This month marks the third month of the eighth year of my 365 project. That means that as of yesterday, I've contributed to this project every day for the past 2,620 days. Not to brag, but wow! I think now is a perfect time to reflect on what I've done. It's also time to think about what it will take to evolve this open-ended process.
The best thing about the project is that even on my least creative days, I'm always responsible for creating something. It keeps me connected with something that motivates me. It's also great exercise for my brain. Plus, it's helped my memory. On the other hand, I'm finding that like with anything else in life, repetition can create a rut. This year's theme is somewhat open-ended, but I try to make sure each photo contains a story about that day. The problem is that as I look back over the past year or so, I think I've stagnated creatively. There are very few images from over the past 12-15 months that I'm really proud of. The project has become so habitual that I can't stop, so I need to figure out how to move things forward.
So, is it a matter of getting out of my comfort zone, like in 2012? I chose to focus on people and faces. It was a huge challenge, but very rewarding. Is it a matter of changing my routine? If I'm seeing the same things every day, it gets harder to see new things. Maybe I need to look at things more thoughtfully? If you're reading this and have your own thoughts, I'd love to hear them through comments below, or via email. Thanks!
Note: If you've been following this blog, you've noticed that I no longer post my 365 photos here, and removed the posts from past years. I feel that Instagram and flickr are better channels for this, and I'm using this blog as a way to dive deeper into the stories behind the photos.