Summer Solstice 2025, On Creativity

On the last day of spring and on the summer solstice, I took out my camera and for the first time in a long time, I felt my passion for photography return. It was like the homecoming of an old friend, as though time had never passed.

It got me thinking about how creativity works, and how personal and fluid it can be.

When I was in college and switched to the art program from theatre, I had intended on becoming an art teacher. I took Intro to Photography and immediately fell in love with it. It was as if a fire had been lit inside of my creative center and I went all-in with my degree and ultimately my career. When I graduated, the economy was rough, and I had difficulty getting started in the industry. In the meantime, I worked in the food service industry and ultimately tried doing photography on-my-own, on the side until such time I could make it on my own.

I photographed individuals, families, and weddings for several years building a portfolio I could be proud of. Whether it was a bride and groom, high school senior, or the flora and fauna on a hike through nature…I always felt the same inspiration and could not wait to get home to edit. I always carried a camera with me and saw the world as if my mind and eyes were the shutter and the lens.

And while I’ve never quit photography, I did gradually come to a place where I dreaded editing. Where I left the camera at home. Where I didn’t know what to take pictures of. I decided I didn’t want to work for myself full time, so I finished my graphic design path and finally entered the field professionally in 2015. I’ve been blessed to work with so many clients and for the amazing company I currently work for full-time.

But I leave my camera in my camera bag until I have to go to work, or if someone asks me.

I felt uninspired. Stale. Burnt-out. It was as if I had to wring my creativity out from a void.

I did not take out my camera for the sake of just trying to see the world and capture simple moments, when I used to carry it everywhere with me in Madison, even taking it to get a cup of coffee and see the way the light hit the edge of my mug and what I could emulate with that simple scene with aperture, shutter, and framing.

I finally felt the magic again on the solstice when I bothered to go out in the pasture with Sam and also in the prairie near my house, below are the results. I could not wait to get home and bring these photos into Lightroom to add my own style to what I captured through my lens.

I thought to myself, “Welcome back.” Who knows, maybe I’ll bust out a film camera again.

A friend told me that she’s a firm believer in allowing creative passions to go dormant for a while. Once they awaken it is as if an old friend is being seen in new life.

I’m at a place in my life where I only take freelance work if I want to, which is a blessing and privelige in itself. Even then, I found myself feeling as though I had to churn out work, and if I wasn’t creating, I was wasting something. No one ever put this pressure on me but myself, but I do think there is an unwritten rule to keep making things…which, can work. But sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder for your craft.

If you’re feeling lost or uninspired as a creative, just know you aren’t alone or less talented by taking a well-needed break.