I Always Need to Create
I have said so many times that “I always need to create.”
I think artists tend to see the world a little differently. We notice things that we may not even realize we're noticing. We see details, colors, shapes, light, movement, texture, composition — things that might not stand out to someone else.
As a photographer, I notice lighting, composition, and angles differently than my husband, who works in insurance. And my friend Sam, who is a fine artist here in Northwest Arkansas, looks at nature and plants with such incredible detail because of the type of paintings he creates.
And honestly, I think that is one of the most fascinating things about collaborating with other artists.
We don't all see the same thing.
We can stand in the same room, look at the same subject, and walk away with completely different ideas about what we see.
Seeing Through Someone Else's Eyes
My friend Sam — www.samcalden.com — and I have collaborated on a multitude of projects over the six years we've known each other.
I've taken reference photos for his paintings since we were in college. And because he's a painter, he's able to add in so many details that we may not be able to create in a photograph.
A photograph has its limitations. It captures what is physically in front of the camera. A painter can take that reference and change it, exaggerate it, add things that weren't there, remove things that were, and create an entire world from an idea.
And that is exactly what happened with a project we worked on a few months ago.
Sam has been working on a Hades and Persephone-themed painting, and we did a reference shoot in my apartment living room for it.
Obviously, we couldn't recreate everything he had envisioned. We couldn't exactly recreate the flower bed for Persephone. We couldn't create all of the darker detailing and atmosphere that he had in mind for Hades. But Sam already had a vision for the finished painting.
He gave me his ideas. He talked to me about the composition he was imagining and what he wanted the final piece to feel like.
And then I took it from there.
At one point, I was standing on top of a six-foot ladder, shooting down at our setup, playing with the composition and the notes he had given me. That's one of my favorite things about working with another artist: I didn't have to come up with the entire vision myself.
I was helping bring his vision to life through my medium.
But Collaboration Isn't Just Reference Photos
Now, collaborating with other artists isn't just reference photos.
That was just one example.
Collaboration can look completely different depending on the artists involved, the project, and what everyone brings to the table.
I was recently on a styled shoot with a local vendor, Plush Picnics NWA - www.plushpicnicsnwa.com - who creates luxury picnics for date nights, proposals, elopements, weddings, and more.
She was putting together a styled shoot as a way to collaborate with other local wedding vendors, as well as create something that could be featured on the news outlet Good Day NWA. She brought together a whole group of creatives! She created the tablescapes, brought in two local caterers/chefs, a content creator, and a videographer, and curated our models for us.
Jolene, the owner and founder of Plush Picnics NWA, gave us her vision for the shoot, showed me some inspiration photos from Pinterest, and she and I specifically talked about the kind of vibe she wanted from the photography.
This was a much different kind of collaboration than the work I had done with Sam.
Instead of one artist creating something that another artist was using as a reference, we were all creating one experience together.
Getting Out of My Own Head
I had never done a styled shoot to this level before, so it was great getting to talk with everyone and bounce ideas off the videographer as we worked closely together. He and I had also done a few film sets together before, so we were familiar enough with how the other one works.
And I think that's another part of collaboration that I really love!
You get out of your own head.
When I'm photographing by myself, I'm making all of the decisions. I'm thinking about the light, the composition, the angles, the posing, the details, and what I'm trying to create.
But when another creative is involved, there is suddenly another brain in the room. Another perspective. Another set of experiences. Another person asking, “What if we did this?” And sometimes that one question is enough to make you look at something completely differently.
Artists Don't All Think the Same Way —
And That's the Point
When you collaborate with another artist, you get the joy of being able to see the world through their eyes and mind in a way.
Not every artist thinks the same way, and that's kind of part of the point, isn't it? You're seeing things in a way you may not have thought of before, and you get to grow from it. You get more inspiration from it.
You may even discover something about your own work because someone else helped you look at it differently.
Quotes from other artists about collaboration
"Collaboration is a way of discovering new methods of creating while contributing to a beautiful work in the world. Artistic collaboration across disciplines creates space to discover new ways of thinking, exploring, and communicating. 10/10 recommend this practice for all artists in all disciplines."
- Sam Calden, Fine Artist, www.samcalden.com
"I truly believe artistic collaboration is what turns an idea into an experience. When creatives come together, each person brings their own perspective, talent, and vision, and those individual pieces can create something far more beautiful and meaningful than any one person could create alone. I also think collaboration gives us an opportunity to support, inspire, and elevate one another while creating something that people can actually feel and remember. That’s one of my favorite things about what we do with Plush Picnics, NWA - bringing different creatives together to create a complete experience, not just a pretty picture."
- Jolene Mehl, Plush Picnics NWA, www.plushpicnicsnwa.com
"I believe the best art is collaborative. The statement of “art being an expression of the artist” is true, but I believe the said expression is the culmination of multiple expressions. Each and every one of us are absorbing information daily, this includes experiences, thoughts, and expressions of others; that being said, an art piece is absolutely the expression of the artist, but it is a by product of absorbing different human experiences. When it comes to expressing that art, we need collaboration and constructive criticism to reach our best results.
As artists, we all need pushback. I am not saying that pieces should be degraded because it doesn’t fit a certain mold, but we do need strong and constructive criticism to best reflect our feelings. A person from far away can see the painting a lot clearer than the painter whose nose is pressed up against the canvas. Allowing a collaborator into your artistic vision can be of incredible aid to the expression of your piece. A differing, but like minded person can bring in a different perspective or method that never would have crossed your mind, because you have absorbed different information, as well as absorbing the same information differently. It’s similar to differing languages, some languages require several different words with exact grammar to relay the information, while a different language could require a single word. It’s the same exact outcome, but one can make the process simpler, or more complex when it needs to be. A word with caution I would issue with allowing collaboration on an art project that you are leading is establishing healthy boundaries. Collaborators can sometimes, intentionally and unintentionally, over step their place and begin to take over the vision. If you are the lead artist in the project, you should confidently keep control of your vision. Allow for collaboration, but resist takeovers.
When it comes to collaboration in art, every viewpoint is different, but they all lead to the same outcome. I view it like each person in the art piece is a stream that is all feeding into a river, that leads to an ocean. We are all contributing to one big piece, we are all different waters combining into a beautiful ocean."
- Ben Arant, Videographer
"Collaborating with other artists opens you up to entire worlds you never knew existed. I love working with other creatives because you learn that there is never one single word for the definition of art. Everyone has something to share and I consider it an honor and a privilege to work with different creative outlets."
- Rachel Belle, Singer and Songwriter, rachelbellemusic
