Photographer Ryan Muirhead Talks Depression, Creativity, and What It Means to Be Human
Ryan Trimble/This Is Imperfect: What would you say to the person who is just starting on a creative endeavor? Or what would you say to the person who maybe feels hopeless or lost that wants to explore creative work but doesn't know where to start?
Ryan Muirhead: I would point out that creative endeavors are not start-stop endeavors. It’s a lifestyle. And that’s the only way it can be. With photography, I don’t think, “I’m gonna go take a picture today.” I’m asking myself all the time, "What do you see? How would you tell this? How would you say this differently? What could you say with one image about where you're at right now?" And I’m doing that nonstop, even when I'm not shooting. I can't stop. It’s a perspective shift.
RM: For example, its not like great authors or philosophers were normal and then they would do their philosophizing. They were seeing the world differently. And not because of ability, but by intent. Great art asks great questions, but it also causes the artist to ask great questions of him or herself. Why are you depressed? Why does creativity seem like a great idea? Who are you really? What are you afraid of? What do you hope for? That stuff's fucking scary. But until you start asking those questions and putting it back into your work, then you're just taking pictures of flowers or just learning how the camera works or wishing you had better oil paints or more expensive canvas or that big zoom lens or the newest Nikon camera.
RM: In the end, it's about honesty. It's about the willingness to face really, really shitty questions about yourself and not lie. Maybe you don’t start out being honest to the entire world, but at least don't lie to yourself. And that is so hard. That’s the journey. That’s why it turns into a lifelong thing. That’s where good art comes from, and if you're gonna do that, it's gonna set you on a completely different path.
