The Benefits of Self-Expression & Creativity in Image Making
When it comes to creating images, people have different reasons for engaging in this activity. Some do it for personal enjoyment, as a form of self-expression, or to relieve stress, while others may create images for a specific purpose, such as for a competition or to fulfill a client's request.
Let’s explore the benefits of creating images for oneself and using tools like Photoshop to enhance our skills and creativity.
Creating images for oneself can be a deeply satisfying experience that allows us to express our creativity and emotions. It is an opportunity to explore our imagination and communicate our thoughts and feelings in a visual format.
When we create images for ourselves, we are not bound by rules or guidelines, and we can let our imagination run wild. This freedom can lead to unique and interesting images that may not have been possible if we were working to strict guidelines or rules.
For example, a person who enjoys nature photography may take pictures of landscapes, animals, and plants that they find beautiful or intriguing. They may experiment with different angles, lighting, and colour tones to create an image that captures the essence of the scene or subject. By doing so, they are expressing their appreciation for nature and sharing it with others.
Another benefit of creating images for oneself is that it can be a form of therapy. It allows us to express our emotions and work through our thoughts and feelings in a creative way. Creating images can also help to reduce stress and anxiety and improve our mental health. It can be a form of meditation, allowing us to focus on the present moment and quiet our minds.
For example, a person who is going through a difficult time may create images that reflect their emotions or thoughts. They may use colours, shapes, and symbols to represent their feelings and experiences, and by doing so, they are processing and releasing those emotions in a healthy way.
Using tools like Photoshop can enhance skills and creativity when creating images. Photoshop is a powerful tool that allows us to manipulate images in a variety of ways. It can be used to edit photos, create digital art, and enhance images. For example, a person who enjoys digital art may use Photoshop to create a surreal landscape or composite images that blends different elements together. They may use layers, brushes, and filters to create a unique and visually appealing image that tells a story or evokes a certain mood.
Why We Create Images: The Benefits of Self-Expression and Creativity in Image Making
Creating images is a unique form of self-expression that allows us to communicate our thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a visual format. While some people create images for specific purposes, others do it for personal enjoyment and to satisfy their creative urges.
Creating Images for Oneself
When we create images for ourselves, we have the freedom to experiment with different techniques, colours, and compositions, without the constraints of rules or guidelines. It is an opportunity to express our individuality and showcase our unique perspective on the world.
One of the main benefits of creating images for oneself is the therapeutic effect it can have on our mental health. Creating images can be a form of meditation that helps us to quiet our minds and reduce stress and anxiety. It allows us to escape from our daily routines and immerse ourselves in a world of our own creation. For example, some people create mandalas or colouring books to relax and de-stress.
The Benefits of Creating Images for Yourself
Exploring the Importance of Personal Creativity in Image Making
Creating Images for Self-Expression and Mental Wellness:
The Power of Personal Expression: How Creating Images for Yourself Can Improve Mental Health and Creativity
Beyond Rules and Guidelines: The Joys of Creating Images for Yourself with Photoshop
5. Another benefit of creating images for oneself is the opportunity to learn new skills and techniques. By experimenting with different tools and mediums, we can expand our knowledge and develop our creativity. For instance, some people enjoy exploring digital art techniques like vector graphics or 3D rendering, while others prefer more traditional methods like painting or drawing or photography.
Why create images with no purpose or rules!
Creating an image with no rules can be a liberating experience that allows us to unleash our imagination and explore our creativity without limitations. Here are some benefits of creating an image with no rules:
Freedom of expression: Creating an image with no rules allows us to express ourselves freely and without constraints. We can use our imagination to create something that reflects our unique perspective and vision.
Flexibility: Without rules, we can experiment with different techniques, styles, and mediums to create something new and innovative. We are not bound by convention or tradition, which can lead to fresh and exciting ideas.
Personal growth: Creating an image with no rules can be a challenging experience that helps us to grow as artists. We can learn new skills and techniques, and overcome creative blocks by pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones.
Originality: Without rules, we can create something truly original that stands out from the crowd. By letting our imaginations run wild, we can come up with something that is unique and memorable.
Fun: Creating an image with no rules can be a fun and enjoyable experience. It allows us to tap into our inner child and play with colours, shapes, and textures in a way that is freeing and exciting.
Overall, creating an image with no rules can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience that allows us to express ourselves freely, explore our creativity, and grow as artists. It can also be a fun and enjoyable activity that brings us joy and satisfaction.
My personal experience
When I first started playing around with image editing, it was mostly for fun - I was entering Camera Club competitions and sharing my work on social media. But as I got more involved with competitions at different levels and started to take things seriously, I began to focus on improving my photography and Photoshop skills.
I was always wondering whether my work was good enough to enter, and I followed the rules closely. It was about getting the “perfect or wow” photo. It helped me improve as a photographer and creative, but I was following someone’s rules on how I wanted to project my vision. At the time I didn’t think it was restrictive.
The game changer for me, I started working as a tour guide in Australia and New Zealand. I was very fortunate to see such beautiful landscapes and experience different things. While on tour I would often edit photos to share on social media, it gave me a way to connect to others, guiding can be a very lonely job. It became a way for me to relax and unwind after a long day of guiding and I didn't realise it at the time, but editing was helping me manage the stresses of my job, it also helped me improve my Photoshop skills. They were what I call “edit for fun” images, no purpose.
As I continued to experiment with different techniques, I started to create composite images using elements from my own photos and other sources. I steered away from landscapes and moved more to composite imagery. I discovered a love for creating from my imagination, and it was exciting to see what I could come up with using digital art for elements.
This was a big shift for me, because previously I had been so focused on taking "perfect" photos. But now, I was able to express myself in a whole new way.
Over time, my style evolved even further. I started to combine my own photos with digital art in order to tell stories and create colourful, whimsical images. I attended a workshop with a well-known digital artist, and it was a real "aha!" moment for me. I realised that in order to create the kind of images I wanted to make, I needed to think more like an artist than a photographer. The gloves came off for me, I understand not everyone will think or feel this way, and that is fine. We all beat to a “different drum”. Nowadays, I still take photos for my composite images, but I'm not limited by rules or expectations. I create what I want to create, and it's incredibly freeing.
Sitting at my computer and bringing my vision to life is a true joy. I find it can help soothe the “busy mind” and I get lost in the process, it gives me a chance to “just be”, express my thoughts or emotions or just for fun.
I find that so liberating, to me its not a waste of time it is investing “time in myself” and self-expression. I often hear because of my style of images (using mixed medium) you won’t be able to enter that into a competition, but the freedom of creating to no rules for me is a way of self-expression and not restricting my creativity. If we only create images with an outcome in mind, we are holding ourselves back.
We all have our own unique ways of expressing ourselves. Whether it's through photography, digital art, or something else entirely, the act of creation is a powerful way to support our mental wellness. There's no right or wrong way to do it - we just need to find what works for us and run with it and be yourself.
Find your Lane
The benefits of engaging in image making are numerous and can have a positive impact on our well-being. Creating an image with no rules can also be a freeing experience, that allows us to explore our creativity without limitations and tap into our inner child and just “create”. It doesn’t have to perfect all the time!
More importantly have fun “doing what you love” find your lane and it doesn’t matter if you are different, not everyone has to work in the same lane.
Articles you may find interesting!
https://blog.redbubble.com/2014/05/6-artists-who-started-very-late-in-life/
https://www.scoopwhoop.com/news/people-talent-only-recognized-after-death/
CREATED FOR COMPETITION
An image created for a competition in a Creative Category. All elements are my own photos, the inspiration for the image came from being in lockdown and how people (the trees) were isolated from family, friends. It was a story. Entering competitions over the years was a great learning curve, and helped me in my photography and processing skills.
SELF EXPRESSION
An image with a combination of my own photo’s, brushes and digital art (chair, book).
It was inspired by world events in 2020. I was telling a story with the elements, how I was feeling and from the perspective of looking out to the world from the inside.
It is what I call “self expression” image.
CREATED PURELY FOR FUN! NO RULES!
The wheat background, sky and the fabulous chook house are my own photos. I remember when I saw the “Chook House” I was so excited to see something so quirky.
Then one day I felt like being creative, so the “Chook House” came to life, only problem I realised I didn’t have any photo’s of chickens (or chooks) so I went looking in my digital art stock library and found “chooks”. I wanted to create an image for fun and I wasn’t going to enter it into a competition, so I let the imagination roam freely to create a fun image, I can remember chuckling to myself when I was adding the “chooks” and finding joy in creating.
The benefit ~ it helped me think outside the box, I had to work on perspective and other skills, it was a good learning image for a couple of reasons.
EXPERIMENTING WITH A TECHNIQUE
This image I created purely to try a technique I had seen using Motion Blur in Photoshop for the tree trunks, I experimented with a colour combination. I entered this into a competition, it didn’t do well, that’s ok I still like the colours and abstract feel.
THE START OF SOFT COLOUR PALETTE
This photo was taken on a trip to Uluru, it is known as “Mt Connor or Atila”, in local Aboriginal language”. This was the first time I experimented with soft pastel colours and was inspired by the Aboriginal artist, Albert Namatjira. I had bought a book of his paintings, I was blown away by his use of colours. Another image created in a hotel room to relax and play!
AN IMAGE THAT HELPED ME RELAX!
One from my guiding/landscape days. I remember sitting in a hotel room with the laptop, processing the image. What I didn’t realise at the time it was helping me relax, keep my Photoshop skills humming and I got lost in what I was doing. I think I slept well that night :)
LEARNING IMAGE!
Day turned to Night Photo (one of my early attempts) . I captured this photo at Hobbiton (a must for LOR fans) it was a bleary grey day and really a boring photo. I decided to turn it into a night image, I added one of my own night sky’s, then set about adding light using various Photoshop Brushes to give mood and directional lighting. I certainly learnt alot from this image. I also added a crate of apples (digital art) to add to the scene. This was shared on social media and has not seen the light of day, since I processed this image in 2016, to now.
INSPIRED BY A SONG
Combination of one of my photos, the rest were digital art elements, for me it was about story telling and emotion. I didn’t care what I used to create this image, it was about expressing myself. Read the blog what I learnt.
MY LANE
“SORROW” an image created for the pure joy of being creative, no rules, no outcome, just create.
The woman, umbrella are digital art, the texture and clock are my own images. The cloud from somewhere, I added a photo I took of rain through a windscreen. I had no vision to create this image, just I wanted to use the hero (the woman) and then work the image from there, it helped in conceptual thinking and colour grading to tell a story of sadness, tears, passing of time and still the need to protect oneself (the umbrella).
