Darkrooms Uncovered - Alain Astruc

A peek into a photographer's mental creative darkroom

What does your creative ritual look like? Do you have specific habits or conditions that spark your creativity?

I don’t really have a creative ritual. What I do have is a highly cyclical energy. When my level of attention is high, I can create instantly, it flows without effort. But when that energy is low, nothing works, and I don’t try to force it. I’ve learned to observe these shifts and work with them rather than against them. For me, creativity is not about discipline or repetition, but about listening to my internal rhythm.

When you're feeling creatively blocked, what's your go-to method for breaking through?

I never really experience creative block. Either I’m in good shape and everything flows without resistance, or I’m too drained to do anything, and then it’s not a block, it’s exhaustion. I’ve learned not to fight it. When the energy returns, so does the creativity, instantly.

Describe a moment when your creative perspective shifted dramatically. What triggered it?

It happens all…