We've all had bad months; where you feel stressed, overwhelmed and annoyed but still had to produce creative work.

It's tough being creative when you have a bunch of negative emotions pounding in your head, it can feel like a futile task. 

Sometimes the only way to get those creative gears spinning, is by dropping everything and just run away from your life for a day. 

As most photographers know, running your own business is stressful, and if you're alone it can feel like a crushing weight on your shoulders. You have to be the talent, the marketer, the business manager, the vendor relations person, the event planner, the retoucher, the everything; when the only thing you really want to be is the photographer, the artist. 

That's how I felt last month (and pretty much all the time), that is until I took a trip to visit Monet's Gardens in Giverny. 

It saved me from losing my mind. 

Giverny is a short train ride out of Paris, when I got there I discovered a beautiful quiet little town. It had everything that I needed. 

• No people
  
• Quiet
  
• Picturesque 
  
• Museum 
• Garden
• Quaint restaurants

It wasn't just my business I needed to get away from, it was society and people in general. The town was almost deserted as the high tourist season was over, a grey day with gentle rain waiting to fall at a moments notice. Put simply; it was perfect. 

I started out visiting an exhibit that talked about impressionist art and photography. The photo's of past photographers were moving. I couldn't wait to see the gardens and see what Monet and these photographers saw and to feel what they felt. 

I was pretty disappointed when I got the Monet's house. There was a school group visiting, intruding on my people free trip. The house was small, not very interesting, and you couldn't take pictures inside! My annoyance meter was rising quickly. 

But then I found a sign pointing to an underground passage, "Water Garden." My excitement returned as I took the steps down, being careful not to slip on the rain drenched stairs. 

When I emerged I felt like Alice, in Alice in Wonderland or like I opened a magical wardrobe and was transported to Narnia, from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or any one of my favorite childhood books that promised adventure in a new and far away land. 

I stayed for hours forgetting about the light drizzle that had started and let myself get lost in time, in history and in art. 

I photographed the rain trickled flowers, the reflections in the the water, the spider resting on the tip of a fern, the bridges, the water lilies, the mushrooms; hell, I even tried photographing the rain at one point (didn't work). 

4 hours and 2 memory cards later by body reminded me that I need to feed my stomach as much as my creativity, so I reluctantly left for a late lunch. I found a restaurant, enjoyed a nice meal, walked around the town a bit more and then it was time to catch the bus back to the train.

When I left, I felt like a new person, I felt connected to all the creative juices and inspiration I could ask for. 

Monet really did have the right idea. It made me realize that I need to give myself a day each month where I can runaway from everything and reconnect, with not just my art, but with myself. 

I highly recommend this for all creatives, step away and find something that reminds you why you do what you do and why all the stress is worth it. Maybe even find a way to walk with those who inspire you, they have lessons that will be taught throughout time. 

Like the photographers who's work I saw in the exhibit, walk in the footsteps of giants and find a way to leave your own path behind.

The toughest thing about being an artist today is staying true to your artistic vision. 

How do you stand out? 

How do you get your message across? 

How do you stay true to yourself and your art with out compromising integrity?

I think a good way to stay on track is by being extremely selective with who you go to for input and advice. 

No matter how many people admire and support your talent, no one will ever be able to 100% understand or envision your idea. The idea, the goal, the final product is sitting clearly in the minds eye of an artist, and the only way someone can experience and understand it is after the final product has come into existence. 

This is not to say that you shouldn't ask questions or for advice, but ask it of people who understand your industry and your medium. People who you admire and find successful. Non-artists often find it difficult understanding artistic work and it can be frustrating explaining your vision to someone who is just not going to understand until they see the final product. 

Reach out to people who understand and possibly work in your arena. They will have better insights to offer you and help keep you on track. 

However, there is a big difference between asking questions and seeking answers. 

How do you know you're asking the right questions? The answer will only be as good as the questions you asked. 

Those who seek answers are taken on a path of growth, discovery and end with a richer and more robust insight to what they were seeking. 

You are as intelligent as the company you keep and as wise as the knowledge you seek. So seek the answers and never just ask a question. Consider and weigh different view points from people then adapt and make it something that works for you. 

It's a bad idea to take advise from someone and try to make it a template for yourself. No two stories or paths are the same, what worked for one will not exactly work for another. Remember that all the advice, in the end are just guidelines and not written in stone facts of what you should be doing. 

Appreciate the time, effort and energy someone takes out of their day to help you as well. Never use people for answers and disappear. This is one of my all time pet peeves, information is not accumulated over night. The information someone is offering you took them days, months and years of research and a lot of trial and error. Realize how important and valuable information is and how much time and energy that person just saved you on your journey. Be grateful, say thank-you and follow up, always!

I lead a recent photo walk to photograph the tango dancers along the Seine river in Paris.

I've lived here for a number of years and some how I never managed to find the time to go see this summer event. The dancing space looked like a sea of humanity. I couldn't get any clear or interesting shots of the dancers, there was just to many bodies flailing about. 

With the constant motion of the dancers I thought it would be great to do a long exposure shot, but silly me, left my tripod at home. 

Perfect time to practice my hand holding skills, I got up high, braced myself, took a deep breath and when all was said and done I was able to get one image that I really like from the event. 

I love shooting when the sky is filled with clouds. Most newbie photographers will think that "bad lighting" is a reason to stay in and skip taking photos. 

In my opinion there is no bad lighting, just bad photographers. A prepared, creative and experienced photographer will get great shoots in any light condition. 

Anyone can take great photos when the planets align and the world is in perfect harmony. Perfect light, perfect subject, perfect moment, perfect gear. I don't know any photographer who has every had this happen for them. 

Making great images when everything is not perfect is what makes great photographers. No excuses, if it's your job to get the shot, then you have to know how to get the shot. 

It's important to know before hand what things add to an image and what things take away from an image. Cloudy skies for me, mean drama, if I were taking portraits, it would mean beautiful diffused light. Win, win. 

I woke up this morning and went through my normal routine. Tuned on my beautiful 24inch iMac, checked my email quickly on my iPhone, started the coffee and gave my dog, Macintosh, a belly rub before I jumped in the shower.

Coffee in hand I sat down to read my Google reader stream, the regular round ups, Mac 9 to 5, Engadget, Ars Technica, Wired and I was shocked by the news of Steve Jobs passing. 

My whole career I have worked with Apple products, starting in college when I learned Photoshop on OS9. I became the ultimate Apple fangirl, Apple could do no wrong in my eyes and throughout the time since my college days, Apple has paved the the way for a truly new era in technology, pushing the human race further. 

Steve Jobs was a great inspiration to me and I have always looked at his achievements in awe and strive everyday to reach the same heights in my own career. 

So today instead of morning the loss of a truly great man, a truly great mind and a truly great innovator, I will celebrate a life well lived and a legacy well deserved by always remembering to be the crazy one. 

Show Title

As an artist there are a lot of choices you have to make when preparing for a show, and some of the most important decisions need to be made before the you even start dealing with the show pieces. 

At times, you may wish there was just an easy clear sign of what the right choice is. However, I believe that there are no wrong choices, there are just the choices we make and the road it takes us down.

That being said, the show title, is possibly the hardest one to decide. While mulling over titles think about your over all collection of work. 

What is the main theme or feeling in you work? 

What is your style? What is your message? 

Why do you create the art you create? 

A great help I find is reading past feed back from fans. I took a look at my fan mail and I picked out some of the quotes that I felt expressed what I was trying to convey. Quotes that were on the verge of what I was trying to put into words. 

Here are some of the quotes that I pulled to help me (unedited, as these are not my original words)
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“its like you’ve been able to capture these tiny gems”- Lori
 
“I just wanted to say that I became a fan recently and I must say that I enjoy your work. Where others see the norm you find meaning. You must look at the world different from some people. All the best.” -Greg
 
“my comment may nt mean anything to u but fail to stop myself.i couldn’t sleep last night aftr seeing ur album.its like a hangover on me.till now…………………..” -Saikat
 
“stop taking such beautiful pictures of Paris! You’re making me miss it even more!” -Raha
 
“I just had a look at your pictures, and they are very beautiful, and some very very beautiful. As I see that you are gifted” - Camilie
 
“Very Avant Guard! “ - anna christina
 
“So, thought I’d spend some time looking at your website, and I’m now even more pleased to have found your photos on Facebook. You are one of the few artists who speak my language and I have to tell you I’m in awe of your body of work” -Johnathan
 
“I really feel the quite observer in you work” - Jacq
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If you don’t have that type of feed back yet, then go to your friends and family. Ask them their thoughts and write them down. Afterwards sit down and look for the common denominator.

After reading, re-reading, looking over my body of work and thinking about the message I want to convey with my work, the show title started coming to me.

“Silent City” is what I named the show. 

It felt true to my message, true to my style… It felt right.

And in the end, as an artist, its great to get advice and input, but go with what feels right to you.