Self – © John Neel
Breaking the rules allows us to develop ourselves more creatively.
To become creative, one of the best things an artist can do is break the rules. Rules in the arts are really guidelines we can follow to conform to known concepts. The truth is, that they only get you as far as the next artist. For great artists, rules act as a base in which to begin discovery. It should make sense that in order to produce new and exciting work, we need to break through restricting parameters, which can stifle creative flow.
Discovery means taking chances and pushing limits. It also means losing the idea of following or copying others. The idea of invention necessitates freethinking. Freethinking implies that we can venture outside of the “norm”, outside of the rules, outside of the known. It is the freethinker that moves us into new territory, sees the world from a new perspective while transforming art, culture and lives in the process.
Most of us begin our creative ambitions learning how to produce artistic creations by simulating the work of others. To a degree, this is a reasonable way to learn our crafts. Rules do have a valid function in that they provide ways that help us achieve balance and order. They also can be used to establish the language. In order to communicate, we need to form a basic structure to allow for comprehension. The task is to create something, which can be reasonably understood by your audience.
However, these so called rules of art & photography are not meant to be laws in which we are strictly governed. That would make for narrow thinking because boundaries tend to stifle creativity. Instead, the rules that exist have been developed over time to give us ways to produce such things as balance, harmony, rhythm and movement. They act as the basic foundation for creative dialogue. They are the starting point with which we begin the process of communication. It is important to know what the rules do, what they are for, when and where to use them. They have functionality that should not be completely ignored. When we understand the rules, we can use them as we see fit.
However, we learn the rules in order to break them. The skill of photography is not in adhering to the rules but rather finding favorable ways to break them that allow for new thought, new direction, and a new and meaningful utterance.
Creativity has very little to do with conformity. Breaking the rules allows us to develop ourselves more creatively. It is how we establish originality. It gives us uniqueness; it gives us a new voice and allows for unlimited invention. Breaking the rules is what allows us to discover those things that are not ruled.
Art is about discovery! Art is about personal expression! Art is about life seen and expressed through new eyes, showing the world something about itself and who we are as humans. Most of all, photography is a communication tool that when used in a freethinking way, can open new lines of dialogue, ways of seeing and understanding our world. In order for creativity to thrive, it is important to keep the doors wide open to any and all possibilities.
Breaking the rules is how we discover and create the new.
Please have a look at some of my other posts here.
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