You know that feeling when something is tugging at your heart but you try to ignore it?
An idea pops up that you’ve never had before–maybe you know what triggered it, maybe not–and you think, “Hmmm…that would be cool to do some day. Maybe I’ll try it when I have more time.”
You push the thought away since “more time” isn’t anywhere in sight. But the idea keeps coming back, poking you in the arm and whispering, “Pay attention to me. I’m not going to leave you alone.”
That’s how it was for me when I saw my friend James’ photos in 2013. He was sharing his 365Project.org photo-a-day images with his Facebook friends. I was drawn in by the creativity and craft of his work, which got better and better as the year progressed.
But James already knew a lot about photography when he started his project (he downplays his expertise, but I have trouble buying that). I had taken a lot of travel and soccer photos over the years, but had only used the automatic settings on my camera.
Even more daunting than my lack of photography knowledge was the fact that I had already set myself the goal of completing my book in 2014, which would require daily writing on top of the rest of life’s obligations. And I wasn’t willing to give up other activities that have become essential to my overall wellness (daily meditation, exercise, and sufficient sleep).
Adding the 365 challenge–not just taking a picture every day of the year, but creating something that I deemed good enough for the world to see–felt frightening and overwhelming.
“Yup. That’s just why you should try it,” the Universe answered back.
And so I did.
Here’s what I learned in the process:
- Presence is the photographer’s best friend. If you’re lost in thoughts about the past or the future, you’ll miss the opportunity right in front of you.
- Connect with others who inspire you (going it alone is limiting).
- Train yourself to be still. In much the same way that mental stillness brings clarity of thought, physical stillness (my own and the camera’s) brings clarity to my photographs. My tripod has become as important a tool to me as my meditation bench.
- Light is fleeting — take action now. The colors of a sunset will change in an instant. The slant of light that adds soul to your subject may fade in the blink of an eye.
- Find beauty in what’s available in the present moment, letting go of the expectation that there will always be something better out there.
- Stay alert and be prepared for surprises (just in case something better DOES show up). A few times, my best photo of the day was taken after I had posted my 365 shot. If my camera hadn’t been within reach, I wouldn’t have captured this image when two bluebirds alighted on the birdhouse just outside my kitchen window.
- Approach your subject from many different angles.
- If you think there is nothing to admire, you’re not looking closely enough.
- Keep your eyes open (and off your phone screen).
- Put a border around your goal to keep the project manageable and reduce overwhelm. I didn’t start 365 with any theme in mind, but after seeing the benefits that a structured topic can provide (whether via illustrating song lyrics, or working your way through the alphabet, or targeting a specific color for a week or a month at a time), my project evolved organically to parallel my book themes (gardening, mindfulness, and transformation).
- There is magic in the mundane.
- Take a class. My friend Amy and I took a 3-day class on macro photography in the spring that fueled my project for the rest of the year.
- A kind word about your craft from others is empowering and deeply motivating (thank you social media friends!).
- Be OK with good enough. Without fail, when I posted a photo I wasn’t completely happy with, somebody else would find something of value in it–a pleasing detail I had overlooked, a memory evoked, or an interesting fact about my subject.
- Rainy, misty days offer up their own rewards. As the flashy blossoms in my garden started to wane in the fall, I found myself wishing for precipitation to add some sparkle.
- Form and detail trumps surface color.
- When we’re following our purpose, the Universe drops gifts in our laps. During my alphabet series (June 2-27, 2014), I had about five minutes to find a “V” shot. I ran into the garden, focused my lens, and found a whole collection of V’s in this variegated leaf.
- Chickadees are hard to photograph, but worth the effort.
- Meditation and core body strength are useful photography tools.
- Daily practice (of photography or any other endeavor) may not make perfect, but it certainly makes us better.
- Don’t be afraid of the dark.
- The early bird catches the sunrise.
- Creating and sharing something beautiful, or at least interesting, every day has been more rewarding than I could ever have imagined.
- As in every other goal we set for ourselves, just showing up is the secret ingredient to getting the job done. Some days that entails dragging your tripod out into the dark if you’ve been too busy while the sun was up (or if you forgot that days get shorter quickly in December).
- The Universe loves to create, and uses us as its paint brush.
If you’d like to see the rest of my 365 Project photos (which include a lot of bad shots — especially in the early days), you can find my album here.
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Bill Aapblasa says
There are so many pearls of wisdom here Martha. In fact, if you took #’s 7, 8, 11, 21 and 25…you would have the perfect recipe for an awakened and happy life. I have loved your 365 day project from day one. In fact, you have so inspired me that I have started my own 365 day project, only I’m going to do it with my iPhone. I know. Blasphemy. But, like all you photographers say…the best camera is the one you have with you. And I’ve always been a fan of turning my limitations into strengths. That’s how I’ve lived my entire creative and business life. So, it should be fun. And I thank you for the inspiration.
Martha says
So psyched you’ll be taking a photo a day this year, Bill! And don’t downplay that iPhone. I have been amazed at the iPhone images I’ve seen since following other photographers this year. Did you know you can get a macro lens for your phone? A G+ friend takes the craziest macros of moss with hers — you have no idea what magic is hiding in moss! Looking forward to seeing your images and the rest of your creative endeavors (hopefully more posts from The Other 999 Rooms!). Thank you, my friend, for your never-ending support, inspiration, and motivation. xxoo Martha
MaryBeth Kelly says
I am so happy to be able now to look at the whole 365. I was most interested to read this entry, to see how you would gather your mindfulness of this project, although your individual comments for each photo I saw are certainly a reward in themselves. I was so pleased to see you meld the verbal language of your experience with the visual language. What a year, Marthanow. It has been a pleasing experience for me too.
Martha says
What a treat to connect with your here, Mary Beth. I can’t thank you enough for all of the support you’ve provided over on Facebook (remember the lesson about the power of a kind word??). Since you’ve seen the whole project, you can appreciate just how far down on the learning curve I started. The climb has been a fun adventure. Thanks for joining me for the latter part of it!! Hugs and Happy New Year to you! xxoo Martha
Susie says
Thankyou for sharing this. I have just started the 365 project alongside a daily wordless blog, I hope I can end the year as positively as you. Informative and inspirational!
Thanks,
Susie
Martha says
Thanks so much for stopping by, Susie, and for the kind words. Congratulations on starting your 365 Project! I’m sure you’ll find it as impactful as I did. Enjoy the journey! Happy New Year as well – it’s sure to be an awesome year for you. ~ Martha
Hankbird says
Martha- I am a friend of James’ too – he inspired me to try the 365 project last year. I didn’t “complete” but am still working at it. I love your photos and love this post!
Martha says
Lovely to hear from you, Hankbird, and lucky you to be a friend of James’! Thanks for the kind words on the photos and post. I’ve had great fun with the project. Glad you’re still working at it — each of us go in with different objectives, and I don’t believe it’s ever “complete.” 365 changes the way you look at the world, even on the days you’re not shooting (today, in fact, is the first day I didn’t take a picture in 371 days and I just don’t feel like myself). Good luck to you! And Happy New Year! ~ Martha
Debbie Stott says
Martha, thank you for this heartfelt and insightful post about your 365 project. I have just finished my 1st year on 365 too and all of your thoughts resonate with me but particularly 10, 11, 14 , 20 and 23.
I could not have finished my year without the realisation that I needed a theme each month to keep me on the straight and narrow. The months when I had no theme, I struggled. I have certainly learnt to see everything around me and even the mundane offers so much to photograph.
Martha says
Congratulations on finishing, Debbie! Feels amazing, doesn’t it? It’s a fascinating combination of discipline and creativity (even on days when we’re sure we don’t have it in us) that goes in to completing the project. Though I’m not continuing in an official sense, I will still take photos most days, since it’s become one of the things that makes me feel like “me”. And I’m sure I’ll still be using themes from time to time, which is just plain fun. Thanks for the comment, and good luck to you with your photography going forward! :-) ~ Martha