Most photographers have experienced somewhat of a work bounce-back over the past year and don’t get me wrong, that’s a great thing. As we recover long-rescheduled jobs and revenue from the past few years, it’s easy to work yourself harder and longer than you previously did. The memory of not being able to put food on the table for my family during the shutdown still hits me on a visceral level. I remember the feelings as if I’m reliving it all over again, as if it was yesterday. During my slow work time, it was almost cathartic to be creative and create personal work. It served as an outlet for my angst and anxiety about what tomorrow might bring. And I’m sure you would agree, it was an emotional roller coaster. 

So now, with the proverbial whiplash of being flung right back into the frenzy of client work, compounded by the fear of what tomorrow might bring…or take away. I can’t help but take on each and every job that comes through the door. But this presents a problem of it’s own: burnout. And my, did it come on fast!  

Here, I offer some suggestions to stay creative during 2023, in hopes that some (or even one) of my tips will help improve your work/life balance. Helping you feel complete and fulfilled as not only a service provider, but as an artist, too. 

5 Tips to Stay Creative in 2023

Tip 1: Set aside significant time for personal projects.

As artists, we need to stay fulfilled in order to avoid burnout. We need to fill our cups with the creative juices that we run on. But this can’t be done in an afternoon. It needs to be dedicated time, I know it’s scary but do it. Block it off on your calendar and DON’T move it if a client calls for that date. I personally find it very hard to be creative if my client to-do list is pinging around in my head. So not only do you need to reserve time for personal projects, but schedule it on a Monday, after you’ve had the weekend to decompress and get out of ‘work’ mode. 

Tip 2: Explore other art forms.

For me personally, my biggest struggle when creating ideas for composites is coming up with the ideas in my head. I know I have the Photoshop skills to execute them, but my brain just doesn’t naturally go to the surreal worlds and realms that I know are overflowing with visual inspirations that I can translate into my composites.

[Read: 10 Questions for Photo Retoucher Kristina Sherk]

Lately, I’ve found inspiration in AI art (I particularly love the iridescent color schemes I see in some of the creations,) as well as following some surreal painters on Instagram. And lastly, some of the immersive traveling art installations are really eye opening. They allow you to experience an art form like painting not only with your eyes but with all your senses and in 3D instead of 2D. If you haven’t been to one, definitely check them out. 

Tip 3: Use something in an unintended way.

This will force your brain to think ‘outside the box.’ Here are two ways I’ve done this lately: I wanted to incorporate some new cool out of focus elements into my beauty work, so I took my camera to a craft store and started taking pictures of all sorts of things out of focus, seeing what sort of bokeh or cool effects they’d give me. (Side Note: If you’re attending my WPPI class, Create Beauty Images from Start to Finish, you’re in for some really fun stuff). Just doing that one small exploratory mission left me SO inspired and exploding with ideas! Below you’ll see three examples where I used something in an unorthodox way. The first is pieces of graphite rocks for mixed media purposes, but I tried to use them as eyeshadow. Next are sprinkles and incorporating them into a beauty shot. Lastly, some examples of using temporary tattoos as makeup for creating something different. 

Tip 4: Limit yourself.

This sounds counterintuitive but it forces you to think in different ways and find new solutions. Ultimately leading you to be a more creative person. For example, if you’re a color photographer. Give yourself the challenge to only shoot black and white for a month. Or if you are a photographer who swears by zoom lenses, commit to only using a prime 50mm lens for a month. That’s it. You will be absolutely amazed at the amount of knowledge you gather when you do a deep dive into something you feel like you know little about. It’s a wonderful way to grow as both an artist and a human. 

Tip 5: Attend WPPI!

I know, I know. This is a little bit of a cop-out. But just hear me out. Every time I attend a conference. I always return supercharged and excited about the ideas that were sparked while I was there. This comes from connecting with like minded people, watching demos from some of the most talented photographers in our field, hearing about a new product that’s just been released. The list goes on and on. 

[Read: Photo Composites: From Concept to Final Image]

If you’re already going to the show, congratulations! But you can do one better. Open the show directory to the agenda and blindly put your pen down on one class. Make it your wild card, and commit to GOING to it even if you don’t have any interest in the topic. I guarantee you, you’ll learn something beneficial to your business. It could be a new sales strategy, a new way to manage workflow, a new photoshop trick, a new lighting technique, or an important tip about contracts. Regardless, you and your business will be better for it.    

Continually creating work for others can tend to leave us feeling drained and unmotivated. So let’s commit to making time to stay creative and inspired during this 2023 season. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you all at WPPI!

Kristina has two classes at WPPI 2023: Create Beauty Images From Start to Finish takes place Tuesday, March 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Edit Anywhere, Anytime – Using Lightroom Mobile takes place Wednesday, March 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Register for WPPI 2023 here.

For the past 15 years, Kristina Sherk has been a retoucher and Photoshop educator based out of Washington, D.C. She loves “translating Photoshop” for photographers and subsequently, has spoken at CreativeLive, Photoshop World, KelbyOne, AdobeMAX, Canon, LinkedIn Learning, ImagingUSA, and WPPI. She’s also a contributing author for educational publications like Photoshop User Magazine, and Lightroom Magazine.