My first post about our 365 project

I am going to embrace this year, and put myself in the way of beauty. I'm going to document my days, and find my calm. I'm attempting a 365 that's more of a count down to my 50th birthday. I've never succeeded with a 365, but I am hoping this project will be different as the uber talented @chloelodgephotographer is joining me. She is embracing her first year of living in NZ, and together we created the hashtag #herwildandpreciouslife

And, now we have reached the end. It’s been a beautiful, creative, and heartfelt year. I’ve felt a burst of creativity, more than ever before, and I believe it has to do with our project. Today, I am sharing three inspiring tips may help if you are about to embark on your own 365 project.

Embrace the bad photos

When you stand at the end, it's easy to see the highs and lows, the ebbs and flows. It's easy to see where you struggled and where you flourished. However, when you are in the middle, it's easy to judge a photo you don't love as bad. It's easy to feel like you are failing. It's easy to hope you will feel more creative tomorrow. These "bad photos" are the glue, they help you to stay on course. Something is better than nothing, and lots of something add up whereas lots of nothing is still nothing. Embrace the "bad photos" as they are the stepping stones to the good ones. Be gentle to yourself rather than judge. You are quietly nurturing your creativity with a personal project like a 365, and it's not a place for judgement or critique. Enjoy the good and the bad; they are your story.

Play and Be Curious

It's your year, your 365, so play and be curious. Create images you've wanted to try but have let doubt get in the way. Practice techniques that require repetition like freelensing, panning, or double exposures.Play with prisms, or film, or copper rings. Find new apps on your mobile to add flare, or light, or colour. It's a safe place to be creative and find inspiration. Sometimes we get stuck when we feel every image has to be a masterpiece or technically correct. We let our creativity sit on the sideline while the idea of perfection reigns. Let your personal art be imperfect and flawed as it's for you. You grow with curiosity, just like your children, so follow their lead and be curious with your art.

Spark Joy in the Ordinary

I was sitting in the car after the school-run. It was one of those mornings that was filled with lateness and impatience, so I'm staring at nothing as I pause and catch my breath. Slowly my eyes focus on the dapple light that's dancing on the garage door. I take a mobile snapshot as I walk in the door. It's at this moment that I realise the significance of this project. I had found joy in my ordinary. My daily rituals, patterns of our life, the flow of the seasons, the dancing light, pretty shadows. All of these little things that are my ordinary were bringing joy. I was feeling a sense of gratitude for all that I have, and as my 50th birthday approached, I felt happy rather than an irrational fear of being old. I was ready for the next decade, and I felt like I had the answer to the very question that inspired our project.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

When you start your 365 project, ask yourself: "What sparks joy in my ordinary" and use your answers as a guide to begin, and watch as you notice more beauty in your day. The things that you walked past in your busyness will nourish your creativity. Be open and see beauty. It's all there waiting for you to notice.

Pop on over to Chloe’s blog and see 3 lessons from her 365 project.