Cold water swimming and creativity. Where or what is the buzz?
Cold water swimming is repetitive and challenging in my chosen location. No matter what I am stuck with, a cold water dip brings clarity. Since this is about creativity I can share a very recent light-bulb moment.
I was away in Penzance with a number of people for whom the physics of medical imaging is something they could natter about endlessly.
Some of us went swimming in Mounts Bay on a dull, cold, grey day. After dipping in the sea I found a naturally occurring rock pool that was big enough and deep enough to hold a whole human .
I could gaze out to St Michaels Mount and appreciate the beauty and bleakness of a winter day. Knowing that my photographs would be lacking a little interest. My light bulb moment arrived as my core temperature dropped.
I could manipulate the image just as I would an ultrasound, X-ray, C.T or M.R.I image. And then stick the images together using a reference point. In this case the island of St Michaels mount.
My own home cold water swimming spot has its own island that I can use as a reference point.
The buzz this morning was applying my Mounts Bay, medical imaging ideas to Drakes Island.
Poof!! I hear you say this is just photography. Where is the art in that?
But what is to stop me doing a water colour or many watercolours with a registering point and then photographing them and suprimposing.
An experiment for the next few days.
And that is what cold water swimming brings to creativity. A clear mind where new ideas flourish.
