Revisiting old paths

Revisiting old ways of working for new inspiration

There’s something both relaxing and inspiring about returning to a way of working you haven’t touched in a while.

Recently, I found myself revisiting an older format: concertina books, built from altered photographs. I've created concertina books for many years. I love the way they can build rhythm and find them a great vehicle for telling a story. But what surprised me this time wasn’t the familiarity, it was the shift in how my books developed.

Without really intending to, I began introducing small pops of colour. If you know my work, you’ll know this isn’t my usual language. And yet, there they were, threading their way through the pages, sitting alongside the more muted tones I tend to gravitate towards. Of course, the colours I chose were also muted... but it was still quite a departure for me!

There’s a particular ease in returning to something you already understand. It removes the pressure to “get it right” as you already know how to do it, and instead invites you to notice what’s changed. Not just in your work, but in how you approach it.

If you’re feeling the need for a gentler kind of creativity, you might try this: revisit a material, a technique, or a format you haven’t used in a while. Let it be imperfect and see what your current self brings to it without trying.

You might find, as I did, that something new quietly emerges.

Warmly,

Jane

For more altered photo ideas see my book 'Artful Memories: how to create unique art with old photographs' available in hard copy on Amazon or immediately as an e-book.

Artful Memories e-book