How To Use The Project 365 Idea List
Posted by Katrina Kennedy on Sep 27, 2011 in 365, Blog, Idea List, Photography | 7 comments
So, you’ve downloaded the 365 Project inspiration list and you are ready to go create some photographs.
What now?
- Do you print it and carry it in your camera bag?
- Do you mark each off as you take them?
- Do you hang it on the refrigerator?
There is no wrong way to use the list. Here are a few things I like to do with it.
I love to have it printed hard copy. I like how tangible and real it becomes then. Perhaps that is indicative of my age, born into the paper culture. Maybe not. I look at it each morning and let it set my focus for the day.
I don’t necessarily seek out the prompt for my photo, but I let it guide my creativity.
Consider the prompt PLAID. I honestly thought there was no plaid in my house. I know there is none in my wardrobe.
In my plaid-less stupor, we left the house the morning of the prompt with PLAID, emblazoned across my thoughts.
And then I began to see it. It popped up at me in the strangest of places.
There was the woman with the plaid purse perched on the chair at Capitol Dog, our local spot for vegan hotdogs. I didn’t photograph it, but I thought about all of the ways I could.
There was the little boy who bounced out of the bounce house with plaid shorts on. Once again, I didn’t photograph him or his shorts, but I thought about ways that I could.
And then I cam home. I’d taken many others shots throughout the day. And from those, one was destined to be my photo of the day. None are plaid, but they were inspired by plaid. Inspired because I set out into the world ready to see. Ready to scavenge something that I might not have otherwise been looking for!
You know how that happens. You buy a red car and you suddenly see them everywhere. Someone mentions a restaurant and then suddenly you see ads for it everywhere.
That is how the prompt list works. Just gets you thinking and seeing so that suddenly everything around you has the potential to be your photo of the day on this day.
And then as you type you’ll realize you do have a plaid thing in your life. Every day your husband and your son put on button up short sleeved shirts. Friends call them, “Shea shirts,” because he wears them so often. And yep, they are plaid. I can see them hanging in the closet from where I sit at this very moment.
Funny how inspiration can be right in front of you!
How do you use the 365 list?
[contemplate1]
Thanks for this post. As a paper girl as well, I always print the list, but don’t always use it. I think I might shrink it and laminate it and keep it close as my ever-present reminder. I’m so busy in the fall, the list will help me to slow down and really see my surroundings.
I print it and keep it in my purse. Your September list helped to keep me on track this month. I used it more often than not.
I love things in print as well. I also really appreciate that you explained how you use the list. I hadn’t thought of simply looking for items in the prompt and then imagining how I would photograph them — that makes such sense, particularly since we can’t always simply take photographs of other people’s children or their articles of clothing, for instance. Now I don’t have to feel that I’ve “missed out” when there is another way to think of the prompt word.
I printed it and it’s on my bulletin board, but I also have a digital copy of it on my phone so that I can refer to it as necessary. On the printed version, I jotted down some ideas of how I will interpret the topic for my photo of the day.
Thank you!
I am new to this website and I am very eager to start a challenge, however I notice that we are clear into day 78 of the 365 challenge. Is it too late to start? I was also interested in the Lego Challenge as well.
Thanks!!!
Hi Ericka!
It’s never too late to start. Your day one can begin any day you like. Many people like to start on something memorable. I think April 1 is a great spot!
We’ll be having another Lego Challenge again soon!
Katrina
April 1st it is!!! Cookie season with the Girl Scouts will be over so I will have more time…LOL! Awesome thank you so much! And I absolutely LOVE your website!