Meet Kristel Saxton

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristel Saxton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristel below.

Kristel, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

I believe that my creativity comes from several different places and there are many things that need to be in alignment for my creativity to flourish. In order to keep it alive I need to focus on: having new experiences, engaging in other types/styles of art and keeping my mental health in a good place.

First of all, having a new experience is always something that inspires creativity for me. I feel that a lot of my best pieces are made when I look at the same things in new ways. One of the ways I will do this is to awaken different scenes which help me feel tuned into the world in a new way. For example, going to a new coffee shop and trying something new will get my mind thinking in new ways about what I’m drinking/tasting/sensing which then inspires me to look at the world in a new way. Another thing I might also do is to go to a new area in my town with a camera, any camera, and wander looking at the world and thinking about what I’m seeing. I might not actually take any pictures when I wander but when I’m looking and thinking it refuels my creative centers. The best part about being a photographer is that you can try new things and then just delete what doesn’t work, so it’s ok to feel a lack of creativity and try to have a new experience and just see what happens.

Another way that I keep my creativity alive is trying out new forms of art. I have recently been taking drawing lessons and learning how to watercolor. Trying out these new forms of art has shown me different ways that things are created and how to use different mediums to get across a point that I already know how to do with my photography. They break down the rules and ideas I already know in another medium and allow me to experience them in a fresh way. I do think it is key to reflect upon the experiences I have in order to really let my mind connect the new art with the old art styles and ideas. Usually after I have a session of making new art I’m ready to go on a photography exploration or look into editing some of my work.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, all of this doesn’t fuel my creativity when my mental health isn’t at its best. I recently had to set some boundaries around my career because I wasn’t able to make art anymore. Making art is a passion for me and to feel so drained that I couldn’t make art wasn’t a good place for me. I do many things like exercise, meditation and self care to help keep my mental health at its best so that I am ready to let my creativity and vision flow freely. A happy and healthy me is the first step of a creative me.

I have discovered that it isn’t easy to stay open to new experiences and to keep creativity flowing. But, it is a part of my true self and I know I need to create to be fulfilled. It is worth the work and self reflection to know how and what to do when lack of creativity strikes!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

In the past few years, I’ve started sharing my work more outside of my friends/family circle. I am currently working to find the audience that wants to engage with my art. I started my own small art business about a year and a half ago. I am focused on creating art to make the world a little more beautiful. For the first time I started to sell more of my work, which is nerve wracking but it also helps connect me to people and receive feedback. I am doing this currently via my website but also looking at multiple opportunities for other outlets.

I acquired a more capable camera and started learning drone photography a few years ago. Drone photography lent itself well to video, a format I had not explored. In the past several years I have exhibited photos in galleries nationally and internationally. Currently, I have a display in Iowa City, IA. I am an active member in my photo club which is part of the Midwest N4C. I also have started a YouTube channel to share my video art. I have an Instagram to share my work because that encourages me to keep making more art.

Getting my art in front of more people has been very rewarding and has driven my creativity to new places.The act of creating a photograph provides a sense of immediacy, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the present. The entire process, from determining the subject, perspective, and composition of a photograph to editing the final image, facilitates an emotional connection.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I believe the three most impactful things that got me to where I am are finding a community for support, continuing to learn and self-reflection.

My community of support has both photographers and friends in it. My community of photographers I found through my local photography club. They have been instrumental in my growth and exploration of the medium. Having people to talk about your work with and offer their input and advice really helps you to grow. My club meets regularly to engage in learning and talk about our own work. I have also enjoyed going with club members on different outings in my area to capture photographs. Early in my time at the club I was able to watch other photographers set up their settings and gear and ask questions about their process. I learned so much! Now, I’m able to help do that for newer members of the club or friends and family wanting to learn. I’ve also started to be able to use my professional training as a teacher to create learning sessions for my club. I also have a community of support that is my friends and family. Keeping them updated on my work and sharing with them helps me feel supported. My husband is my number one supporter in this community. He is the first one I show my new work to and he provides invaluable feedback. My advice for others is to look for groups of people doing your thing (virtually or in person are both great!) and find a way to connect with them. Also, share what you are doing with your friends and family to find support there.

Learning is another aspect that I think is really impactful on my work as an artist. We are at a really great time in the world where you can learn just about anything from doing some internet research. The important part is making time and taking the effort to find new things that you want to learn and then trying them out. It is really important to dig into something new and give it some time for exploration. I think it is important to build in time to push into new areas of creativity within your work, even if it’s not something that seems like it fits into your style at first. I recently engaged in some learning and practice with intentional camera movement (ICM). At the onset I didn’t think ICM fit well into my style, but engaging in learning and exploration around this style helped me further develop some ideas around color which have impacted my own work. I’m probably not going to become an ICM photographer but I have a new appreciation for a different way of working and a new style. I would advise everyone to try new things in your realm but also push the boundaries and try things adjacent to what you are doing.

Lastly, I think the skill of reflection is key in growing on your journey. I like to look back at my work and ask myself questions about what I’ve done. I might ask myself how I feel about my process, or what I could do differently next time to make something I’m more pleased with. I find this a key process to have in my workflow because without reflection on my current or past work I’m not going to see what I want to do, change or even repeat the next time I’m creating. I would encourage everyone to add more reflection to their creative processes. A great way to start is to look up questions online and talk through things with someone you can be vulnerable with. Eventually you can tailor the types of questions you need to think about to your specific area and do them in a journal or internally.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

There isn’t one single person or event that has shaped me into the artist I am today. It has been a journey of growth with many different people helping me along the way. I started taking photos as part of my 4-H projects growing up and had lots of help and inspiration from their programming to help develop my skills. When I finished college and started to make more work on my own I found my photography club helped me to push and grow. I like to keep pushing myself and am always looking for people who are doing interesting things to talk with and learn with. Along the way I’ve done lots of reading/video watching to learn new skills which I then took out into the work to experiment with. I enjoy learning from a variety of people because everyone brings something a little different to the table.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Personal photo by John Saxton

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