Challenge Thyself

I think it was Shakespeare who coined the term "Challenge Thyself". Or perhaps, that was just me.

Man, I sound a lot like Will. To be or not to be...a poet. Wow, ok now I know why I shouldn't post blogs late at night. 

Moving right along. I have decided to impose upon myself a photography challenge. A personal project, if you will. {I will not.}

Many photographers take on a personal project as a way to stretch their creativity. To keep growing and building in their art. Now, I am not calling myself a "photographer" because I still have a looooong way to go, but the only way to learn is to keep pushing my own boundaries, right?

So, photo challenges.

I have self-imposed two challenges. The first - a Photo-a-Day challenge - will force me to take a photo every single day for a year using my phone's camera. Let's face it, I do not pick up my main camera every single day. I do use it at least a couple of times a week, but in order to ensure that I am constantly aware of the beauty of my surroundings I have decided to hold myself accountable in this way. You can follow my challenge if you so desire on Istagram or Facebook. So far, I am on day 7 and already am having to push myself to stay on top of things. I am determined, though, and I will persevere.

The second challenge that I have give myself is a little more open-ended. I have decided to create a color project using my Canon 40D. By that I mean that I will be finding the most vibrant of colors - in any setting around me - and capturing it somehow to compile into a single project. I don't know how long it will take. Heck, it could be never ending. I know that at some point, I will want to create a book {just for myself, of course} of my work so that I can say that I have completed said personal project. These photos will not be shared as they are created, but rather as a whole entity when I feel like I have achieved my goal.

Setting challenges for myself, and specific parameters, helps to motivate me to achieve specific goals, be it using light or simply being aware of my surroundings. I am hoping that by addressing this challenge on my blog, I will set yet another parameter - that I will actually complete these challenges and arrive on the other side having grown artistically through them.

This photo is not part of either challenge, but rather one that I took a couple of months ago at my mother's school {with my phone, obviously}. A good example, though, of both color and finding beauty in your surroundings. It was a roll of ribbon that was sitting on the ledge of her white board. Don't you just love the edges?!

Wish me luck!

Even better, why don't you join me?! If you decide to join in this challenge, please let me know so I can follow your progress as well!