When creating, whether that be writing, photographing, designing...it usually helps to start with a plan. If you are a landscape photographer it helps to have a plan, because without one, you would not rise well before sunrise to go somewhere to take pictures. Motivation comes from having an idea of what it is you want to create. This is essential to get going, but it is best to not get too attached to your plans. You might have a perfect sunrise against white mountain tops in mind and you get to your location and there is not even the faintest glimpse of a sunrise. What do you do? You have this image in your mind, you know what it needs to look like and now nature decides otherwise. This is a great source of frustration amongst photographers because we, unlike painters, are relying on the right circumstances. The thing is though, that the right circumstances are pretty debatable. Let me tell you about my experiences in the French mountains 2 months ago...
One morning we went up the mountain and it was the worst possible sunrise ever. It was dull and totally grey. We thought' we'd turn back, but as we had our Tibetan Spaniel in the car and she obviously loves mountain walks we thought it only fair to grant her her walk as we had after all dragged her out of the apartment at a very early hour that morning. It turned out to be the best morning ever as far as weather conditions are concerned. An understated kind of magic, with the most beautiful cloud patterns. Had I listened to this voice in my head that said: "Nope, not what I had in mind, let's go back", I would not have been able to witness the unfolding of another kind of magic. You have to be willing to be surprised, you have to stay open to a sense of wonder, because the universe might be delivering magic to you and you might not even notice it if you have such a rigid idea in your mind of how it should be and you miss life....Life happens in between those moments, at the time you stop forcing your will onto reality. Life is waiting to be captured or illustrated and you plan to create, but then you let go of the outcome....What will be will be