Black and white rarely appeals to me.
But if I’m going to make this daily blogging stuff a thing, why not try another experiment? Something I rarely do?
We’re going all monochrome.
Call it another challenge. Color photography appeals to me. I respect black and white photography, especially using the magic of film. But I see the world in color, literally and artistically.
So let’s switch it up, just for fun. Nothing but monochrome.
Give me a month, and a new idea, and I’ll make a project out of it.
Quitting coffee for a month? Done that. Quitting alcohol for a month? Done that (in January). Doing Lent, even though I’m not Catholic? Done that. Drive cross country a few times? Check!
I’ve done the workout thing, the running thing, the daily photo project thing, the portrait project thing, tried the vegetarian thing, a few documentary things.
A lot of my inspiration comes from Benjamin Franklin, who challenged himself with all kinds of fun personal projects. And because the idea of learning new things and applying what I’ve learned is immensely gratifying.
By pushing up against your limits, even if those are just perceived limits, can help you figure out more about yourself.
Can you quit meat/coffee/alcohol? What does that mean for the rest of your life? Does it makes things better, overall, or worse? What did you learn by doing that? Etc.
Here lately, I’ve had a few more personal projects in mind:
The good part is, these are all small things to try. If I fail, I’m not losing anything (except, perhaps, a bit of fitness).
But if I succeed, maybe it will make life a tiny bit better.
CJ Chilvers, (of @alesserphotographer) through Seth Godin, writes about the benefits of the daily blog post. That appeals to me.
I used to maintain an (almost) daily blog about a subject I was passionate about. It did well, and was a lot of fun for that period of my life.
For this stage, I’m focusing my blogging efforts on photography. I try to share a photo (or two) every day, and a longer, more thoughtful series on Wednesday evenings.
What can I say? I like routines.
Sometimes that breaks down on weekends, and on holidays, or when I leave for vacation. But for the most part: a photo a day.
What if I didn’t just share a photo, but also shared…something else? Some bit of insight, how-to, or project every single day? Could I do it?
Chilvers’ insistence on the daily blogging stuff appeals to me. I like to write. I like to share. And I like little projects and personal challenges. Plus, I’ve been looking for a project to start on the first day of summer this year.
Maybe this is it.
