{"id":16181,"date":"2021-10-04T17:17:06","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T17:17:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.johnpaulcaponigro.com\/blog\/?p=16181"},"modified":"2021-10-05T15:27:12","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T15:27:12","slug":"developing-personal-projects-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.johnpaulcaponigro.com\/blog\/16181\/developing-personal-projects-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Why It’s So Important To Develop Personal Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AntarcticaExhibit_425\"<\/a>
\nFind out more about my exhibit Antarctica here.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

As a fine artist, I advance my career with personal projects. Personal projects also create a clearer direction for and develop greater meaning in my life. My life would be unfulfilled without them.
\nYou don\u2019t need to have a fine art career to benefit from personal projects. Many commercial photographers find that personal projects re-energize them, add purpose to their lives and quite often lead to new assignments or whole new streams of income. Many amateurs, making images purely for the love of doing it, find greater satisfaction and personal growth through their personal projects.<\/p>\n

As an artist who mentors other artists in workshops and seminars, I\u2019ve often been called to speak about the importance of personal projects; how to find them, start them, develop them, complete them, present them, and promote them.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s an overview of what I share.<\/p>\n

Define a personal project.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Defining a project is one of the single best ways to develop your body of work. When you define a project you focus, set goals, set quotas, set timelines, create a useful structure for your images, collect accompanying materials, and polish the presentation of your efforts so that they will be well received.
\nFocusing your efforts into a project will help you produce a useful product. A project gives your work a definite, presentable structure. A finished project makes work more useful and accessible. Once your project is done, your work will have a significantly greater likelihood of seeing the light of day. Who knows, public acclaim may follow. Come what may, your satisfaction is guaranteed.<\/p>\n

Create a mission and set goals.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Define the purpose of your project and what you\u2019d like to achieve through it. Many times, people adopt the mission and goals of others without first checking if those goals are personally beneficial. Some have professional aspirations, others don\u2019t. Your goals will help you determine projects and timelines that are appropriate for you. The few moments (or hours) you spend clarifying why you\u2019re doing what you\u2019re doing and what you\u2019d like to see come of it will save you hours, months, even years by ensuring that you\u2019re going in the right direction \u2013 a direction of your own choosing. When you take control of your personal projects, you also take control of your life.<\/p>\n

Make a plan to achieve your goals.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A plan will help make your project a reality. A simple action plan is all you need to get started. Action plans define the steps that are required to achieve completion. Action plans should be clear and practical. Action plans should be flexible; odds are, things will not go exactly according to plan and you\u2019ll need to modify your plan to accommodate surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant. Reality happens. Grace happens too. Having defined what you need to accomplish, your unconscious will go to work on the task, generating many ideas. You\u2019ll find yourself ready to make the most of unexpected opportunities as they arise.<\/p>\n

\"davidallen_books\"<\/a>
\nRead more on creating goals, projects, and next actions here.<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Set a timeline.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A timeline can be used to combat procrastination and\/or distraction and encourage you to produce work. Set realistic timelines. Unrealistic timelines simply produce frustration.
\nIdentify where and when you\u2019ll need and who will help you.<\/p>\n

While many artists define and produce projects themselves, some artists engage a curator, gallery director, publisher, editor, agent, writer, or designer to help them realize a project, in part or in whole. Finding the right collaborator(s) can improve any project. Above all, seek feedback. Seek feedback from people with diverse perspectives whose opinions you value and trust. One thing you can always use, that you can never provide for yourself, is an outside perspective. People with different perspectives may identify ways to improve, expand, or extend the reach of your project. Remember, feedback is food for thought, not gospel. In the end, all final decisions are your decisions; it\u2019s your project.
\nStay focused and follow through.<\/p>\n

You can work on multiple projects at a time. Be careful that you don\u2019t get scattered. Starting projects is easy. Finishing them is hard. Make sure you\u2019re working on the best project. List all your possible projects and identify the ones that are most important and the ones that are easiest to finish. If you\u2019re lucky enough that the same project fits both criteria, focus all of your efforts there. Otherwise, you\u2019ll have to strike a balance between what\u2019s practical and what\u2019s most important to you. Only you can decide this and the balance is likely to shift as time passes and circumstances develop. Look for a common theme among projects. Often your projects will be related. Focus your efforts on related areas. It\u2019s very likely those areas have greater relevance for you than others. Your work will be perceived as stronger and more cohesive if your projects relate to one another, implying evolution.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your project?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A project is a wonderful thing. It gives direction. It brings clarity. It increases productivity. It produces tangible results. It brings personal growth. It presents your work in the very best light. You and your work deserve this. Pick your projects well. They define not only how other people see you but also what you become. You are what you do. Take the first step today; make a commitment to creating a personal project. (Write something right now \u2013 put your words somewhere where you\u2019ll constantly be reminded of them and can continue refining them!)<\/p>\n

\"PDFs_425\"
\nFind extended versions of this content here.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Now, let me speak in more specific and personal terms, as a way of sharing a few more of the insights I\u2019ve found over the many years I\u2019ve developed personal projects.<\/p>\n

Plan to plan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many people refuse to plan, especially in creative fields where discovery is desired. They say, \u201cFailing to plan is planning to fail.\u201d Everyone needs a plan. Often, when you start a project, knowing you need to learn more as you go forward, you feel like you don\u2019t have enough of the pieces to make a plan or you don\u2019t have all of the pieces to make a complete plan. My recommendation is to start with a rough plan and continue to refine it as you go.<\/p>\n

Find my\u00a0collection\u00a0of quotes on planning here.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Stay flexible.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best plans aren\u2019t written in stone. The best plans remain flexible. Flexible plans allow you to make course corrections along the way as you learn more about your subject, your medium, yourself, and your audience. Expect to update your plan. I find that, if I don\u2019t update my plan during the development of a project, this a clear indicator that I haven\u2019t found the insight(s) necessary to complete it. I expect to be changed, for the better, by the projects I engage in. I expect to grow.<\/p>\n

It helps to have a mission.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You have so many options before you, and so many more will soon present themselves to you, that you\u2019ll find it challenging to choose which project(s) to move forward on or which path(s) to choose during project development. Defining a mission for your creative efforts, in general, will help ensure that you stay on track. I don\u2019t take on a project unless it contributes to my mission (what\u2019s achieved), reinforces my brand (how it\u2019s communicated), or makes a lot of money (how it\u2019s supported).
\nMy mission is to \u201cencourage conscientious creative interaction with our environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first time I went to Antarctica in 2005, I planned to make altered images. I was surprised that I had enough finished images by the end of the trip to exhibit a small body of images, that were comparatively unaltered. This represented a significant challenge to my brand. I found the challenge created to the public perception of my work, in general, was useful; rather than creating confusion, it clarified many things about my vision and my purpose, especially how I create images that are unaltered and altered in parallel with one another.<\/p>\n

\"Antarctica2005Unaltered_425\"<\/a>
\nBe prepared to be surprised.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to know all the answers before you begin to work. You just have to know the most important questions. Creating is a matter of solving mysteries, of finding answers. You don\u2019t have to solve a mystery completely; you just have to find a few answers that you can stand by. If you\u2019re lucky, you\u2019ll find new questions and new mysteries along the way.<\/p>\n

The second time I went to Antarctica in 2007, I had a lot of questions about how to complete an unaltered body of work. How journalistic or cinematic should I be? Should I photograph everything I saw? Ultimately, I found a balance between my personal concerns and passions. I focused on climate. I returned with enough material to produce a book.<\/p>\n

\"antarcticaEbook_425\"<\/a>
\nFind the most current version of this ebook here.<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Find your groove. Find your message.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Doing things consciously, repeatedly, and consistently brings mastery. Repeat your successes \u0085 and find meaningful variations on them. When you do this you give your work a theme and style, which communicate a message. When does a groove become a rut? Don\u2019t worry about the rut too soon, most people don\u2019t stick with one thing long enough to find a groove. They go off-road, traveling anywhere and everywhere, by any and all means, and ultimately don\u2019t end up anywhere in particular, much less a place to return to, a place they can call their own.
\nThe third time I went to Antarctica in 2009, I expanded my body of work further adding relevant variety to the material. I searched the work I had produced to date and listed the missing pieces, as well as the ones I wanted to reinforce. Each voyage was significantly more productive than the previous one. I created a website to support and extend the project, which includes blog posts made live during the voyage and details my creative process.<\/p>\n

\"5_AntarcticaWebsitesm\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Past projects lead to new projects.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Often the seeds of future work lie in present work. Themes that were unclear or latent, at the beginning of a personal project, once developed, lead to new lines of inquiry and more work. A creative life is never truly over. The best creative lives evolve; growing deeper, more complex, and more sophisticated.
\nNow as I plan to return to Antarctica (Find out about my next Antarctica workshop here.<\/span><\/a><\/span>), I\u2019m developing my original idea of producing a body of altered images from a new perspective. As I recently sketched out this plan, once again, I realized much of the work is already done. I\u2019ve been producing altered images with material from the region all along, but not presenting them in this way. Now my challenge is to develop them in a way that makes this collection cohesive and contrasts the collection of unaltered images in a useful way – or to move in an entirely new direction.<\/p>\n

\"6_AntarcticaAlteredsm\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Having developed an Antarctic body of work, I\u2019ve also been developing an Arctic body of work, to create a useful comparison and contrast. I\u2019d have gone to these regions sooner, but the opportunities came later. I learned I had to make the opportunity rather than wait for it – and that took another kind of planning, so did getting there at the right times of year. Now, like Antarctica, my Iceland<\/span><\/a><\/span> and Greenland<\/span><\/a><\/span> photography workshops are semi-annual traditions for me.<\/p>\n

\"JokulsarlonEye_425\"<\/a>
\nFind a way to monetize your project.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Projects take time. Time is money. Don\u2019t fall prey to the cliche that art and commerce are and should remain separate. If artists can\u2019t make money with the fruits of their labors, then they need grants or patrons. Projects need funding. You often can\u2019t do the work unless you can afford to do it. There are many expenses to consider \u2013 equipment, travel, production, collaboration, presentation, promotion, etc. You need to think about these things early in the development of a personal project or you may later find yourself without the necessary resources to finish it. So empower yourself with good business practices. You can be just as creative in business as you are in other arenas.<\/p>\n

Prepare to make your work effective.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even the best images will go unnoticed if they\u2019re not presented and promoted properly. If you\u2019ve spent a significant amount of time and resources to develop a personal project, you own it to yourself to see it presented well. This may be as simple as presenting your images well to yourself or as complex as promoting a publication and or exhibit, physically and\/or virtually.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve created my own exhibition\/publication workflow. Framed exhibits are ready to ship with supporting biographies, statements, and press releases online. Complete bodies of work are supported by a portfolio of matted prints, also ready to ship, and a print-on-demand catalog. This makes producing, shipping, and promoting exhibits much easier, so I can readily respond to new opportunities at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n

\"8_ExhibitIconssm\"<\/a>
\nYou can preview my current catalogs here.<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

One project begets another.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What’s better than one project? Two \u2013 or more. Often, one project leads to another. While you’re developing a project you find more ideas than a single project can accommodate \u2013 and some of those ideas can become new projects. This continuity can give your work a discernable arc that communicates your visual voice even more strongly.<\/p>\n

While my initial goal was to produce a book of one hundred straight images of Antarctica (Waking), I later decided to collect altered images with sources from Antarctica (Dreaming), and then to launch another multi-continent project Global Warning by first focusing on images from Antarctica.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Find each catalog here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Make visible touchstones to guide your progress.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve got a personal project you want to complete, make a visible touchstone and keep it in one or more places where you can see it frequently. By doing this, you\u2019ll be directing your conscious mind to focus on it and suggesting to your unconscious mind that this is a matter of importance \u2013 both will start to work on the challenge, even when you\u2019re unaware of it. You will literally be sleeping on it. Many of the best ideas come during this period of gestation and incubation.<\/p>\n

I print covers of unfinished book projects for developing series and display them in my studio.<\/p>\n

\"9_BookCoverssm\"<\/a>
\n\"RespirationEBook_425\"<\/a>
\nSee the single ebook these two related projects produced.<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Projects take time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Projects can take hours, days, weeks, months, or even years to complete. Some projects can be completed very quickly, especially once you’re familiar with the concepts and skills necessary to finish them. Projects get easier with practice. Some projects are ongoing and never end, producing many milestones along the way (publications, exhibitions, commissions, etc. Some projects lie dormant for a period of time and then suddenly come to life again. Some projects change over time. Projects have lives of their own. Projects require commitment, but the depth of your commitment will be reflected in your work and in the achievements you make with it.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t recommend more highly that you start your own personal project \u2013 now.<\/p>\n

Learn more in my Storytelling resources.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Learn more in my creativity and digital photography workshops.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Find out more about my exhibit Antarctica here. As a fine artist, I advance my career with personal projects. Personal projects also create a clearer direction for and develop greater meaning in my life. My life would be unfulfilled without them. 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