Collaboration is a serious business. New Hampshire, August, 2023.
At the end of August, I had a chance to spend a day in New Hampshire visiting my brother and sister-in-law, photographing my sister-in-law’s gorgeous sweet peas, snapdragons, and dahlias. She is an outstanding floral designer, and she and I had been talking for many months about finding a time to work together. Finally, we identified a day that we were both free, the flowers would all be in bloom, and the relentless rain that has pounded the northeast throughout this entire summer was on pause. I organized my photo gear, and headed north.
I think of myself as someone who likes to collaborate. In fact, I think it is vital to collaborate, to learn new ideas and fresh approaches to creative projects. I really enjoyed the day, and am happy with the results, thanks to the fabulous input of my sister-in-law. (Just a note: be on the lookout in Spring 2024 for some of the resulting new card designs! I will release them when those particular flowers are back in bloom.)
However, here’s the thing. My brother took some photos throughout the day of us working together, and in every shot, I am looking way, WAY too serious. Like I’m not having any fun at all. Which isn’t the case, but the pictures tell a different story. Perhaps my serious expression could be described as “focus” or “concentration” - but every one? I don’t think so. The lesson for me? Lighten Up!
To quote Albert Einstein, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
Let’s all be sure to remember the “having fun” part.