A 365 Project is a project that you commit to doing every day for one year (365 days in a year). These have been around for a very long time and can be done in a variety of mediums or aspects of life, not just photography. Some of the things people have done include: a photo a day, a new recipe, a poem, painting or drawing a day. Within photography there are many options: just a photo a day, or a daily photo using a specific style (like mine, details below), using the early bird filter, a self-portrait, a macro shot, the person’s view at a specific time of day/night, or many other ideas. Mine is based upon a specific style, using a specific app and type of photo that I take. You can view my project on Instagram at #cw365a to get an idea of what it might be like.
When you first start out its easy because its a new idea, but then you reach a point where you have done all of the obvious shots within your project’s scheme. This is when you really start to develop your creativity because you are forced to think outside of the obvious to really start to find new and interesting images. Its also difficult to find that creativity every day, but if you push through it and make yourself do it, in the long-term it builds your creative strength. (Its also kind of therapeutic!)
Note that doing a 365 doesn’t mean you can’t still do other challenges. Once I got into the rhythm of doing my 365 it started taking less than 5 minutes a day (I can do it in 60 seconds if I have to now).
Think about what you might want to do for a 365 Project. What would it be? Photography? Drawing? Painting? Writing? Blogging? If you decide on photography, posting it daily here on IG helps keep you on track because you know that your followers are watching and expecting to see that latest image. (If you do miss a day, its like a diet or workout routine: don’t beat yourself up about it, just make sure to get back on track the next day.)
Now think about the parameters of your project? If photography. are you limiting yourself to a specific subject (yourself, your child, kitchen objects, etc), a specific time of day (when you wake, 9am, noon, 5pm, midnight…), a style (macro, black and white, using a specific editing tool/app, etc)? Once you have it figured out, WRITE IT DOWN! If you're an Instagram user, use a text app (like Tweegram - it's free) to make a photo of that statement and post it to IG. Use the tags below and “sign” the 365 Project Roll Call posting on IG (my user: @Wiren_Challenges).
You have until the end of the day (whatever time you go to bed for the day) 1 January 2012 to decide to start this (because you have to do your first photo by then).
If you do decide to do a 365 Project, I highly recommend the iPhone app “Project 365”. There is a free version, but its definitely worth the 99¢ (I think that's what it was) for the full version because that allows you so upload to your own webpage you can share with others, but it also offers you the ability to back up your daily image, along with your comments, so that if you ever accidentally lose the app (like if you have to restore your iPhone) you don’t lose the organization of which photos are for which days (I did that early on, it wasn’t fun re-doing it, plus I lost all my comments.)
Good Luck!!!
And Happy New Year!!!
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