It was this time last year and I was feeling really confident that I could complete the task. I am sure many people that are 30 days into their own 365 Project are feeling the same way.
If you are not aware what a 365 Project is, please allow me to explain. You pick a day to start, most start on the 1st of the year. Then you take a photograph every day for the entire year and post them. The motivation for attempting this type of project varies by photographer. In my case, I wanted to grow creatively and technically and the best way to do this for me was this type of project. Most people start a blog or post on some social site to share their year long adventure. I did all of this last year. I did this last year, which meant I had 366 days since it was a leap year.
So back to the folks with an active project this year feeling confident. First, don’t give up. It will occur to you that giving up would be okay. The thought crossed my mind at least once a week, sometimes more depending on the week or the month. DON'T! It was an amazing feeling at the end of last year knowing I had just accomplished this task. It sounds so easy to do but the year is REALLY long. Here are a few tips I suggest to get you through it that I did, and a few things that I learned from others that had completed their own 365 Project.
1. As hard as it is sometimes, try to plan out your week or month in advance and stick to it the best you can. Pick themes, like colors, abstracts, or single lens week to name a few.
2. Invite a fellow photographer to submit a photo in addition to your photo for a day. For example, plan a day to stick to a theme (e.g. macro) and you post your photo and the guest photo.
3. Plan an alphabet month. The first is “A,” so you take a photo that either starts with or looks like an A. Continue this through the month and you have a month in the books.
4. Look at other photos a lot! I was inspired by fellow photographer and often relied on this tip when I was in a creative funk.
5. Have fun, learn new techniques, and don’t let anyone else dictate what you photograph! It is your project and your experience.
I recently reviewed my project from last year and I can still remember each day, what was happening, and why I took the photo I did. It was an amazing journey for me and has a major impact on my approach to photography.
These were some of my keys to have a successful year. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments and links to your projects (past or present).
