Caught

Over the years I’ve read many wonderful quotes from a book called The Art Spirit (paid link) by Robert Henri, a collection of writings, letters, and critiques about the nature and purpose of art. It’s a book I’ve always meant to read but never did until now. And, I’m so glad I did. While Henri comes from a painting perspective, there are many applications to photography, which I’ll share with you over the next couple of weeks.

Henri (1865 – 1929) was a painter and revered teacher. He believed that the purpose of art wasn’t necessarily the art itself, but to be in the state that makes art inevitable.

To some degree every human being is an artist, dependent on the quality of his growth. Art need not be intended. It comes inevitably as the tree from the root, the branch from the trunk, the blossom from the twig. Because it is engaged in the full play of its own existence, because it is full in its own growth, its fruit is inevitable.

All art springs from a particular state of mind, where the inner spirit is revealed. Much of his teaching and critique revolved around encouraging students to trust and know themselves, which is the topic I’m exploring today. Below are 7 lessons about knowing yourself based on quotes from the book. I’ve adapted them for photography.

1. Photographers can get stuck in emphasizing and learning technique and copying the conventions of the day, never really knowing what they themselves have to say.

One of the great difficulties is to decide between your own natural impressions and what you think should be your impressions. When going out into the landscape, intending to look for a motive, you often look for something you’ve seen and liked in the galleries. A hundred times you may have walked by your own particular subject, felt it, enjoyed it, but having no estimate of your own personal sensations, lacking faith in yourself, pass on until you come to this established taste of another.

2. Find the gain in the work itself, not outside it. Don’t get too attached to external approval or disapproval.

The thing to do is to wake up, to discover yourself as a human being, with needs of your own. Look about, learn from all sources, look within, and find if you can invent for yourself a vehicle for self-expression. Once you have the stamp of personal whim, technique becomes a tool, not an objective. You are interested and have expressions you must make.

3. Cherish your own emotions and never undervalue them.

A photographer must be capable of intense feeling and profound contemplation. One who has contemplated has met himself, is in a state to see into the realities beyond the surfaces of his subject.

4. Educate yourself by paying attention to what resonates with you.

Get acquainted with yourself just as much as you can. It is not an easy job, for it is not a present day habit of humanity. This is self-development, self-education. There is nothing more entertaining than to have a frank talk with yourself. Educating yourself is getting acquainted with yourself. Find out what you really like. Find out what is really important to you. Then, sing your song.

5. Don’t try to photograph “good” pictures. Show how interesting the picture is to you, what gives you pleasure.

If you could catch yourself while on some ramble in the woods and know the source of your happiness, and continuing the same kind of seeing, proceed to photograph, the work you would do would be eventually a revelation to you. What were the signs in that landscape, in the air, in the motion, that so excited your imagination and made you so happy? If you only knew what were those signs you could photograph that country, what it was to you.

6. Follow through on your ideas.

You should have a powerful will. You should be powerfully possessed, intoxicated with the idea of the thing you want to express. If the will is not strong you will see all kinds of unessential things. A picture should be the expression of the will of the photographer.

7. Have the courage to be and know yourself.

Courage to go on developing this ability to see in nature the thing which charms you, and to express just that as fully and completely as you can. Just that. Nothing else. Not to do as any other photographer does. When the thing suits you it is right.

This is only a sampling of what Robert Henri has to say on this subject. If what he says is true, that our photographs reflect our inner state, then they can also reveal that inner state to us.

One way to come to greater self-awareness is to write about your photographs. That is just what we do in the visual journaling workshop, Once Upon a Time: Photographs have Stories to Tell.

This workshop will be offered again beginning February 1st, 2016, and is now open for registration at an early bird price until the end of December. I hope you’ll consider joining us.

Learn more and register here.

How about you? Is self-awareness an important part, even the most important part, of your photography?