BOOK REVIEW: PHOTOGRAPHIC CREATIVITY - A Whack on the Side of the Head

In my Photographic Creativity course, "A Whack on the Side of the Head" by Roger von Oech is one of recommended reads.  Here's why.

I often hear folks say "I'm just not creative."  Nonsense.  Creativity is a process, and any process can be repeated and learned.  You just need practice and good coaches. 

Right off the bat, I like von Oech's first premise: Creativity is Mental Sex.  "It's a lot of fun...indeed I like to think of creative thinking as the "sex of our mental lives."  (Page 5 of my edition)









Some chapter titles:
1. The Right Answer
2. That's Not Logical
3. Follow the Rules
4. Be Practical
5. Play is Frivolous
6. Tha't not my area
7. Avoid ambiguity and so on up to chapter 16

Obviously, von Oech has a fine sense of sarcasm as he explodes all myths behind all the rules we have been "taught" by our teachers, managers, or other "handlers" in life.

Photographic creativity is NOT the cental thesis of the book, but the concepts are crucial, like Cross Fertilization on page 104.  I am always on the alert for life's surprises.  For inspiration for Underwater photography, I look to other masters for ideas, rather than trying to repeat the work of the Nat Geo Bubble-Blowing legends.  Likewise, Land photographers may benefit from studying the work of the Underwater Masters.

A lot of my creativity lately has been going into the design of t-shirts.  Click here to buy one.





















 Click here for some other shots I consider creative.
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