Finding inspiration

There's days when I'm either on the job or photographing for fun and I just am not feeling it. It can be hard to find the inspiration I need to get out there and take great photos when I'd rather just sit around and watch tv. So what do I do? No, really what do I do??

Sometimes the best I can do is cave in and listen to my inner lack of drive, leaving the camera at home for the day. I binge watch the Great British Baking Show and eat some brownies, wish I were a better baker and just end up falling asleep. But maybe that's exactly what I'm supposed to do. Maybe the best thing to do when you don't want to go take photos is just that: don't.

I think that we all need time off from creative pursuits to recharge. If I've been doing a lot of real estate photography and not much else I find that my work really begins to suffer. If I've had a day or two off suddenly when I return it's like my brain is bursting with ideas about how to do this or that and I feel motivated to do a great job. The cycle then begins again. I think our brains can only do a single task for so long before needing distraction. They say the best way to solve a problem is to take time away from it and that your subconscious mind continues working on it. When you come back you'll see things from a new angle, in the case of real estate photography hopefully literally from a new angle.

I can't shed any new light on how to find new inspiration on command, but I can suggest doing what I do and just step away. Go watch your favorite show or go for a walk, now that the weather is nice. Pick up a new hobby and maybe it'll inspire your old one. Give yourself something fresh and then the monotony might not seem so monotonous.