30-Day Inspiration Challenge
- Amy York
- Aug 25, 2014
- 3 min read
It’s nearing the end of summer. The garden is a late-season chaotic jungle of vegetables, flowers, and crab grass. Yes, crab grass. The damn stuff is growing faster then I can keep up with!
Weeding aside, there is little left for me to exercise my creativity with, and let’s be honest, weeding doesn't open many doors to the creative universe.
It’s this time of year that I always find myself struggling for renewal. Magazines, books, music, blogs, bird watching, endless cups of coffee … these are my go-to recharging tools, but it’s hard for me to adjust to a slower pace after the high gear I’ve been in for months with all the garden buzz and whatnot. Instead of rushing home to spend hours in the yard, now when I get home all there is to do is harvest what’s ripened during the day, yank on some crab grass, and watch as the insects and birds play in the space I worked so hard all spring creating.
That’s just the thing—I’m not creating anylonger. The garden has grown into the patterns and pallets I planned while the ground was still dethawing. And, the extrovert in me has never excelled at pausing to smell the flowers.
The afterwards of the creation process, post-creation if you will, is only satisfying for an instant before I’m overtaken with planning the next Big Thing. What is my next Big Thing? What can I create next?
I'm fidgety for something completely opposite from what I do day-in and day-out to pay the bills. I need something to work on that will spill inspiration into my daily creative roles in a subconscious, gentle way. Something different. Something hands-on.
Last year, I set out to refinish some old furniture after the garden was destined to be what it was. If I had a workshop I would probably be gearing up to knock out a few more pieces this fall. However, space is something I don’t have in abundance, and although I love working with wood almost as much as I enjoy playing in the soil, I’m trying to get involved with a project that won’t disrupt my flow of daily living with moved furniture resulting in clustered detours.
Before I started tackling the pile of job jackets stacked on my desk this morning, I did a quick Google search for 30-day creative challenges. They say it takes 30-days to break a habit, make a change, adjust to new surroundings, etc. And, I guess I'm looking for more than just a new creative project—I'm looking for something that will stimulate me, create a lasting change.
Holy blog sites did I find!
Here’s the one that got me thinking. Typo’s aside, this article offers a lot of great ideas. Not earth shattering, crazy ideas you’ve never thought of yourself, but realistic challenges that are worthy of renewed consideration.
Since I have a healthy appetite for photography and competing with my boss (aka, Scott Medina; aka Lord and Master, aka larock56), I’m going to attempt #3 and see where it leads me—where it leads us.
Turns out, I'm not the only one around the office hungry for a creative challenge. I shared the article on our Facebook marketing page and it seems there are several of us more than willing to invest 30 days testing our creative juices.
We're calling it the #30dayphotochallenge
The Rules:
From August 26–September 26 we have to capture something that inspires us everyday.
Images must be posted on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #30dayphotochallenge. Facebook, Pinterest, and any other social media platform we may frequent are optional.
Old images are forbidden. All images must be taken on the day of posting.
Friends and followers are encouraged to like, share, and join in to the challege.
Should there be more rules? I guess we'll see as as we go.
Let the photo challenge begin!
Comments