Process VS Product

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Jul 112010

One of the toughest, yet freeing, moves that I’ve had to make internally, as an artist, is moving from creating a product to creating art for purpose.

As a portrait and wedding photographer I would have a vision, often worked out between myself and the client, and everything creative would be done in an effort to bring to life that vision.  Most of the time I was very successful in guiding the craft.  But there were many times where I would produce wonderful photographs that went outside said vision and the clients would sometimes buy those and sometimes wouldn’t.

I took it too personally I think.

It’s always been a flaw of mine when it comes to my artwork.

I think that’s why I HAD to get away from doing portraits and weddings.  It was too personal for me.

Okay, there are other reasons why I got away from working for clients.  My back problems make me unreliable and the thought of having to call a potential client and tell her that I can’t shoot her wedding in a couple of days because my back went out would kill me.  It never happened, but the possibility was always there and it lingered in my mind every time I would wake up sore or stiff or in so much pain that I’m seeing spots.

Back problems aside, I think I would have become miserable if I had continued down that path.

I crave the process much more than the product.

I’m not a map follower by nature.  Not when it comes to nurturing my creative instincts.  Having a plan, a goal, a vision doesn’t make me a better artist.  It made me a better portrait photographer, and a better business person, but not a better artist.

When I work on photography for process I have freedom.  I can go anywhere.  The possibilities are endless.

I can follow whatever instincts and insights that hit me.

I can listen to my internal voices and let the magic capture me.

I think there’s a basic human nature to explore and to experiment.  To find the unknown.

When I look at my kiddos I marvel at how free they are in the works they create.  They have no barriers.  There are no parameters that they have to work within.

Right now they are playing at my mother’s house getting all dirty and creative with sidewalk chalk.  It’s a fantastic world they live in where the sky is truly the limit.

As children we’re taught so much.  How to read.  How to write.  How to behave in society.  How to study.  How to learn.

So much structure.

While structure is good for learning how to behave in society, it does so much harm to our inherent creativity.

I think that’s why so many people who have “returned to art” struggle with the process.  They look at is a structured path or look for some road map to follow.

The road maps are good for the business side, but for me, at least, I have to ignore the structure and toss out the map.

I need to feel like I have the freedom to create artwork that is without boundaries (unless I specify them as exercise).

I’m insanely jealous of my beautiful children.  They inspire me to be more free with my work.  And aside from their unfiltered and boundless love, that inspiration is the greatest gift they could give me.


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Posted by Damien Franco at 9:09 am Tagged with: , , , , , ,
  • I enjoyed you thoughts. It was interesting to hear how your journey has taken you away from clients. I'm in a place where mine is drawing me toward them. That is the best part of creating art vs product, it allows us to take the craft in wherever direction we want so it stays meaningful to us.

    There is some power in you statement. Enjoying the process over the product is another way of restating the old "It's about the journey, not the destination". This realization means you're on the right path to personal fulfillment. I think if you saw successful shots outside 'said vision' your satisfaction should have landed there, not in the clients validation via purchasing it or not. Easier said than done, I know. With some background in architecture, I've witnessed clients taking something golden out of the project and replacing it with something cheesy. The project you hoped would be something special was now substandard by someones vision (or lack thereof).

    The only thing I feel compelled to add (or perhaps I should say clarify) is to stress just how important SOME structure is and the importance of harnessing it. I'm not speaking of the 'map' that tells us 'put subject here, frame it this way, set camera to this, then shoot"; but a structure that IS your creative process. Face it, we aren't kids, we had our turn; life ruined us by putting a lot more on our plates. That doesn't mean we can't allow ourselves to momentarily play like kids, but it's un-training our minds and sometimes it's like fighting gravity. I personally need to honor a structured routine that puts me into the frame of mind to create. Not unlike the structure of one's meditation process is ultimately to put them in a place of NOT thinking. I'm continue to hone that structure. It's that same structure that now says, when I come to a choice to shoot A or B, it tells me to shoot both, and to also look for C and D, because C or D will lead me to E, and I may LOVE the E shot. If I don't, perhaps it points to F. Hard to do in a portrait shoot or wedding, but perhaps what I learn in portrait A...you see where I'm going.

    Thanks for sharing. Keep shooting.
  • You are correct. Clarification is probably needed. Structure in creativity most definitely has it's value!

    You wouldn't know it from reading this post that I'm actually a very structured and organized human being. I use task managers, lists, calendars, etc. It helps keep me "in check" when it comes to my creative endeavors.

    I block out time to write, market, research, network, and of course, to actually get some artwork done!

    The routine that I keep helps to put me in the right frame of mind. I don't have to worry about whether I've done enough networking or writing when I'm working on my artwork. That structure allows me to be "free" during the allotted time slot for art creation.

    I think, because my life IS so structured, that I need that creative freedom and ease of mind during the creation process.

    I suppose I was writing mostly about the time spent while creating and the reasons for working on my art. When I was shooting weddings and portraits I went in thinking that I would satisfy the "artist within" by working on personal projects.

    Unfortunately I never had time. When we were starting out and slow I spent all my time networking and marketing and all that jazz. I was too worried about bills to "waste time on personal projects". Then when we were busy I was, well...too busy to work on personal projects!

    Things have changed and I'm much happier now. Sure, I've got a "day job" but it works for now.

    For me the product doesn't actually matter anymore. As long as I create constantly, and improve and reflect on my work, I'll improve to the abilities that I can. Right now, that's good enough for me. I've been a vocational photographer working for clients. It wasn't for me.

    BTW - I think every working creative can relate to the client making the work substandard!
  • Interesting article. Coming to photography and music as a hobbyist I miss structure. There is something to be said coming from an anything goes stance to actually having to release 'a product' :-) That in itself is a discipline. When I worked as a profession sound engineer, I knew I had x many of hours of to do y because it was going to broadcast next week! Now as I try to break into becoming a professional composer and earn a living at it, I need the structure to finish a track. It's much easier to half write another track than actually orchestrate it, mix it and put it out there! Plus it's also much more scary..lol Good article, thank for sharing. Best Rob
  • I see your point. I tend to think of those as "deadlines" for me rather than structure.

    Having a routine also, I believe, helps get me in the "groove". It's like a palette cleanser that gives my mind a chance to relax and become focused on the process. Checking all my gear before I head out kinda does that for me.
  • I can see that. I think like all creative people our brains can wonder, where others see nothing we see excitement, wonder and experiment. That's why it can be so hard to turn that into finished work I find. For me having to deliver something forces me to create a structure for it to happen :-)
  • I really appreciate your perspective in this post. I am also trying to shy away from my focus on product in my own work, mostly in my poetry. It's very difficult to do, because I measure my success in poems written. However, when I do have enough clarity to work through the process (rather than focus on the product) I find that I am happier with the end result.
  • This concept seems to be true of all art forms.

    As creatives, I think we all crave, internally, the process over the product. It's just a matter of whether that fits into our vocation/lifestyle/job/career/whatever.
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