One of my personal heroes in the world of photography is Chase Jarvis. He’s one of those rare people who can make you simultaneously want to quit because when you measure yourself against them you end up at the 1 cm mark of the 35 foot tape and help you get inspired because they are so creative you just think, “Why didn’t I think of that, I want to try that!”

He also spends a lot of time on his websites promoting general creativity in addition to stunning photography. It’s easy to get the feeling that it just so happens that he chose a camera as his tool of choice and he’d do just as well painting watercolors or producing music.

That said, I’ve decided to steal one of his creative exercises for myself.

A while back Chase made a goal to upload at least 1 photo per day to Facebook and Twitter. His reasoning, which is compelling, is ”The best camera is the one that’s with you.” I love my iPhone. I go nowhere without it. It’s always there even when my Olympus isn’t. As much as I love my Oly, it’s tough to take a great shot with it when it’s not within my reach.

I’ll follow his same rules. Namely, these photos will (with the exception of the first one which I am posting with this entry) never have seen my computer hard drive. They will come straight from my iPhone, and be processed using only native iPhone apps—no Photoshop (this first photo still follows that rule).

I think the motivation in doing this is to keep my eyes looking. Any person who spends time in a creative field spends time thinking about that ever elusive monster of creativity. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut and only “turn on” my creativity when I think I have to, like when I’m shooting a client or sitting in front of my computer working on a design. Already in the 2 days I’ve been trying this I see myself creatively thinking more often. My eyes are open to what’s around me waiting to inspire me.

I’m sure I’ll have dud days. That’s a part of life. But the idea is to deal with them and do something better the next day. It’s about being prepared to find inspiration wherever it may be, not just where you expect to find it.

As usual, comments are welcomed and encouraged.

#1…

Daily iPhone Photo #1: Ice Cream Truck