Darkrooms Uncovered - Susanne Helmert

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 have any specific rituals or habits when it comes to photography. Most of it happens while I’m out walking - in my neighborhood or other familiar (and unfamiliar) places. I simply walk and stay open to what catches my attention. I suppose that in itself might be my ritual: moving through the world with a heightened awareness, camera in hand, ready to notice whatever reveals itself.

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

Writing helps me a lot. When I reflect on the challenges I’m facing or the roadblocks in my way, things start to shift. Just putting it all down on paper often makes the source of the blockage feel clearer. Walking also works wonders for me. I get some of my best ideas when I’m out on a walk. When the body is in motion, it seems to loosen the mind, too. And then there’s the simple act of looking at a good photobook. It is always a reliable way to find inspiration and motivation.

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

In 2016, I attended a five-day mixed-media workshop in Canada. One of the elements of the workshop was to explore our creative process on a deeper level, to understand the forces that drive it and the different meanings behind why we make art. That experience helped me understand why I kept returning to certain subjects in my art and photography. It gave shape to instincts I hadn’t fully articulated before.

What recurring themes or elements do you find yourself naturally drawn to capture?

One overarching theme I return to in my work is the passage of time. There are countless facets to it, and I’m drawn to how it reveals itself in the most ordinary objects. That quiet, everyday evidence of transience holds a certain appeal for me. In exploring it, I find a kind of peace with the idea that I, too, will one day be just a piece of the past. Nothing stays the same. In fact, everything eventually will become nothing but a memory.

What non-photographic influences (books, music, films, etc.) most impact your work?

Mmmh. This is a good question. Nature is probably one of the biggest inspirations for me. But more often, it’s the smaller, less obvious things that leave the deepest impression on my work: my own well-being, a good book, a visit to the museum, a conversation with a friend. Moments that stir something in me, that make me feel or reflect. Those quiet influences often have the most lasting impact.

What photograph of yours feels most personally revealing, and why?

I am cheating a little bit to answer this question because the photo was actually taken by my husband, but it encapsulates many things I value: walking alongside my dog, enjoying nature—preferably in a quiet place like this lonely beach in Northern Denmark—with a camera over my shoulder in case something catches my eye. All these things are crucial to my well-being and invaluable to me.

Find out more about Susanne Helmert

Website: susannehelmert.com

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