VISION CHECK // LITERALLY

HOW TO FIND & MAINTAIN YOUR CREATIVE VISION

INTRO // EYES

This June, I decided to check my vision. The last time I did it was 3 years ago, plus I also needed the optical lenses for my new frames, so I thought it was time.

The whole experience felt almost mystic: I was sitting in a dark room with a soft light coming from a distant white screen, on it: 11 rows, 5 letters each. The black leather chair felt medical, yet different. Posters, lenses, shiny metal tools, flashlights and black boxes - all this reminded me of a film development studio rather than a clinic.

Pictures from the optics visit, middle pic - the frames I needed lenses for.

The optometrist was a very pleasant lady; she wore a pastel-pink sleeveless floral blouse and a floral perfume. She leaned towards me, switching the lenses in her machine, and asked, “Do you have any concerns about your vision?”. “No,” I replied.
She followed with “Any blurs, blind spots or anything you’re bothered with?”. “No…” I said. “I see,” she said, smiling.

I get it - not many people check their vision regularly. For me, the way of seeing is my main instrument, my sharpest tool, and my precious gift. And I am paying $150 (with no insurance - freelance, baby) to confirm that my vision is clear and up to date.

Why do I emphasize this so much?

Look, we perceive certain information (especially visual) in our own way. Then, no matter whether we liked the information or not, our brain subconsciously brings up already-seen, familiar patterns when we create. Thus, whatever we saw, we recreate.

This metaphors-heavy text explores how we, as creatives, can:
// check our vision // develop it // and make sure it stays sharp // Let’s dig in.

Updated my LinkedIn banner, inspired by the Snellen chart for the vision check

STEP 1 // VISION CHECK

— what blurs, limits, or obscures our vision? // digital & non-digital vision-polluters

tactic_1: change your surroundings, get rid of anything that triggers a visual poverty // bad lighting in the apartment // ugly designs on product packaging // worn-out clothes // walls painted in a questionable colour — out! (as far as you can take it).

tactic_2: reducing digital clutter to a minimum.
for me, that was a massive unfollow ritual on IG - from 1600 to 700. The filter rule: any content that I would not be willing to recreate myself. It felt radical towards my friends’ pet accounts, old enemies, and some local businesses, but it really paid off

Digital & non-digital vision-declutering.

STEP 2 // LENS FITTING

— external tools that help us see better

same as in the optometrist cabinet, I had to decide - contacts or glasses?… or both? The truth is: we might try a bit of every form of arts // tools // techniques // until we find the best fit.

I tried cameras, film and digital, shooting on my phone, street photography and video editing, sewing and sketching, illustration and graphic design… does all of it make me a brilliant multimedia artist? -no. Does knowledge in each of these fields help me express my creativity? ABSOLUTELY!!!

Trying is time invested, not wasted.
Normalize seeing it that way.*

*(pun very much intended.)

Different tools and hobbies helped to develop my creative vision.

STEP 3 // VISUAL MUSCUL TRAINING

— a way to your subconscious creator // brain-train tricks

whoever met me in the afternoon knows I have an alarm set at exactly 12 pm to do my eye exercises. It’s been ringing every day for the past 2 years, and I love this lil ritual.

Same with the creative vision, to improve it, we have to train it, aka // see //, aka // get inspired // regularly. In my case, it is:

// 30+ Pinterest boards, almost 10K pins, and still pinning - all boards are curated with love, and they help me greatly when I need quick vibe references for my clients.

// 50+ galleries visited worldwide, and still go to any exhibition in our small town-eh.

// 200+ movies watched and re-watched, screenshotted, frames analyzed, parsed into quotes, and stored with care in separate folders on my laptop.

// 500+ posts saved across platforms, from various artists and creators I admire.

// 1000+ visual references of text placements, visual edits, reels hooks, fonts and colour combos, ads to rectrate, or god-know-what-else, buried in my phone screenshots folder (that I hate cleaning but truly love revisiting).

Collections of my visual references in different formats.

And if this doesn’t sound very exceptional or novel to you (ha//ha//ha), I’ll share a little secret. For the past 2 years, I've heard that I’m visually talented every week of my life. I quietly nod, warmly appreciate, and politely thank. And then I go and review my visual references.

Sooo when was the last time you had your vision check?

Love,

Ana