These experts are here to share how they keep their creativity flowing, and what they absolutely love about working in this industry.
Whether you're a currently in a creative slump or just looking for a reminder of how awesome our industry is, these quotes will give you a fresh perspective and a boost of motivation. So, grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and get ready to be inspired by some of the brightest in the industry.
What words of advice do you have for someone who is struggling to reignite their creativity for their work?
"Embrace the failures, it's all a part of the creative process. Being unmotivated and deprived of passion is all a part of being an artist, and I believe it's an essential part of the creative process, as creativity and passion can come in more intense waves.
Photographer Peter McKinnon described the creative process in 6 blunt yet simple steps, and they changed my career (I literally painted this on the wall of my studio):
The Creative Process:
- This is awesome
- This is tricky
- This is shit
- I am shit
- This might be okay
- This is awesome"
Connor Moriarty
" It is part of the creative process, and as frustrating as it is, you will sometimes lose your inspiration and struggle to create.
Acknowledging that fact alone doesn’t help you get through it, unfortunately, but it puts this temporary slump into perspective.
What I found helpful when I had creative blocks was to stop focusing on the result. I would then evaluate my process. What are the steps that I am following? Have they become routine? Has this adherence to the current process added to my frustration? I suggest breaking your creative process down into steps and considering the value of each of them. Is there something you can do differently along the way? How can you execute an image within those constraints?
Experiment
Give yourself assignments like challenging yourself to use different lighting modifiers or a technique you may not normally use.
For example, I once challenged myself to only use one light (the same light) on all images I worked on for one month. No matter the subject, I needed to use the same light and learn how to position the light, bounce it, flag it, harness it, and direct it. Sometimes learning through trial and error or the joy of executing new techniques may rekindle your drive to create something new. "
Mark Van Amburgh
"At the studio, I'm a fan of 10-minute creative work breaks focused on various art forms. For inspiration, I'll find a personal art project outside the daily norm."
Julie Khongsavanh
“Take time off. Turn off the electronics, social media, etc. Reflect. Spend time in nature and with loved ones. Sometimes time away from being creative is the best way to reignite your passion for it.”
Colleen Moore
“I think it's always important to have fun and not take things too seriously. If you do, stress will start to weigh on you more and your inner self will be more harsh on your work. Creativity is imagination outputted in many different ways, and you might as well have fun doing it.”
Richard Carl
“Go back to basics. Dive into any type of creative passion that sparks joy for you, could have nothing to do with your current career or area of focus. Draw, sew, paint, mold clay, garden, anything. Opening up that part of your brain can do wonders in all areas of your life.”
Katharine Adams
“Remind yourself why you initially fell in love with what you do - creating the extraordinary or working with innovators and visionaries - this can re inspire motivation in your role.”
Eloise Jones
“We've all been there, staring at a blank screen, waiting for inspiration to strike. Try remembering why you started in the first place, or try hitting refresh and shaking things up by try a new medium or even collaborating with some you wouldn't normally work with. There are so many variables you can bring into your work that can help reignite your passion again, you just need that one spark!”
Theodore O’Mahony
“Focus on the simple things you love about what you do, then work out from there.”
Conrad Sanderson
"Go find yourself a darkroom and watch that magic moment when your image first materialises on the paper again. Go back to whatever it was that captured your creative passion in the first place. Find that mindset of playful exploration and turn it to something outside your day to day work.
Freelancing and post production in particular can be isolated roles so I think there is huge value in building a network, attending events and reaching out to people. Sharing knowledge and ideas can really help you refresh your outlook."
Duncan Robinson
“Reigniting your passion and creativity for work can sometimes be challenging, but it's entirely possible with the right approach. Start by taking a step back and giving yourself a break; a fresh perspective can do wonders. Seek inspiration from various sources, whether it's through books, movies, or engaging in new activities. Setting small, achievable goals can help you regain a sense of accomplishment and motivation. Collaboration with colleagues or mentors can also spark new ideas and provide much-needed energy. Reflect on your core values and the reasons you embarked on this journey to reconnect with your purpose. Remember, it's okay to embrace failures as part of the learning process. Taking care of your physical and mental health is crucial, so prioritize self-care. Consider exploring new skills or hobbies to inject fresh enthusiasm into your work. With patience and a proactive approach, you'll find your passion and creativity rekindled in no time.”
Valentina Milicic
“"Remember why you got into your career and reflect on the past accomplishments that got you to where you are now.
When we are always expected to look ahead at the next big thing, it's just as important to celebrate the past achievements and remind yourself how rad you really are!"
Don Reed
“Take some time to reset and think about what drives you and what makes you passionate. Then use this as a focus to move forward.”
Chloe Price
Where do you turn for inspiration?
“I draw inspiration from the people and community around me, looking to individuals who have supported me through my career, who are producing the extraordinary and doing it all with authenticity and integrity.”
Eloise Jones
“Douyin (Chinese TikTok), Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and the other usual suspects like Behance and Reddit AI threads.”
Theodore O’Mahony
“Role models and mentors, books and podcasts and industry leaders.”
Colleen Moore
“My peers. I tell everyone that everything I know, every technique and hack, all my industry knowledge, all the achievements of my career, they are all thanks to my extremely talented friends. I'm only where I am today because I try to be a "sponge" anytime I am working with a team, constantly absorbing the amazing stuff they do that I had never thought of. Never assume you have learned everything there is to learn. This was easier to do in the beginning when I was inexperienced and I had to rely on learning from my mentors to get a foothold in the industry. But after you become an expert, it's easy to filter out new things. But as long as you continue to learn from people around you throughout your career, you will only succeed.”
Connor Moriarty
“Everywhere :) and being open to inspiring new perspectives. It could be a dinner party, a book tour or traveling to a new city or island, experiencing the local culture, food, art... wanderlust.”
Julie Khongsavanh
“I find inspiration all around me, drawn especially from what I see through my eyes. My husband often likens me to a sponge, absorbing everything I encounter and storing it in my mind for later use. Whether it's traveling to new places, listening to music, flipping through magazines, or simply experiencing life and observing the world around me, each moment offers potential inspiration. I thrive on collecting diverse experiences and perspectives, finding that they fuel my creativity and provide a wealth of ideas when I need them most.”
Valentina Milicic
“Past failures & successes and trying to understanding what made the difference”
Conrad Sanderson
"Growing up skateboarding is the thing that got me into photography and videography, and ultimately led me down the path to where my career is now.
Skateboarding is always the place I will turn to get inspired of new ideas and showing off something familiar in a new way!"
Don Reed
“Primarily my friends and connections within the industry and creatives I follow on various platforms. Generally the most interesting content comes via word of mouth”
Duncan Robinson
“Street style - Nature - Art galleries & museums”
Katharine Adams
“My team. Surround yourself with a good, passionate team.”
Chloe Price
“For the better part of the last decade, I have been turning to speaking engagements given by the professional skateboarder Rodney Mullen for inspiration. Rodney has given a series of “Talks” where he describes the creative process inherent in the skateboarding community. I find many similarities between how skateboarders learn or invent new tricks and the processes that I go through while creating imagery or how I approach a process change. Listening to someone describe the process of learning and creating with the humility and sincerity that Rodney uses, is in itself inspiring. He is a motivational speaker who uses a language I can relate to while describing the struggle of creating, the need for failing, and the need to keep pushing forward.”
Mark Van Amburgh
Where do you turn for inspiration?
“The "Don't be like your parents" campaign by Progressive Insurance.”
Connor Moriarty
“Hollywood, Rick Owens’ Spring/Summer 2025 menswear show”
Julie Khongsavanh
“Past failures & successes and trying to understanding what made the difference”
Conrad Sanderson
“Too many to name but I did like the recent "Is it even a city?" Tourism campaign promoting Oslo.”
Theodore O’Mahony
“Chanel's "The Little Black Jacket" campaign, launched in 2012, stands as a testament to the power of fashion advertising. Shot by Karl Lagerfeld and styled by Carine Roitfeld, the campaign reimagined Chanel's iconic jacket through a series of stunning black-and-white portraits. Featuring a diverse cast of celebrities and personalities, each image showcased the jacket's versatility and timeless appeal, transcending trends to embody Chanel's legacy of elegance. Beyond print ads, the campaign included an exhibition and a coffee table book, enriching the experience and solidifying the jacket as a symbol of style and cultural significance. Chanel's masterful storytelling and visual aesthetics made this campaign not just a showcase of a product but a celebration of heritage and enduring fashion excellence.”
Valentina Milicic
"The campaign that I think showcases perfection is “Assume that I Can”, for World Down Syndrome Day 2024.
If someone hasn't been fortunate enough to view this masterpiece, I suggest they seek it out."
Mark Van Amburgh
"I love Olafur Eliasson's Ice Watch. His work is always so playful, tactile and thought provoking yet simple and accessible.
Whilst arguably an art installation rather than a campaign I think the installation and surrounding events created a great conversation and raised awareness like any great ad campaign"
Duncan Robinson
"Palace Skateboards and Calvin Klein did an awesome collab a few years ago that really showed off each brands personality in one video.”
Don Reed
What’s the biggest challenge for yourself or the industry at large right now?
“One of the greatest things that’s happened to this industry is the advancements in technology making it more accessible. One of the challenges that has brought is the perception that photography should be cheap, easy and fast.”
Colleen Moore
“In e-commerce today, the primary challenge lies in balancing profitability with growing consumer expectations for sustainability. Meeting these demands necessitates innovative approaches across supply chains while maintaining competitive pricing. Technological advancements offer opportunities to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences. Success in this dynamic industry hinges on effectively navigating these challenges, ensuring that sustainability initiatives not only meet consumer expectations but also contribute to long-term profitability and industry leadership.”
Valentina Milicic
“The all-powerful god that is AI, everyone is talking about it and clients expect it to produce all of their content at the drop of a hat, but most people who are in the thick of it, they know it will be a great tool to include in their full arsenal of creative weaponry, but it is for now at least not the WMD that will end all creativity in our industry.”
Theodore O’Mahony
“Personally were are going through a lot of changes in new tech and processes right now. In the industry overall I think its similar. Balancing demand, budgets and the learning process of introducing new tech such as A.I into the workflow whilst being mindful of disruption to BAU.”
Duncan Robinson
“The uncertainty of the market and industry it’s concerning seeing some of the main players struggling or failing. It is, however a great reminder to keep focused and pro-active in our roles.”
Eloise Jones
“The toughest challenge is uncertainty. With the advancements in AI developing by the minute, it's hard to predict what the future of the industry holds, but the best way to combat that challenge is learning the resources and ways to implement AI into your work and seeing it as a tool, not a paradigm altering reality.”
Richard Carl
"Finding the balance between modernizing your craft without further diluting the industry. What I mean is that over the last 10 years, e-comm/retail players have been looking to make the production phase of a campaign as quick, cheap, and efficient as possible. Gone are the days of brands paying for large productions. They want it fast and cheap, and they want it done with modern technology. This has lead to a competition within the industry where studios look to automated ways to bring down costs and turnaround times for their clients.
I have found it very difficult to ensure I am always using the most modern and efficient tools and techniques in my studio, while simultaneously ensuring I'm not losing sight of the art of visual production and the value of a personal touch. From advanced editing tools, to the rise of AI, to 3D rendering being much more accessible, finding the balance while running a modern studio has been difficult."
Connor Moriarty
“I believe AI is our top opportunity. I'm excited for the progression of AI enhancements in our industry. Discovering workflows that allow employees to create better content for our customers at reduced cost and add value to their jobs.”
Julie Khongsavanh
“Industry: Embracing change in a positive way.”
Conrad Sanderson
“The biggest challenge now is finding that balance in creating or maintaining the creative brand vision while still striving to increase efficiency without losing the art.”
Katharine Adams
“With the rapid advancements in Generative AI tech, it's challenging to get the team introduced to these new tools and making it an exciting skill to learn, and not something they should be scared of.”
Don Reed
“How quick everything is always moving, how to be reactive but still create a calm space. To be open to new ideas and decide what works best for your brand and team. Constantly trying to make sure you are the forefront of new ideas and ways of working.”
Chloe Price
"What I see as the biggest challenge our industry is currently facing is leveraging new technologies to work for us.
We need to look at technologies like Artificial Intelligence as something that can be used to improve our processes rather than something that could replace us.
I’m reminded of the transition our industry made from film-based captures to digital. Studios who were able to harness this power for good survived, and our industry thrived. We were able to reduce cycle time and add more flexibility to the process.
Being on a similar precipice, we need to embrace AI technologies and figure out how they can be used to benefit the industry as a whole."
Mark Van Amburgh
What’s your favorite part of being part of this industry?
“It is such a unique industry - the energy of a studio, the inner workings of production, the close relationships you have to cultivate - all coming together the produce exceptional content. A real highlight in recent years has been finding our community and celebrating our shared experiences.”
Eloise Jones
“My favorite part of being in this industry is a blend of creating imagery and supporting image creation. I find immense satisfaction in crafting solutions, unraveling the puzzle of presenting ideas more compellingly and identifying the perfect sequence of events to achieve that goal. The satisfaction from being on set creating myself or setting the stage for others to be successful on their journey motivates me.”
Mark Van Amburgh
“The creative folks I'm fortunate to work with each day. I also nerd out on fashion insights and analytics.”
Julie Khongsavanh
“I feel there are two great parts to being part of this industry, 1 the speed at that it changes and evovles as ecommerce platform requirements can quickly shift the direction of the market, who even thought livestreaming was going to be such a huge player as it is now just 2 years ago. The other is the community, everyone is always learning and happy to point you in the right direction if you ever come up against a problem, very supportive, no egos!”
Theodore O’Mahony
“Being a part of the creative field surrounded by wild creative minds has always felt like home.”
Katharine Adams
“The people - definitely some of the most talented, creative, intelligent folks I’ve ever known.”
Colleen Moore
“One of the most exhilarating aspects of being part of the fashion industry is that it's never boring. Trends constantly cycle through, but each resurgence brings a fresh, more fashionable twist. It's captivating to witness how designers reinterpret classics and innovate with new materials and styles. What I particularly appreciate is how the industry is becoming more inclusive, embracing all body types and ethnicities. It's inspiring to see fashion evolve towards a more human-centric approach, celebrating diversity and individuality. Surrounding myself daily with such beauty and creativity is truly uplifting—it's like being immersed in a world where every detail is designed to inspire and delight.”
Valentina Milicic
“Seeing the finished product out in the world”
Duncan Robinson
“The moments when visual production feels more like magic than anything else. I think everyone in the industry has had those moments where they had to remind themselves that this is what they do for a living. Those moments when you are working on a project that is so cool, or coming together so well, or that's just been super fun and fulfilling to work on, and you get a wave of gratitude that you do this for a living. For me, this most often happens when I am collaborating with other crazy talented people, but it can really happen anytime.”
Conor Moriarty
“It's really the creative problem solving and combining the creative nature of photography with the structure of running an operation. It's interesting when you find new ways to marry the two together.”
Don Reed
“Meeting people. My favorite part of the industry is working with so many fantastic human beings that not only make you look better at your job because of the collaboration, but because you get to spend time with some of the most genuine, thoughtful and brilliant people.”
Richard Carl
“The work, the people and being a part of a diverse international community”
Conrad Sanderson
“Being part of something creative, and watching how the team work together every day.”
Chloe Price