Sometimes it’s hard to come up with your next photography project idea, so here are some prompts I’ve come up with that could help you:

1. What makes you angry? Anger isn’t the most pleasant feeling, but sometimes, that anger can be used as fuel for your creativity. What upsets you? What do you feel very strongly about? Address that issue. Dissect it. Offer solutions and your perspective on the matter through your work.

2. What do you feel is underrepresented? As a photographer, you are also the highlighter. You put a spotlight on things that others might overlook. So what are some things that you think deserve a voice but have gone unnoticed for far too long?

3. Look back into your childhood. I know, this might sound cliche, but stories from our past are always rich and textured in ways that looking outward lacks. Dig deep. Look through old photos. Have conversations and revisit old stories from your childhood. I’m sure you’d be able to come up with something fun from there.

4. Choose a lens, any lens. Sometimes I like to shoot a project with only a prime lens. Some might think it’s boring, but I like the consistency and I like how the lack of options can also provide direction and give you a place to go. Sometimes, when you’re stuck and you have no idea what to do, just choosing to go with, say a 35mm lens could be enough.

5. Choose a color, or no color. Do a series in all color, or not. Like the tip above, purposely limiting yourself can be a great way to stimulate your imagination.

6. Remix old work. Sometimes you don’t necessarily need to create new content. Sometimes you can just revisit existing content you’ve made throughout your career as an artist and just repurpose it. Who knows, maybe you can combine your photos and video, or even mix in some sound. New work doesn’t always have to be “new”.

7. Collaborate with a friend. This is always fun. No, it doesn’t have to be epic, what’s wrong with a casual weekend art gathering? I sometimes don’t let myself collaborate with others because I want everything to be too amazing. But hey, sometimes a simple get together and throwing some ink on paper is all you need to get your creative juices flowing again. Plus, it’s a good excuse to see your friends =)

8. Do something totally different. That’s right, don’t try to make “art” at all. Learn a new skill. Take an acting class. Decide to spend an afternoon learning about cars or making beats! Sometimes being creative is hard to do when all you're trying to do is be creative. Give yourself a break and do something totally out of the ordinary. I’ve come to find that the lateral shifts often help inform my work by providing a different lens to look at the world. It can be quite nice.

9. Change up the scenery. Sometimes it’s our surroundings that get us into a ditch. Sure, I like consistency, and I like sticking to a schedule, but sometimes all it takes is to just go to a different cafe for once or maybe sit at a different part of the house. Maybe go a different route to work to spark things up once again. The change might not be monumental, but it might just be the little nudge you need to spark a new flame.

10. Do nothing. I know, it seems like my advice is getting more and more lazy, but there’s a method to my madness. I’ve gotten tired and jaded before. Sometimes, all you need is to take a break. Relax. Do nothing. You might come to find that your greatest ideas will sometimes end up finding you. It’s weird. The creative flame is almost like a cat. Try too hard getting its attention and it ignores you, but leave it alone and then it comes to find you.

Anyways, hope those tips are of use to you. Until next time.

by Jason Lam