Shift your Perspective

Set constraints to boost your creativity

Hey friends,

Greetings from Ashoka University, India!

This week at Write of Passage has been absolutely amazing. I got a couple shoutouts during the sessions, which felt awesome. I have been pouring my heart into this course.

For example, each student is asked to edit at least 3 other students essays. I must have edited over 40 essays. And I LOVED every minute of it. As Will Manon (core team member of WOP) said, “ you begin to see your mistakes in other people’s writing.”

I realise the incredible power of getting other people’s eyeballs on your work before you hit publish. It can mean all the difference between good and great.

Here's the links I want to share this week:

• How Editors Know if Your Writing Is Good: What is it exactly that editors look for? How do they gauge your writing abilities? What must you work on? This video answers it all

• Jerry Jenkins on Writing a Memoir: Writing a memoir is less about your story and more about what you can give your reader. Confused? Watch this video

• The Lions of India: Yes, India has lions too. Here’s the story of an initiative to save them, and how that played out…

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Constraints = Creativity

Stretching my legs, my feet rested in a tiny gap atop my book-laden table. A rose-gold Macbook lay precariously on my lopsided thighs. A few inches off and it would fall. Craning to see it, my neck bent itself into a position that would warrant 5 years of yoga to correct. Talk about uncomfortable. Ugh. The screen flashed despondently as my middle finger jabbed at the well-pressed, dented right-arrow key. 

I scanned my monitor as photographs taken over the past three years darted by. Images from years of waking up to countless sunrises, shooting in that sweet, golden, chandelier light. Of lush rainforests, spectacular elephants and intriguing villagers; all flattened into photographs. 

But as image after image passed by, my mind nagged me with a single thought:

None of them are unique.

In spite of 3 years of hard work, my photographs weren’t exceptional. They seemed plucked straight out of the Getty-images gallery—technically sound but not one-of-a-kind. Not compelling enough to slap someone and say, “You gotta check these out!.”

It wasn’t art yet. It was repetition. A pale imitation of an overdone style. A jaded image of elephants surrounded by foliage on my screen—just like the 9738 elephants photos out there—stared at me. All my efforts seemed wasted. Greys and greens eyed me mockingly from the screen—WHY DID THOSE COLOURS LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT? A pressure grew in my chest, pressing upward, forcing the air and confidence out of me. 

But then suddenly, out of the torpor, a small voice flickered in my head. Quiet, yet clear. Sailing over my overthinking, it said “What if you removed the colours?”

My fingers kissed the touchpad, dragging the saturation slider down to zero. With the draining of colour, the picture came alive. Suddenly, I saw depth and character. Shock and elation found its way onto my face, the composition, contrast, clarity—all screaming creativity. 

Until that point, I was fixated on colour photographs simply because it was the norm. I mean, why shoot in B&W when you have cameras that can render such vibrant colours! I can think of many people who see such a move as a step backwards.

But discovering BNW photography was like donning a new pair of eyes. I got a new way of seeing the world—a new way of being. It opened doors to my creativity that sat jammed in my colour photography. Unearthing a more distinctive form of expression. 

By removing the colours, I am reducing the number of things that can grab my viewer’s attention. Now, they must focus on the contrast, shape and texture of my subject. In monochrome, there is no colour to think about (Duh!), therefore highlighting composition and contours make photos POP. 

So the next time you're in a creative rut, switch things up. Set constraints to unleash your creativity. Do you make music? Use only the violin for a song. Love painting? Try a piece with just shades of orange. NARROW DOWN to one aspect of your craft so that you can emphasise a particular style. A controlled approach will open your eyes and see that which you were previously blind to.

Seeing the world through a new lens will reveal things that you did not known before. Shifting your perspective changes how you see the world. And that changes your world. 

Postcard

I realised that I can repurpose my photography to create distinctive Ishan Shanavas-stylised (and branded if you think about it) graphics. This is a huge step in creator journey. I plan on using these graphics in my newly designed website along with other content I make…

Favourite Quote

“Yes, I’m sure the universe connected us and may do so again when it deems the time is right. Until then, in only a few short hours combined with a set of lovely messages, I have enjoyed something rarely found, a gemstone in the sands of time.”― Charles Dyson

Have a creative, energetic and inspiring week!

If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.

Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.

I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)