The Daring Adventure of Art – David duChemin – Ep 93

When was the last time walking into your studio felt like an adventure? Are you busy charting unknown territories in the land of creativity? Or are you trudging the same old paths on your canvas, hoping a breakthrough magically appears? Meet David duChemin! He’s a ​​world and humanitarian assignment photographer, best-selling author, digital publisher, podcaster, and international workshop leader. His breathtaking photos make you feel like you’re actually hanging out in the forest with wild bears, but it’s not just because he’s an incredible photographer. It’s something deeper. Join us for an engaging conversation around adventure, creativity, challenge, and growth that I trust will inspire you wherever you are on the art-making journey.

Listen if you are interested in…

• Understanding the relationship between creativity, adventure, and risk [1:41]
• David’s life and death experiences [10:20]
• David’s “come from” and the power of experience [15:08]
• The wonderful world of difference and juxtaposition [23:37]
• The synergy of challenge and flow [30:23]
• How writing and photography fuel David’s creative growth [41:14]
• The road ahead for David [48:38]

Embrace uncertainty

When exploring the relationship between creativity and adventure, David sees them as one and the same. He points out that artists like to think of creativity as our sole domain, but in reality, it’s the domain of anyone that needs to approach a problem from a different angle to figure it out. Anyone can tap into creativity. And no one has an adventure by traveling down the same path everyone else has walked. As David said, it’s not an adventure unless something goes wrong. We have to learn to let go of uncertainty and embrace it as the catalyst for our creativity. Don’t let the fear of what COULD happen keep you from the success of what will happen if you just trust yourself.

Visceral photography

Recognizing the importance of our “come from” when we make art has been a huge driver for Art2Life and my personal growth as an artist. So it was especially refreshing to hear that David takes the same approach with his photography. He notes that there are photographs of something, which is the subject matter. And then there are photographs that are ABOUT something. Themes, ideas, and emotions feel like the real subject matter for David as he tries to shoot what it feels like instead of what it is. That’s why he sums up the goal of his work as “intimate encounters”. He wants to give his audience the ability to share in the once-in-lifetime experiences he embarks on to produce these photographs. Not just visually but viscerally.

Be fascinated

As an artist, you need to know what fascinates you. Our world is a big place. You could make everything your subject. However, there’s an opportunity in going deeper and focusing on fewer things to really know what lights you up inside. To know what is really YOU. David believes this is where our voice comes from. It’s knowing your preferences, knowing what works, ignoring what everyone else is doing, and just focusing on the handful (maybe less) of things that fascinate you. For David, that is a fascination with juxtaposition and difference. But for you, it could be ANYTHING! The art is only as good as the artist, so take some time to figure yourself out before figuring out what to make next. Better yet, just start making something and learn as you go.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Author)

Connect with David duChemin

• Visit David’s website 
• Check out David’s podcast 
• Follow David on Instagram 
• Buy David’s Books and eBooks   

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