It’s official. The drought on our prairies has become a barometer for my creativity.
The stunted crops are languishing in the heat and forest fires are showering us with smoke. We need water and the rejuvenation that comes with it. And I fondly remember cooler weather.
After 270 blogs, it feels like my creativity well has also run dry. I am not motivated to take photos and nothing strikes me as interesting to write about. I find it is a rather unusual state.
I still thoroughly enjoy my good photos in reserve like these images of birds on their nests – there’s even water in the images. Unfortunately the passing of time has not helped me come up with anything to write about them. All I can think of is an awkward metaphor of sitting on eggs that will never hatch.
We have had many wet years and now the weather has turned dry. We need rain but the forecast calls for more dreaded heat. We will endure and the moisture will come. My own drought is surely a season that will also pass.
Krahnpix 
When I post an image my mine races with so many thoughts and words. Then it happens, my cat gets my tongue. Keep it going on your pace. I enjoy them all.
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I appreciate that. A post really is bringing structure to the chaos and creativity of photography. Not an easy task when you think about it.
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You bird shot is lovely, as always, but I do miss you usual self commentary so crossing my fingers for rain! 😉 But I do agree, this are turning pretty brown around here… some wet weather would be nice!
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We got some rain I’m happy to say and it seemed to make everything a bit better. I’ve got some ideas for commentaries so stay tuned.
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Right Mr Krahn – enough of this self pity nonsense – why don’t you challenge yourself by shooting another genre – lets see some street photography – landscape or portrait 🙂 I expect several examples soon – Regards Scott
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I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures …
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This too shall pass, or something like that. We somehow survived our drought and massive fires to slide into a wet spring and summer. I much prefer our washed-out roads to fire any day. Never know what to expect weather wise these days. Hang in, winter is coming!
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It’s true that we never know what to expect but have to deal with what comes. In the last week we have received a lot of rain so it already feels quite different here. Change is good.
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Perhaps a trip to Alaska is in order to get re-inspired.
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That would work!
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Thank you for posting this delightful set of photos, despite the heat and your sense of ‘malaise’, Lyle. I’m waiting eagerly to see more of what is on that SD card! Please don’t let a lack of just the right words keep you from posting your images. …. So many of us look forward to them.
And few of us can match your humor, creativity and cleverness! – I think your imaginative brain just needs a bit of a well-deserved respite ;-D
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Those are particularly kind words and I appreciate the sentiment behind them. Thank you. There’s no doubt I will post the good photos I have in reserve when the timing is right. It’s an odd state I’m in but that too shall pass.
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I feel your malaise, Lyle. It happened this morning and I just got lucky as I moped around. Quite often I drive around aimlessly. But if I stop and start looking closely I frequently find some little detail that sparks me. Insects are wildlife too. 🙂
I hope you get some rain to replenish your fields and streams.
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That’s good advice. It’s just hard to start the looking sometimes. I’ve heard that insects are wildlife though after buying and selling three macro lenses I think I better look for something else!
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Lyle, I cannot count the times the title of this post could have been the title of mine. “I got nothing” is simultaneously funny and disappointing for a writer. I just finished writing a critical analysis paper…I feel a blog post coming on. It has been too long coming. The reasons vary from lack of inspiration to just plain exhaustion, but mainly because I had nothing in reserve. Too many photos are languishing on an SD card in my desk. All the best to you during the drought – metaphorical or otherwise.
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Funny and disappointing sums it up nicely. Too bad we share it. That paper sounds like it has some potential black humour inspiration – hope it works.
The droughts will both pass. We got a little rain today so maybe it will help both. Thanks for your wishes.
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Cough!Cough! Cough! I would like to get out more but with asthma, guess I will cull photos for a couple of days. My sympathies are with the ones right in the thick of things in all 3 provinces in Western Canada. Maybe we can learn from the example of this pied-bill(?) grebe.Be patient, incubate, then get ready to be really busy.After that, it’s sink or swim.
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Asthma can be a nasty thing to deal with – sorry to hear about that.
My Facebook friends (who are much better at identifying birds) settled on horned grebe for the identity. In any case you are so right about it having lots to teach us. The only trouble is I’m better at sinking than swimming:)
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LOL Well, wading is good, too. It is clear here in Edmonton today- going out as soon as my camera battery is charged.
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Have fun.
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Fires, heat, drought? You haven’t snuck over to Australia while I wasn’t watching have you?
I’ve been reading about the Canadian fires and thinking of you, hoping your family and friends are safe. Nature throws us plenty of challenges doesn’t she? As for your creative drought, read over your favourite posts and remember how good you are. You’ll find the spark again; well you’ll have to, otherwise half the blogosphere will go into mourning 🙂
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I suppose you would have some expertise in those big three! Nature most definitely throws many challenges and then surprises us with renewed growth and hope when we least expect it.
We have some relatives in the north that have been evacuated but everyone, and so far all their places, are safe.
Getting half the blogosphere to do anything would be amazing but I will take your advice to go back and read some blogs from more creative days. Thanks for that.
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I hear you Lyle! I was getting so tired of it, but was moving west and soon I realized that if I kept going I’d eventually run into cooler weather at the coast. Then, fantastically, my first morning at the coast it rained. And it’s still rainy and cool. You’ll get there, don’t worry. Cooler weather has a way of rejuvenating creativity too.
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Glad to hear that you could run into cooler weather. I was actually fascinated to hear you talk of cooler weather rejuvenating creativity – I didn’t think that concept was so widespread. The crispness of fall is something I remember for the rest of the year.
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Everything….always passes.
Today will become tomorrow’s Yesterday and so…….today will become the Past.
Just as will be the drought in your mind.
It too will pass.
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I appreciate that. I know it intellectually but emotionally it seems a long ways away. I’m looking forward to the passing.
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Such weather is depressing ~ I’m headed back to Seattle and Oregon at the end of the month and preparing myself for the disappointment. Hopefully there will be some wet days ahead… Great shots nonetheless. Enjoy the weekend.
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Another person who doesn’t like the heat! Hopefully the weather turns for you to have a good time. We got a little rain today so that’s encouraging. Have a great week.
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I am sure your creative drought will pass. The heat and dry gets us all down. Here we are dry too, but not overly hot at least. Thank goodness for AC though. Your photos are beautiful. No loss of the good images.
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Thanks. I thot I was somewhat unique in having the heat get me down but I’ve a lot more people recently who share that perspective. AC has become a good friend!
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Hotter and drier here than I prefer… but hopefully this, too, shall pass. Hard to imagine the wildfires that are happening up in BC.
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Yes it is hard to fathom the unbelievable force of all those fires but in the end they bring rejuvenation and new life to the forests. It is not a process I would have dreamed up.
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The fires are pretty crazy this year across the Canadian west. Apparently hot and dry makes great fires.
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Your drought, like the heat, will indeed pass. I’ve had other guitar players tell me sometimes they just put it aside for a few weeks and come back refreshed. Everything, everyone needs a rest from time to time. Your images are beautiful, and I’m sure photographic opportunity will come knocking when you are ready again. This old Coot will be waiting here, standing one one leg, until you come back.
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Well that had me laughing. I must have hit a spot with that coot photo.
I like to have things go in a straight line but in the real world there so often ebbs and flows that make life more interesting and creative. Rest and refresh are both great advice.
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Aw, you just wait, Lyle! Suddenly the motif of your life is there, and you’d better have your camera at the ready!!!
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You’re probably right. I’m armed and dangerous with a camera!
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I’m sorry to hear about the drought, that’s really bad and I understand your desolation about it. It’s much different here in Quebec, summer has been rather cold so far with normal rainfall. I’ve read once that creativity follows a curve and at some point will reach a necessary and inevitable lack of inspiration and then come back stronger again.
Really beautiful pictures Lyle and looking forward to more photos, new one’s or from your archives 🙂
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I like that creativity curve idea. So much of life happens like that though we sometimes expect things to happen in a straight line. I just need to ride it through. Glad you enjoyed the photos. There’s still lots in my archive to share including my best one.
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Wonderful shot!
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Thanks.
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I think we all go through that creative “drought” at times. I hope you get some rain soon. It’s hard to get motivated to go out when it’s hot and dry. These photos are gorgeous.
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Yes I think you’re right. These are part of the natural cycles of life though I must say I prefer it the other way. It will return. Glad you like the pix.
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Nice pix and nice bird. What is it?
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Thanks. I’m not sure exactly what kind of bird it is. I’ll have to do some checking.
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My Facebook friends tell me it is a horned grebe.
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Like in Europe. I didn’t you have the same. You’re in Canada, right?
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Yes I live in Canada, in the province of Saskatchewan. Nice to know they are other places.
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I have the opposite problem; too much water. June was one of our wettest for the month ever. All the rain doesn’t have me gushing with creativity though, that’s still hard work. I want to get out and photograph but the opportunities are limited as I don’t like to shoot in the rain. Your reserve images are very nice. I love the detail in them. Hopefully some of the excess moisture in my area will move over to your area and you can get creative again and I can get photos again.
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I like the idea of trading weather. I’ll trade a little sun for a little rain and we’ll all be happy. It’s interesting how weather affects our motivation to do things. The exceptional days are such treasures. Glad you enjoyed the photos.
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Sometimes images are worth a thousand words so there isn’t a need to be too inspired word-wise…very nice pics. (Suzanne)
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I appreciate that and it’s true. It’s just that I’m used to finding some words to add – what can you expect from a writer?
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