Sunday, April 17, 2011

Remember that cool project that time?

After last week's class I was feeling more motivated to attempt to make something for myself again. I wasn't sure what but I knew that I wanted to try something. And I thought that I shouldn't just make something just to make something. So when Beth gave us this assignment and told us to create something memorable, I kind of got a little nervous. After everything I had talked about in my previous blog and in class, I was a little nervous that I wouldn't be able to create something memorable to me or to the class.

This week, was a bit more stressful than I wanted it to be with schoolwork and getting scheduled 5 days at work. When I get stressed, I try my hardest to make time to go running. When I go running, I get a solid 30 minutes or so where I don't have to think about anything that's stressing me out with school or work or anything else in my life. I get to just focus on running and let my mind take it's own course. That's my wellspring of creativity. The best ideas that I have for projects for school or for myself have usually always come to me when I've made that time for myself to go running. This week when I was running, I had an idea that led me to this project that I'm going to be creating for this assignment.

What I've really missed most is taking pictures. I took a photography class earlier this year and I loved it so much. I learned so much about my camera and about photography in general and had so much fun. But this semester has made it near impossible for me to find the time to go out and take a few hours to take pictures like I want to. So while I was running, I had an idea for a picture I'd like to take and I thought about how I'd like to do that for this project and how it would relate to my wellspring being running and all. And yes, it would be a good picture and it would be memorable to me. But it would a one time thing and I would get an assignment out of the way. It would also get one creative burst out of my system and then what?

I have a friend who started doing a 365 project 148 days ago and she has been sticking to it. Like me, photography is a hobby for her, although she takes it a bit more seriously. She does self-portraits and even though she doesn't always feel up to it, she still manages to get a really beautiful photograph taken every day. When she started doing this, I was really inspired and wanted to do something like this, but was very intimated by the idea of trying to take a creative photograph every day for a year. Not to mention with my schedule how in the world would I have the time to do something like that?

Then this assignment came along. My friend updated her facebook page with her latest pictures around the time I was still coming up with my idea for this project and then all of a sudden this idea and courage finally hit me. Why not just go ahead and finally start my own 365 project? Every time I see her pictures, I'm always wanting to do exactly what she's doing. So why not do it? This assignment is just the motivation and kick in the ass I need to do it. A 365 project isn't the most original idea but the photographs will be. They will be my own and they will be what I need to help me find my creative spark again. If it's one small creative spark a day, that's all I need.


I'm excited and scared to be starting this project. I'm excited to see what photographs I'll be taking and all the new things I'm going to be learning about my camera and myself as a photographer and a creator. I'm scared that I won't be able to finish this project and that I will lose my passion for photography throughout the making of this project.  But I won't know unless I try.

So with that said, I bet you are wondering where is my first picture. Well, I figured it would be best if I actually started my 365 on April 18, 2011. I will take my first picture then and post it in another blog entry. :)

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