2021 NYE Camping Adventure
Camping Adventure
DECEMBER 31, 2021
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
Kamryn Senior Portraits
Senior Portraits
October 12, 2020
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
Beysselance Family Portraits
Family Portraits
JULY 5, 2020
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
2019 PEA RIDGE TREE FARM
2019 PEA RIDGE FARM
November 30, 2019
A FEW PHOTOS FROM OUR TRIP TO GET OUR CHRISTMAS TREE
Chris and Beth Portraits
Family Portraits
NOVEMBER 17, 2019
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
Lee Ann Barron Portraits
Professional Portraits
NOVEMBER 14, 2019
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
Anika and Garet Portraits
Family Portraits
October 25, 2019
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
Jeff and Amy Portraits
Family Portraits
October23, 2019
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
Courtney and Jeff
Family Portraits
DECEMBER 9, 2018
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
David and Melissa
Family Portraits
DECEMBER 1, 2018
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
THE LENS EVERY CREATOR SHOULD HAVE
You can have the cheapest Canon DSLR camera you can buy and if you a great lens, you can still get AMAZING photos.
Recently I was helping someone purchase a new camera for a beginner and I suggested the new Canon EOX Rebel SL2. This camera is packed with great features like the same 24mp sensor my camera has, legendary Dual Pixel Auto Focus, and a small footprint...
You can have the cheapest Canon DSLR camera you can buy and if you a great lens, you can still get AMAZING photos.
Recently I was helping someone purchase a new camera for a beginner and I suggested the new Canon EOX Rebel SL2. This camera is packed with great features like the same 24mp sensor my camera has, legendary Dual Pixel Auto Focus, and a small footprint... for about $500.
Even with an entry level camera you can take amazing photos. The big difference is what lens you are working with. If you buy a camera with the typical 18-55mm, you can expect to get good quality photos, but you have to work hard to achieve outstanding creative photos.
Instead of buying a kit with a lens, I suggested buying just the camera body and buying 1 lens.
Introducing... the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM.
What? A prime (a lens that doesn't zoom) lens?? One focal length? how limiting... Although I do agree with the fact that a prime lens limits you, there are several reasons I would suggest this 50mm lens (also known as the nifty fifty) over buying a kit.
NOTE: the ONLY reason I would buy a kit with an 18-55mm is if it was the same price or cheaper than just a body.
Here's a few reasons why I would suggest this over ANY kit lens
Price
You can pick this lens up for around $125 new or less than $100 refurbished (I always suggest refurbished). That's such a deal for any lens, let alone a quality lens like this one!
Another advantage of this lens' price is you won't be afraid to use it. This lens is mostly plastic, but that keeps the weight down. One of my lenses is over 3 lbs, and if you are carrying that around all day, you will feel the weight of your camera setup. With this 50mm, its light, small and easily replaceable if something were to happen to it.
Focal length
Although this is a prime, I don't think that's a bad thing. When I first started using my kit lens when I was zooming in and zooming out, having no idea what I was really doing. I was playing with my shutter speed and my aperture... When you start with a prime, it takes one of the equations out of the puzzle. You can only shoot at 50mm. This helps the beginner get used to their digital camera with one less setting to get confused.
If you've had your camera for awhile, maybe with either the 18-55 or 18-135 kit lens and your ready to step up your photography, this lens should be your first prime lens. 50mm is a great size, especially on a full frame. On a crop sensor it's a little tight, but what I love about 50 is it makes you think through your composition. How can you get everything you want in your frame without zooming in or zooming out? Zoom with your feet! Because you only have one focal length, you will start thinking through your shot more because you can't easily jump from 18-55... or 135 so easily.
50mm is a great focal length as far as depth perception as well. If you aren't aware, focal lengths effect your photos two different ways. Obviously they zoom in, the bigger the focal length, the more it zooms in. The second thing it does is change the depth perception. If you have a small focal length (18mm), a 15 foot pier will look much, much longer than 15 feet. 50mm is a great balance and has close to the same view as our eyes (typically in between 35-50mm).
Aperture
Seriously? f1.8 for a hundred bucks?? Incredible! Aperture has two different effects on photographs. First, as you lower aperture it lets more light into the camera. This is a big help for low light situations. This helps keep your ISO down, helping you have the best quality photo you can have. The second thing aperture does is adjusts your depth of field. At a high aperture or F stop (like f18), your focus plane is essentially the entire photograph. As you lower the aperture, your focus plane narrows, helping create depth of field (blurry background). F1.8 is extremely low! It's so low you have to be careful your subject is entirely in focus. If your subject leans forward slightly, they will be out of focus. BUT, thats how you create incredible blurry backgrounds. This can take your photos from amateur looking to breath taking!
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Your gear doesn't make you a creative, but choosing the right gear for the right situation will make it much easier to help create the best content you can. I highly suggest every photographer have this lightweight, inexpensive lens in their kit!
Here's two More entry level lenS!
Wintery Mix
This past weekend we had a fresh snowfall so I bundled up and headed out into the woods. The winter is especially hard for me to express my creativity with video because I...
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
This past weekend we had a fresh snowfall so I bundled up and headed out into the woods. The winter is especially hard for me to express my creativity with video because I hate the grey skies and brown grass. Fresh snow always makes me want to get out and enjoy the fresh blanket. I decided to practice my Ronin (camera stabilizer) skills with my Canon 80D DSLR.
The day before I snuck out in the afternoon right when the snow was starting to fall and snapped some pictures. These pictures were taken with my Canon 80D and 70-200mm F2.8L IS II USM lens.
A few snowy photos from our first snow fall.
2018 Reading List
With the New Year approaching, everyone is discussing their plans for self improvement. One of the ways I am constantly developing myself is by reading. If you consider yourself a creative, YOU HAVE TO BE READING. This is a very simple way to stay fresh and relevant. I've listed 5 books I have on my reading list for 2018. Feel free to join me reading these books throughout the next year!...
With the New Year approaching, everyone is discussing their plans for self improvement. One of the ways I am constantly developing myself is by reading. If you consider yourself a creative, YOU HAVE TO BE READING. This is a very simple way to stay fresh and relevant. I've listed 5 books I have on my reading list for 2018. Feel free to join me reading these books throughout the next year!
BONUS: I added a 6th book with several creative excercises to help you strengthen your creativity. I've never used this book, but I've often found myself wondering if there was a resource like this out there... well, there is!
1. THE WAR OF ART by Art Pressfield.
A succinct, engaging, and practical guide for succeeding in any creative sphere, The War of Art is nothing less than Sun-Tzu for the soul. What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece? Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.
The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline. Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself. Whether an artist, writer or business person, this simple, personal, and no-nonsense book will inspire you to seize the potential of your life.
2. Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Art HUGH MACLEOD.
When Hugh MacLeod was a struggling young copywriter living in a YMCA, he started to doodle on the backs of business cards while sitting at a bar. Those cartoons eventually led to a popular blog-gapingvoid.com-and a reputation for pithy insight and humor, in both words and pictures. MacLeod has opinions on everything from marketing to the meaning of life, but one of his main subjects is creativity. How do new ideas emerge in a cynical, risk-averse world? Where does inspiration come from? What does it take to make a living as a creative person? Ignore Everybody expands on MacLeod's sharpest insights, wittiest cartoons, and most useful advice. For example: -Selling out is harder than it looks. Diluting your product to make it more commercial will just make people like it less. -If your plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail. Nobody suddenly discovers anything.
Things are made slowly and in pain. -Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether. There's no point trying to do the same thing as 250,000 other young hopefuls, waiting for a miracle. All existing business models are wrong. Find a new one. -The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours. The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will. After learning MacLeod's forty keys to creativity, you will be ready to unlock your own brilliance and unleash it on the world.
3.Called to Create: A Biblical Invitation to Create, Innovate, and Risk by Jordan Raynor.
We were created by an infinitely creative God to reflect his love and character to the world. One way we do that is by continuing his creative work. In this energizing book, serial entrepreneur and bestselling author Jordan Raynor helps artists, entrepreneurs, writers, and other creatives reimagine our work as service to God and others, addressing such penetrating questions as
- Is my work as a creative really as God-honoring as that of a pastor or missionary?
- What does it look like to create not to make a name for myself but to glorify God and serve others?
- How can I use my work to fulfill Jesus's command to create disciples?
- Will what I make today matter in eternity?
To answer these questions, Raynor shares compelling stories from an eclectic group of 40+ Christian entrepreneurs, including the founders of TOMS Shoes, Charity: Water, Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out Burger, Guinness, HTC, and Sevenly, as well as nontraditional entrepreneurs such as C. S. Lewis, Johann Sebastian Bach, and J. R. R. Tolkien. Raynor's "show" rather than "tell," story-driven style makes you feel as if you are sitting at the feet of some of the godliest and most successful entrepreneurs of all time.
Perfectly poised to reach today's growing creative class, this unique work restores God's position as the first entrepreneur, helping readers see the eternal value in the work they do today.
4. Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger.
Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains. You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along.
Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world.
If youre going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools. Reading this book will set you on the right course to lead with confidence and courage.
5.Creating Space: The Case for Everyday Creativity by ED CYzewski.
Creativity is a gift everyone has been given to share, but doubt, discouragement, and distractions hinder the ability of many to pursue their creative passions. Creating Space advocates for the creative gifts in every person, arguing that...
- Creativity is not a mistake.
- Creativity can be developed.
- Creativity is a vitally important gift for others.
This brief manifesto on creativity is for everyone. Whether you doodle, sing in the shower, knit scarves, or scribble poems, Creating Space will encourage you to make space in your life in order to fulfill your creative calling, using your gifts to their fullest extent.
BONUS
Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills by David Sherwin.
Have you ever struggled to complete a design project on time? Or felt that having a tight deadline stifled your capacity for maximum creativity? If so, then this book is for you.
Within these pages, you'll find 80 creative challenges that will help you achieve a breadth of stronger design solutions, in various media, within any set time period. Exercises range from creating a typeface in an hour to designing a paper robot in an afternoon to designing web pages and other interactive experiences. Each exercise includes compelling visual solutions from other designers and background stories to help you increase your capacity to innovate.
Creative Workshop also includes useful brainstorming techniques and wisdom from some of today's top designers. By road-testing these techniques as you attempt each challenge, you'll find new and more effective ways to solve tough design problems and bring your solutions to vibrant life.
What books are you reading in 2018? Comment below!
How to: Get Better...
The past few months have been a whirlwind for my creative skill. There's no doubt I've taken HUGE steps in creative growth recently. I have noticed there's been a huge difference in the quality of photos and videos I've been creating lately. How exciting! But how have I gotten so much better?...
The past few months have been a whirlwind for my creative skill. There's no doubt I've taken HUGE steps in creative growth recently. I have noticed there's been a huge difference in the quality of photos and videos I've been creating. How exciting! But how have I gotten so much better? One could say I'm just a talented person, one could say I've just gotten a lucky shot... The truth is, there are specific reasons why I have grown creatively lately. Although you can grow by accident, I've found if you apply these 3 things in your life, you will see exponential growth, faster than you have ever seen before. Let me share them with you!
Get More Experience
by doing more...
This is kind of a no brainer... If you want to take better photographs, you have to take more photographs. If you want to get better at guitar... you have to play more guitar. If you want to write better, you have to write more words. There are times in my life when I just feel bored with creativity. In those moments it's most important for me to get out my camera and take pictures. There are times when I feel like I am stuck playing the same few chords. In those moments I need to play more guitar. When we get bored with what we are doing, but still force ourselves to keep going, we find new ways to "do." You'll learn new chords, you'll find new angles, you'll work with new words. If, once you get bored, you stop creating two things happen. One: your axe gets dull and you have to work harder (or resharpen it). and Two: you have robbed yourself of an opportunity to learn something new, therefore, putting yourself further back than what you were before you set your axe down. Bottom line: force yourself to keep going when it gets boring. I guarantee you, you will be happy with the results.
Surround Yourself
with people who are more talented than you
Surround yourself with people who are more talented than yourself
In the beginning of 2017, I was in a situation where I set creative bar. It was up to me to come up with new ideas and push the envelope when it came to creativity. I felt I was making strides in my own personal creativity and was happy with the results I was seeing. Here we are at the end of 2017 and I am in a completely different situation surrounded with people who are way more talented than myself. I work in a church on a team with several members who are stuffed with talent. I personally have never been in this situation. I have always been part of small organizations and I was the driving force of my own creativity. Now, I work with a large specialized team, and also have experience outside of the church working next to filmmakers who have an unbelievable amount of talent. This has pushed me in two different ways:
1. I am learning like crazy from them. Obviously, just working next to others you gain insight by the way they accomplish things. Simple things like how they organize their workflow all the way to particular ways to do certain specific tasks. Every day I am learning new skills from them, making me raise my bar.
2. Because I am surrounded with people more talented than myself, I have noticed I am subconsciously forcing myself to produce better content. It's a weird experience for me to think of myself not as talented as those around me. Although I have been in rooms filled with people smarter than me before, I have never felt the urge to push myself to my own personal limits. I think I have said I was but it just wasn't the truth. I think the difference now is I have some how surrounded myself with people who are very likeminded and I want to be able to make sure I am pulling my own weight. In doing this, I have noticed my content has taken a jump in quality without formally learning new information. This doesn't only apply to my content at work, but all of my creative content has taken a bump in quality.
It's pretty crazy the power others can have in our lives. I have never felt belittled around these talented people I get to spend time with, if anything I feel they give me more credit than I deserve, but I still push myself to strive farther than I ever have. Although it is completely up to yourself to see personal growth, if you can find a few people who are near the same skill level or slightly higher in your field to spend time with and "talk shop," I promise you will see higher quality in your content.
Find something
you can't do, and do it!
This is a big one. And a simple one. Simply look at someone else's work and say "how did they do that?" Figure it out, and do it! There's plenty of times when I am watching a Youtube Vlogger or tutorial and wonder just how they "did that" and I will then research how to do a certain effect, or get a certain shot, or find a certain angle. By doing this I now have that skill in my toolbox I can store away for the perfect moment. When the time is right, I will remember copying the idea and then add elements of the idea to my creative content. It's a simple process but before you can add that skill into your toolbox, you need to spend time replicating someone else's process so you can make it your own. Try it out. Find a piece of music you couldn't already play and replicate it. Watch for a commercial where you wonder how did they make that motion graphic, and research it until you can do it. Actually do it. Get in After Effects and spend the hour on that 2 second motion graphic. You can do it. Figure it out! Don't let your limitations limit your creativity. Just get it done.
A Few Extra Tips
Here's a few extra things I've learned over the past few months.
TV IS A TIMESUCK - I've realized that you can sit in front o f a tv and lose 5 hours of your life without even trying. As much as you think it's a way for you to unwind, you are really just wasting your life. Find a new way to unwind: read a book, listen to a new album, spend time with your family, spend time with yourself, read your Bible, organize something, build something, get some rest, go to sleep. Seriously, this is coming from someone who makes videos for a living. Don't get sucked into sitting in front of a screen for several hours at a time, wasting your life. Your time is worth more than that to you.
TAKE NOTES ON WHAT THE WORLD IS SHOWING YOU - I am always trying to find new ways to look at life. If you see a photograph you like, note it. If you see a graphic that catches your eye, note it. If you hear a piece of music you like, note it. Make sure you are paying attention to the creation around you. You'll be surprised just how inspired you can be from what is happening around you!
GEAR WILL NOT MAKE YOU BETTER - As much as I LOVE new gear, it will not improve my game. In fact, I think it may be a hinderance to growth. Hear me out: when I get new gear I get distracted by the shiny new buttons and forget about the skill. Most of the time when I get a new lens, I actually see a drop in quality in my photos for awhile because I'm more focused on the new toy than I am with the skill of taking photos. Also, whenever you add a new piece of gear to your tool belt, it takes a period of time for you to get acquainted with how the piece of equipment can be used in your process. Now, that being said... new gear is essential for growth. The better your gear, the easier it is for you to create quality content. BUT don't let the gear blind you of the creative process of your craft. Example. I recently started working at a new job with lots of new toys I had never played with before. It's taken me months to get acquainted with the equipment. I finally am just starting to get to the point where I am able to subconsciously make the adjustments I need to make in the real world situations. As time goes on, I am more comfortable with the equipment and can use the gear to help me tell the story better. Bottom line, don't go buy something new and expect to see a huge improvement. Instead, use what you have and make people wonder how you got such quality content out of such subpar equipment.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE CONSTANTLY POURING INTO YOURSELF - This is a common theme for me. If I stop learning, I stop growing. Make sure you have a constant intake of fresh information. There's several ways how I accomplish this. Youtube is one of them (not pointless youtube of bears juggling bunnies, But those are fun too...) Find people on Youtube who can help you improve. Make sure you are reading. Make sure you are getting plenty of rest. I have several ideas come to me because I am well rested.
At the end of the day, the only person who can help you get better is yourself so get at it!
If you haven't read the book "Oh, the places you'll go!" by Dr. Suess lately, you should. Seriously.
“And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
You’re off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!”
The Zoo in the Fall
Yesterday the Mellingers spent the day at the zoo. Although it was a cloudy day, it was still perfect weather. Here's a few pictures!...
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
Yesterday the Mellingers spent the day at the zoo. Although it was a cloudy day, it was still perfect weather. Here's a few pictures!
2017 WYOMING | MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE
Every year I get to go on a motorcycle adventure with a few of the men in my family. This past summer we spent 2 weeks touring Wyoming together. I finally got around to putting together some of the footage I took into a short film highlighting some of what we saw!
(For optimal page layout, turn mobile devices horizontal)
Every year I get to go on a motorcycle adventure with a few of the men in my family. This past summer we spent 2 weeks touring Wyoming together. I finally got around to putting together some of the footage I took into a short film highlighting some of what we saw!
Heres a few of the photographs I snapped on the trip too!
The rule of thirds
Rules are made to be broken? Sometimes. But... Rules are made for a reason. If you break this rule, chances are a car won't crash into you at an intersection or a wall won't fall down after you are completed with your remodel. The rule of thirds is a simple tool to...
Rules are made to be broken? Sometimes. But... Rules are made for a reason. If you break this rule, chances are a car won't crash into you at an intersection or a wall won't fall down after you are completed with your remodel. The rule of thirds is a simple tool to help you in your creative composition. When you are laying out your creative element, whether it be shooting a video, creating a graphic, or taking a photograph, think through where you want your audience's attention to fall. The rule of thirds suggests dividing your canvas into 9 equal spaces and placing your subject at the point or on the line of these divisions. Essentially cut your canvas into thirds and use those lines to be your guide on where your subject should be. When this rule is followed, it is claimed your art has more tension, energy, dynamics and interest. For the most part I agree. I don't shoot every photograph following this rule, but I do think of every photograph through the lens of rule of thirds. Let me explain.
The rule of thirds dates back over 200 years ago and has been a major part of photography ever since. Although there is skepticism and debate, it's a rule you can see in several photographs and movies from creatives all over the world.
Setting up for the rule of thirds
When I first started learning how to shoot videos and DSLR photography, a common theme of the rule of thirds continued to appear in my training. I started noticing others were using the rule, when before I thought it was just random placement. Sometimes rules can feel confining and claustrophobic but when you learn the freedom within a rule, it actually helps you structure your creative playbook so that all of your finished products do not look the same.
There are several ways you set yourself up for using the rule of thirds. Many cameras today actually have built in grids you can use while you are shooting, whether looking through the viewfinder or using a screen. I have this set on my Canon 80D both in the viewfinder and live view screen for photos and video. You can even turn on a grid on your iPhone!
Canon 80D Viewfinder
iPhone camera app
80D live view screen
Typically most photo editing software includes grids in the "Crop" section. If you have ever noticed these lines, now you know why there are there! I use Lightroom to edit most of my professional photographs and love this simple feature in the cropping overlay. There are times when I may not shoot exactly level and when I go in to realign, I can use these grids to both level and crop.
Using the rule of thirds
There's several ways to use the rule of thirds. Here's a few ways I use it:
ALIGN THE HORIZON
Line up your horizon of your landscape photo with either the top or bottom horizontal line of the grid, depending on what you want your audience to focus on. If the sky is the focus, align the horizon with the bottom horizontal line. It helps you give enough context to see where the photo has been taken, but also, puts emphasis on the sky. If the sky isn't the emphasis, put the horizon at the top line.
ALIGN THE EYE
It's beneficial to emphasize your subject, specifically a person, from the background using rule of thirds by aligning the subject on one of the vertical lines. Generally, I try and get the subjects eye closest to the camera on one of the intersections of the thirds lines (see example below). You have four spots where the lines intersect so get creative with where your subject is placed on the grid, mixed with the background. Once again, This adds dynamics and helps the subject stand out from the background. If the subject is not a person or animal, place the subject on the line where you see fit.
Dont forget, you can use the rule of thirds in portrait mode as well. The example shows the body of the subject aligned with the frame right on the right vertical third line. It may be slightly more tricky, but it adds a new dimension to your artwork.
BREAKING THE RULE
There are several times when I do choose to break the rule BUT I always view the frame through the rule of thirds to see if it would help the composition. Once I rule it out, then I will either bend the rule or break the rule completely. Maybe you want more sky in the frame. Try 1/4ths instead of 1/3rds. Or 1/5ths. You still align your composition to the lines, you just move them slightly in the frame.
Another option is to just throw the whole idea out of the window. Usually this happens with symmetrical photographs, or when I use lines of the subject, or sometimes, you just want to make your own line.
At the end of the day, you are the artist. You get to choose how you want to compose your art. Rules are here to help us stay on track so I encourage you to embrace the rule of thirds when you can. It will make you a better artist. Once you learn the power of the rule of thirds, you will know how to break it.
What other rules have you heard of in the creative world?
Limitations
"It's raining," "We don't have that kind of money for a stage display," "I only have a iPhone camera..."
There will always be limitations. Whether we are part of an organization or just trying to get through the day, we constantly can find roadblocks ready to stop us in our creativity. I am currently reading a great...
"It's raining,"
"We don't have that kind of money for a stage display,"
"I only have a iPhone camera..."
There will always be limitations. Whether we are part of an organization or just trying to get through the day, we constantly can find roadblocks ready to stop us in our creativity. I am currently reading a great book "Created for more: 30 days to seeing your world in a new way" by Jonathan Malm. Every chapter has a theme to "help awaken the spiritual act of creativity within [us]." His main point in the second chapter: limitations force creative solutions. The second I read that it hit me. This has been true my entire creative life! AND typically when I run into a limitation, I have the freedom to be more creative! After spending some time with this idea, I thought I would share some major limitations I have come across and how we can overcome them.
Resources
Ah, Resources. Gear, Money, Budgets. "If only I had..." story of my life. No matter what creative channel I am working in, this limitation ALWAYS comes up. When I first started getting into electric guitar, I became obsessed with new pedals! I thought if I would only have "___" pedal, I could have an amazing sound. It got to the point where I had such a huge pedal board I could hardly carry it. I ended up downsizing and keeping what I really needed.
The best way to battle the limitation of not having the resources you need is to maximize the resources you have. If you have a budget you get to work with at your church, figure out how to stretch that budget into ways you never thought possible. Don't forget you can look around and, if possible, sell some of the resources you haven't used in years. I think this is being a good steward with what you have.
Another way to maximize your resources is to push their limits to the max. Going back to when I started building my pedal board, I actually was using an iPad to drive many of the pedals I needed. I built a bluetooth unit with pedals to send cues to my iPad so it was if I had the pedals on my pedalboard, but used all of the horsepower from the iPad to drive the sounds I needed. I was able to have an amazing amount of sound at my fingertips for the fraction of the cost if I were to buy all of the pedals individually. Eventually I was able to save up and purchase specific pedals for specific needs, but this was a great way to get me started without having to purchase several hundred dollars worth of pedals and use what I already had.
Another example of this is to use everyday items to fill the gap. Example: when we first started getting into video at Evident Church, we didn't have all the money upfront to dump into fancy equipment. If you know anything about video, there are several key components that are mandatory. One - a good camera, two - great sounding audio, three - lighting, lighting lighting! Obviously I wasn't able to purchase top of the line gear right away so we worked with what we had. I purchased a consumer DSLR camera with a kit lens, used an audio interface with an old mic we had laying around, and used some ikea lights we used for ambient lighting in our Headquarters. Believe it or not, we were able to create some pretty incredible videos without purchasing very much.
If you can perform at a professional level with amateur gear, just think what will happen when you have professional gear to work with! Every time I purchased a new pedal I tried to push that specific pedal to it's maximum potential. Every time I ran into a roadblock where I needed a new piece of equipment, I first used what I had. Maximize the resources you have available at your fingertips to jump over this limitation.
People
It's easy to get hung up on not having the people you need. I was just recently at a large church talking with the worship team and they said they didn't have the musicians they need so they bring in someone outside the church. People can absolutely be a limitation. So what do we do?
If we want to overcome the limitation of not having the people we need, use the people you have! I don't mean run the same few people you have into the ground. Look around at your people and think about who you can invest in.
When I started at Evident, the worship ministry was small.... like 3 people. That's too small. The same few people were playing every weekend and it still wasn't enough. The first thing we had to do was lower our standard of excellence. That doesn't mean we sacrifice quality for quantity, it just means we have to look at what is most important. For me, having more people involved in a worship ministry is more important than creating a rockstar band that never hits a wrong note.
As I started to get to know the people at Evident, I would hear of people who may have had some musical experience in their past. I would first start to build a friendship with them, then help them develop their skill, and then add them to the team! Within just a few short months our 3 people turned into about 10-12. On Christmas Eve we had a full stage of musicians!
No matter what your situation is, there are people you know you can develop and train. Don't look for the same people who do everything, try and find someone who is ready to get involved, and has potential. They are out there, waiting for their shoulder to be tapped.
Knowledge
This is my favorite limitation! I know that sounds funny, but I love running into a roadblock where I have no choice but to figure out how it works. Whether I am working on my motorcycle, trying to figure out how someone did a transition in Premiere Pro, or learning a new riff on electric guitar, we live in the age of information. We seriously have all the information we need to do anything!
Here's a few resources I use to learn:
Youtube.... duh... Seriously. so. much. information. Sort through the junk and learn like crazy!
Skillshare - This is a great resource for creatives. There's a small fee, but you can usually find a code. I think I paid $50 for a whole year. I would recommend this website. There's lots of classes for specific skills. Invest a little and harvest much.
PremiumBeat - This is a great website for video and editing. Lots of great blog posts and links to free content. This blog may not be for you but there are several out there for your specific need. search google for what you need.
facebook - Believe it or not... Facebook has a great support of creative people who want to do more than share photos of their kids or silly memes. There's a million different groups on Facebook full of others who have the same passions as you. I am in a group called "Canon 80D." This group is devoted to people who have the same camera I do and they share what they are doing with it. These groups have a wealth of information, all you have to do is join the group that suits you and use Facebook to learn.
Pinterest - I use Pinterest for two things: 1. learning information about a specific topic or 2. find creative ideas to help me overcome limitations. This site originally was designed primarily for females, but it has changed. I suggest it for every creative!
Time
Time. Time is amazing. No matter what, I don't have enough time. I currently am unemployed and somehow STILL don't have enough time to do what I want to do. There is only one way to overcome the limitation of time: fit the big rocks in first. Have you ever seen the example of someone filling half a bottle full of sand, then stones, and then large rocks? The rocks never fit. BUT if you fit the big rocks in first, add the small stones in between, add sand in AND pour water in after the sand, you actually fit more in than before!
Figure out what your priorities are and get them on your schedule. If you really want to overcome the limitation of time, you have to prioritize what is important in your life. Once you get what's important in your schedule, everything else will fit in between.
At the end of every chapter, Malm adds a challenge. Here it is:
“Choose one project you’re working on. Then cut your resources for that project in half. Move your deadline closer. Cut the budget. Remove some technological resources. Create some limitations. Now think creatively. Look for unique ways to accomplish the same goal. Decide what’s really necessary for the project. You’ll find many of the resources were unnecessary for accomplishing your goal.”
At the end of the day, you can overcome any limitation if it means enough to you. In every area of our life we run into limitations and you have to choose what is most important to you.
What limitations have you ran into that I didn't discuss? How do you overcome them?
It's been 1 month
It's hard to believe it's been one month since my last day at Evident Church. The weeks leading up to the 7th of May were probably the hardest weeks of The Mellinger's lives. Although work had slowed down for me, in the midst of the packing and prepping for a gigantic move, we had to say goodbye to...
June 7, 2017 - a reflection
It's hard to believe it's been one month since my last day at Evident Church. The weeks leading up to the 7th of May were probably the hardest weeks of The Mellinger's lives. Although work had slowed down for me, in the midst of the packing and prepping for a gigantic move, we had to say goodbye to our family of friends we had developed over the past 5 years. Some of those memories will stay with us for the rest of our lives. It was truly an amazing and incredibly sad time in our lives. By the time we reached May 7, we were emotionally drained and ready for the next stage.
After we finally loaded everything up in the Budget truck, we headed to St. Louis Tuesday afternoon. We decided to make a trip out of it and stop about half way for the evening. Usually when we travel to St. Louis we fit it in one day, but we were in no rush and wanted to make sure we stayed rested.
We made it to St. Charles, Missouri without any problems, unloaded that evening and started settling in. Currently we are renting a 10'x15' storage unit that houses most of our belongings, and are staying with Ashley's sister and family until we close on our house in Michigan and figure out exactly where we want to live in the St. Louis area. We have a small living room, bathroom, place for Paisley's crib and changing dresser, and space for all of our bedroom set (besides the lampshades we can't find...). :) It's been an adjustment to both living with family in the same house AND in the same city. It's been great to have so much of Ashley's family close to us now. Although we are missing our close friends in Michigan and my side of the family, it's so nice having a strong family support so close. We are so grateful to Amber and Jacob for opening their house to us. It has made this process so much easier than us trying to find a place to move into directly from Michigan.
Paisley has absolutely loved living with the cousins. She goes to bed exhausted every evening but can't wait to wake up to see Piper and Max every morning. She's experiencing all sorts of "firsts" and for the most part been a champ. She is still young, but this hasn't been easy for her. No longer having her own room, uprooted from everyone she knows, and having a completely different schedule has been such a difference, but she is amazing.
Ashley made it through all of her orientation at St. Louis Children's and is now on her unit. She is still working days and getting used to a completely different hospital system. In the next few weeks she will switch to working nights again. There is no doubt Ashley is thrilled to be with her family. I know she can't wait for the security of the house selling and us getting into our own place... and me working again, but for the most part, she as well has been a champ. Moving closer to her family has been the easy part. Starting a new job with several layers of external stress has been the hard part. We are still in transition, but it's getting easier. We just celebrated our 7th year of marriage by spending an evening downtown St. Louis together and getting some Italian food at a place we went to when we were dating. I love my wife.
This transition has not been easy for me. I know it was time for my season at Evident to end, but it still was not easy to leave a place that loved me, and I was able to use my gifts and talents daily to serve the Lord. Moving to a city I have never lived and have very few connections has been an adventure. I've had the opportunity to take some time and evaluate what is important to me, and what isn't. I know I was ready for a small break from ministry, but I've actually had a pretty hard time shutting down. Running so long at full throttle, I went from a completely full schedule and mental output to almost nothing. It's taken me a few weeks to settle my heart and soul. Part of this process has involved spending much more time with my beautiful daughter, exploring my creative passions and of course, burning fuel on the motorcycle.
I love this bag Evident Church gave me as a parting gift. I am able to take all of my camera gear with me all of the time.
As far as a job, I've taken my time exploring the "church culture" in St. Louis. I've had the opportunity to visit several churches since we've been in town. I've been talking with a few churches for a few weeks. I am still trying to figure out what the next stage for me is. Do I pursue a career in Photography/videography? Do I find a stronger pastoral leadership position in a church? Do I stay with the creative/worship scene in the church? Do I find a job outside of the church for awhile? There's several directions I can go and I'm patiently waiting in "recovery mode" right now to hear what God has planned for me. In the mean time, I am banking time with my family, making sure to rest, getting plenty of physical exercise, trying to learn, trying to improve my passions and hobbies, and enjoying the time instead of stressing over finding a job. God has blessed us with this season and I want to make sure to make the most of it. It would be easy for me to constantly think about finding a job, but I know I need time to refresh my soul.
One of the ways I have been trying to restore creativity and refresh my soul has been through photography. I love being able to visit a new place with my camera and capture a moment in time, or something we might walk by and never truly see the beauty God has displayed for us. Here's a few of my favorites from this month.
Friends in Michigan, thank you so much for helping us through this transition. We will always remember you and our time at Evident Church. After a month in St. Louis, I am starting to feel refreshed and ready for my next season of ministry. Continue to pray for us and our next season of life.
Maintaining Your Creativity
There is no doubt creativity drains. At least for me... and every other creative I have talked to. At some point in your creative life, you will run out of fuel and need to refill it. Over past few years I have noticed an intense drain on my creativity...
There is no doubt creativity drains. At least for me... and every other creative I have talked to. At some point in your creative life, you will run out of fuel and need to refill it. Over past few years I have noticed an intense drain on my creativity. I've had so much output: music, worship services, graphics, video, photography, the daily grind. When you realize it's hard to produce quality creativity or you have a hard time getting excited about your passion and skill, it's probably time to go into maintenance mode. Even though you are in maintenance mode, it doesn't mean you can't create, it means you have to be aware of your creativity capacity. Here's a few things I do to nurture my creativity.
1. sleep and rest
You know your body more than anyone. Make sure you are getting the sleep you need. I personally can run on about 6-7 hours of sleep every night without feeling drained. I know others who need 4, and others who need 8+. Find out what you need and make it a priority.
Resting is different than sleep. We live in a world without margins. We wake up and our feet hit the ground and off we go with not a minute to waste. You can be getting your preferred amount of sleep and still be creatively drained if you are not taking time to rest. Make sure you are building margins in your life to sit and reflect on what is happening around you and what God is trying to say to you.
It doesn't have to be extensive. Put the kids to bed and before you start working again, or put on the tv, or your list of chores to get done before bed, grab a chair and sit outside and listen to the birds sing. If you absolutely have no time to give, you need to re-evaluate your schedule and potentially your life. Margin is an important part of the creative process. It's an important part of living a healthy life regardless. If you have no margin, God can't use you the way He should be.
2. get away
One of the best things I can do to recharge is change the scenery. Whether you spend your time at home, in an office cubicle, or in a open workspace, looking at the same walls sucks the creativity out of you. Find a time to get away. For me, I find it most helpful to find some sort of moving water and plant a seat near it. Hearing the water move past me refuels my creativity for some reason. Find your happy spot. Figure out what works for you.
Also, when you are constantly in the same places, you can get in a creative rut. Try crafting your skill in a new location. Shoot photographs somewhere you never have been before, take your acoustic with you on vacation, unplug your MacBook from your monitor and sit on the deck. Sometimes it even helps to switch seats in the same room! If you can't take your workspace with you, improvise.
Some of my best photography is in new places. I love being able to try and capture that feeling I am feeling while I'm there in just one frame. It can be a challenge, but it's also a creativity boost. Don't confine yourself to 4 walls, it will kill your creativity.
3. Learn
Have you ever noticed all of your graphics use the same font... or maybe all of your paintings use the same colors, or all of your photographs have a similar technique, or maybe you are stuck using the same chord progressions?
One of the ways to break out of a creative rut is to learn what others are doing. I've been obsessed with Peter McKinnon lately. Besides being super A.D.D. which helps keep my attention through a 10 min. video (pathetic I know), he has a great way of sharing different techniques I can use in photography and video. This guy has so much experience!
Find someone who you can learn from on youtube, or skillshare, creative live, vimeo or whatever and go to town. We live in the digital age with so much knowledge at our fingertips. Crack into it, find a new technique and have at it. Trying something new always gets me excited about getting back out there and creating something new.
It doesn't have to be a video, sometimes you can find great information and transforming thoughts in books. A book that revolutionized my creative thinking and indirectly pushed me to move on from my most recent job is Pursing Christ. Creating Art. This book challenged my "status quo" perspective and pushed me to give my best to Jesus. I strongly suggest this book if you are struggling with your purpose or creativity.
4. relationships
Remember this equation: Relationships > Everything. Period. If you want to more creative you have to spend time with others. If you are ever in a drought, grab a buddy and find out how they are being creative, or better yet, ask them to help you with your project. I guarantee you if you work on collaborating with others, your creativity with thrive. If you struggle with collaboration, this is top priority to work on. Surrounding yourself with the right people, with other people, will boost your creativity to new levels.
Bottom line, we are all creatives. Just like in your car, if you let the fuel gauge get too low, you won't go anywhere. It's no different with your creativity. Remember to maintain your creativity and you will be a happier person!
What do you do to maintain your creativity that isn't on this list? Feel free to comment below.