Giving Up Creative Control

Living your dream.

Living a life surrounded entirely by creativity - isn’t that the dream? 

Every bit of our existence is about the art yet to be made, and we are free to make that art into whatever we want, whenever we want.

I believe that everything I create should come from my heart, so I’m very personal with what I make. I think that the heart is where all the best ideas genuinely originate from. Thus, I should let my heart shine through in whatever way it sees fit, right?

The Illusion of Control.

Before I started creating for my job, I always told myself that I never wanted to give up full creative control in anything I did. At the time, it seemed to me that creating in the two settings would be identical. After all, the same buttons are clicked, the same programs are used, so why not also be in the same headspace? Now, I love creating both personal and work projects but for entirely different reasons.

Creating for yourself is where nearly all of us began in a realm where you’re fully in control. From all the intricacies of the story you’re telling, all the way to the stunning visuals you create, every bit of that is a piece of your creativity—a part of your heart.

Creating for clients is an entirely different can of worms. When there’s a client with expectations on what they’re receiving, you’re a lot more focused on delivering another person’s creative vision through the tools you’ve mastered, instead of your idea.

However, I’ve learned more than I would’ve ever known, creating entirely using my visions and dreams by giving up creative control.

The Freedom of Limitations.

Creating within pre-set parameters and guidelines can be super refreshing, especially when struggling with creative block. All the expectations have been set, the vision determined, and the shot list (for the most part) created. I find that this allows me to solely focus on deciding the creative, the direction I hope to spin a project, the shots I want to perfect, etc.

Boundaries and guidelines allow the heart that you put into each creative piece to scream out loud, while the pesky filler that comes with freedom hides in the silence.

And then, once I’ve spent a day or a week creating within boundaries for work and letting my heart scream out in the creative work I have made, I need the freedom to let my heart breathe out the thoughts it has held in. Whatever way it wants to go, it goes. That’s where the limitations allow me to be more creative in my work.

I love both. But, the one thing I’ve learned from creating as a job is that the “freedom” I used to crave in projects is way more overwhelming than I’d ever imagined and is a power that needs to be harnessed and trained before being fully unleashed.

Written by @benjaminfarr_

Photos by @tylerbabiy

You can find Ben at the following links:

YouTube www.youtube.com/bxnsfilms

Instagram www.instagram.com/benjaminfarr_

TikTok vm.tiktok.com/Vk1Y4t

Creative Boundaries Podcast anchor.fm/CreativeBoundaries

Creative Boundaries YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UCMq5s7tc4JykS4DsoQkFZ-w