Do you ever feel stuck? Lacking in energy? Even think you might somewhat be in a state of depression? If your answer is “yes†to any of these statements, continue on to read 7 Tips for Using Your Camera to Reconnect with yourself and others.
You will be tapping into your creative self, which is waiting to be your partner. The only requisites are an open mind and a digital camera. A cell phone camera can suffice. The tips:
1 – Take a daily walk – You are constantly told that walking is good exercise and important for your physical health and energy. Walks are also good for your emotional well-being and for creating shifts in your mental and emotional states. Having a camera available aids in this process.
2 – Have your camera with you at all times – The camera is a tool you can use to help you identify what’s important to you in your life, as well as what you value in yourself and others. It’s a way of making connections with people and with yourself, for discovering what gets you excited.
3 – Look outside yourself – Pay attention to your environment wherever you are – on a walk in your home, outside or even in the supermarket. Once we start using our eyes to look around us and see what’s in front of us and on either side, we are expanding our vision.
4– Stop whenever anything catches your eye – Many times, I’m sure, you’ve passed something that you’ve thought “ugly†or “insignificant†and walked right past it. I invite you to make the decision now to pause whenever an image catches your eye. There might be a reason, so stop and look again.
5 – Make it a Practice – Photograph Everything that Catches your attention – Once you’ve stopped and made that decision, ready your camera and “snap†the photograph. Move closer, take another picture, then back and one more. Before leaving that spot, look around you and see if there is anything else that wants to be photographed.
6 – Continue your walk – In the process of photographing you might have observed that it was the color that attracted you, perhaps the shape or a texture. As you walk, look for others of those elements and once again repeat the photographing process.
7 – View your downloaded photos with new eyes – When you are back from your walk and have downloaded the photos to your computer, once again practice stopping at whatever images catch your eye this time as you run them through with whatever download program you use. You might be surprised to discover things that you did not even notice before.
Following these steps are guaranteed to move you out of any “funk†you might be in. Using your camera in this way to to open yourself up to seeing new things will also expand into other areas of your life, work and relationships.
For learning more on how observations with your camera can open you up to new ways of seeing and learning more about yourself, continue with the Red Onion Story #1 – Peeling Away the Layers of an Onion, Analogous to Peeling away the layers of Ourselves. You can also experience creating your own transformational shifts in one of the Expanding Your Vision Through and From the Lens telecourses.
© Sheila Finkelstein All rights reserved. These tips are offered by Sheila Finkelstein, Artist, Photographer, Writer, Coach.
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caught my attention. In part, I’m sure, it was more noticeable to me because that night in the show, I had been particularly attracted to paintings, collages and sculptures in the show that were predominately earth tones.
