When I started the #luluphotoaday for January, my main purpose was to shoot more pictures this year and to do it with intention. Here on day 20 of the daily challenge, I have found I enjoy the process of creating a daily image a lot in community. If you are not participating in the challenge, it is not too late to start. Check out the hashtag on Instagram and join in.
I am not taking a picture just for the sake of uploading and getting likes on my various social channels. Instead, I am doing this because I needed to start over. I needed to remember what brought me to photography in the first place. The past 20 days have forced me to evaluate the way I see my day, my life and the experiences I decide to have. I have started drawing again…like with pencils and pens and ink. That kind of art takes me back to my base. I sometimes struggle with drawing when all I have been doing is taking photos. So, it has become necessary for me to make drawing a part of my daily creative practice.
You see, you get instant gratification with digital cameras. If you like the picture you took, you keep it and share it and you might even print your picture out. If you draw it, you have to wait until you are done to see the final image. I don’t draw that often with a pencil because it is too easy to get rid of the mistakes. Kind of like digital photography, it is easy to delete an image and never see the “mistakes” as opportunities to learn something.
Taking a picture everyday and choosing to not do much editing has helped me see better. I read the photo prompt early in the day and I spend the rest of the day searching for the picture I want to create. Some days, it is easy and others it has been a challenge. So much so, I thought I might miss a day on my own photo challenge. Then I remembered, if I miss a day, it is no big deal. I can start tomorrow. I can start over and see again.
Very nice! It’s great that you are doing this for yourself. This really stuck out to me:
“Then I remembered, if I miss a day, it is no big deal. I can start tomorrow. I can start over and see again.”
Love it
Thanks, Shelly! I often tell others to not worry about missing out or being behind with photo challenges, yet, I don’t take my own advice. Isn’t the whole point suppose to be we learn and grow? At least, I hope it is. And, I am glad I am enjoying the process again.
This made me smile. For the first time EVER i’m doing project 365. It’s actually fun now because I don’t feel pressured, but I’m doing it in my own way lol.
That is exactly it, Adrienne. No pressure and enjoying the process. I have enjoyed sharing my work and using the prompts to help me do something new. It has been wonderful seeing others do it, too. What is the point of any project if it makes you feel bad or guilty for not doing things the way someone else does? Best of luck in your experience this year.