other creatives to bounce ideas off I find myself getting stuck in a rut really quickly and I always fail before I even start the project. I'm really looking forward to starting these photography assignments with you! Laura

Loved this video. I'm not Jewish but I have heard the "Wilderness" story before and I too always looked at it in a metaphoric way although you have really driven home the point in a deep way. I think the idea of bringing people from other walks of creativity into your videos would be awesome. With both my music and photography over the years I have had many influences that have come from other areas of creativity. Watching a man carve artistic wood sculptures with a chainsaw many years ago was a very inspiring thing for me (strange I know). And having outside sources review my portfolio was actually inspiring (although painful lol) to see what other people see in my work that I could not see, good & bad. Working with makeup artists who have a vision or an athlete who has a concept, designers, illustrators... the list goes on and on. I'm 51 years old and sometimes sitting and listening to younger creatives can also be very inspiring. So "yes" to other creatives in your videos.

different perspectives usually bring different solutions. So I totally agree with bringing people of different fields into the conversation

Absolutely bring in non photographers. It's through exposing ourselves to different people and environment that some of the best work is grown from.

I'm definitely looking forward to your assignments, the more and more you describe your will about them, the more and more i'm hooked to this idea!

Bringing artists, painters, graphic artists, sculptors, to discuss the art in/of photography is exactly what I looked for when I first subscribed to your videos. This is exciting to me and I look forward to these videos, hoping to find the antidote to Susan Sontag's assessment that photography is not practiced as an art but rather it is mainly a social rite, a defense against anxiety, and a tool of power. I long for a definition/description of photography as an art because I believe it is an art when practiced in an artful way.

Bringing non photographers would be awesome. Artists, especially, have a lot to teach. Regarding some of the stumbling blocks, here are a few 1. I have a very busy schedule and I can't take time out to shoot. Most of my shooting is reactive (I consider myself not visually creative, I just react), and I shoot wherever I go, with my cellphone This is the stuff that I normally shoot everyday: instagram.com/rajbir.bhattacharjee/ 2. For me, if shooting requires taking time out specifically for it, it will not happen. If it requires requires elaborate setups, it will not happen. I have a couple of speedlights, and a C stand - I haven't used them in three years. 3. I'm too lazy. The week takes its toll, and I have to catch up on sleep on the weekends 4. If the topic is rule of thirds, its tough to get me interested. Trees, on the other hand, would get me in. Though I don't know if I will be able to produce an interesting photograph of a tree or not, but it will be challenging. :)

I have a tough time picking a theme and sticking with it. When I shoot, I'm very scattered and I just shoot whatever catches my eye at the moment.

If your only source of inspiration is other photographers then how will you work stand out from the crowd? I for one would welcome a broader view.

I enjoyed this episode and share your views, great work Ted!

YES! All kinds of artists please.

I think that when i work as a photographer I have two modes. When ex. I am shooting commercially i use the things I do when I am shooting creatively. When I take pictures for a company there is not much time or space to experiment. But when you are finished and have time for some extra shoots I discover new ways I can handle the creative process.

Yes, great idea to bring on the show non-photographers to interact ! Many thanks for sharing this ! Merci ! Greetings from France !

other professionals would be very welcome!

it would be awesome. everything is connected.

Ted, thank you for all you do here. I love the idea of bringing in non-photographers in from time to time. I think it will bring fresh ideas and perspectives. On the subject of what I get stuck on.... I think the biggest thing I get stuck on is just hitting that old mental block (hitting the wall). I find it very difficult to think of creative new ways to shoot something. Fortunately it does not last long and I get back out there and shoot. It is not uncommon for it to hit on only ONE area of my work and not others.