I'm luckier than most.

During the lockdown I can't travel far as I'm limited by the daily outside exercise rules. But I am on the Isle of Skye so there are plenty of "target rich areas" for photography on my doorstep.

As spring trundles into existence, the daily changes in the flora and fauna are engaging and enticing. The days get longer. New bird species drop in. Others depart on their way north. The trees green and flowers emerge from everywhere.

I know there are amazing sunsets to be had from north-facing coasts, but I can't get to them. I know the mountains are stunning right now, but I can't get to them either. But there is plenty to be thankful for in the meantime, and the mountains and sun will be there tomorrow, or next week, or next year.

So the focus of my photography changes to something more introspective and creative. Less about the big landscape, and more about shapes, shades and colours. Smaller things that wouldn't previously have caught my attention now draw me in. Larger scenes that are transformed when the light disappears become more interesting.

It seems I had been using the constant need for the stimulation of new locations as a crutch to hide a significant a lack of creativity. It's always easy to get excited when you go to a new place. So much to see, so much to explore. The shiny new thing lures you in.

My addiction to newness has been killing my creativity.

Being forced to stay in one place, I felt I was on an upward curve of increasing frustration, followed by a sort of resigned annoyance. But towards the end of week 3 there's a feeling of intrigue and interest that I felt building up. I see so much creativity online, I must be able to do more myself. What's stopping me? People are creating amazing art in their kitchens, so I should be able to get a bit more innovative down in the bay at the end of my garden.

In the last week or two the creative juices have started flowing. I've been seeking colours, shapes and lines much more vigorously. Things I have previously dismissed become the subject of much interest. How can an image be made from a weird shape? Can I get my eyes to see in 2-dimensions to find a composition, rather than 3 dimensions and miss it completely?

It has been a very interesting and rewarding process. The temptation to go to a different place is always so strong. Now we don't have to resist the temptation - we are forced to stay put. And this is when you realise that there's so much to see where you are. In the last 2 weeks I've learned that patience and observation had dropped away from my life too much, replaced by the urgent need to go somewhere new. Fuelled by the catalyst of online "newness", the urge to refresh the page, check the feed, always be flicking from one thing to the next and never dwelling.

Now is the time to dwell, to contemplate, and to take your time.