As a creative professional. I spend a good amount of my day in front of the computer or behind my camera “creating”. Spending 4 hours on one image in Photoshop is not everyone’s idea of fun, but I enjoy it. Since I am in the business of creating, it is imperative that I keep coming up with fresh new concepts and ideas. Clients will not accept old ideas and methods. The question then becomes, how do you constantly create? My answer: do a 180. No, I am not telling you to learn a skateboard trick to help your photography skills. What I am talking about is immersing yourself in the work that you do in an entirely new way. For me that recently meant appearing as an actor in a Nappy Roots music video. I literally pulled a 180 and was now standing in front of the camera being directed by someone else. The music video was  directed by Ife Adeniji of Artistic Outlet Media. My part was small and it only took about an hour but I learned more in that one hour from being in front of the camera than I would have from a full day class or lecture. Participating in another creative’s work allowed me to approach my own with a completely fresh set of eyes.

-Owen