I finally finished uploading pictures to my third year of the 365 project! For those unfamiliar with it, the basic idea is that you take a picture every day for a year and upload it to Flickr. I first heard about it through my awesome friend (and talented photographer) Melissa, and I knew I just had to try it. And now here we are, three years later. My project started in mid-November, and so it ends in mid-November every year. I have been thinking a lot about those early days, and they make me smile.
I am so glad I did this project. Having all those memories (1,095 of them!) is just invaluable. And at the end of each 365, I get to look back at the highlights. This year included trips to Berkeley, Aspen, Memphis, Idyllwild, the farm, St. Louis, Santa Barbara, and Istanbul, not to mention countless treks around the LA area. It included a lot of beading projects. And sewing projects. And painting and knitting projects. It included tons of soups and vegetables and breads and desserts and fruits. It included sunsets (and one sunrise!) and lots of palm trees, Christmas trees, and blooming flowers. It included our herb garden, our local library, and a good handful of the books and magazines I enjoyed reading this year. What this looks like to me is evidence of a live lived very fully, and I am so grateful for that.
When I started this project, I was desperate for an anonymous creative outlet while writing my dissertation. I wanted my eyes to be open to all the beauty around me, even the most mundane of it. I wanted to learn how to use my camera. And I dove in with both feet. I clicked and clicked and clicked with my camera and my keyboard. I put my whole heart into recording my life there. This project has been so good to me.
And that’s why it’s so hard for me to say goodbye to it. Even as I type this, I am wondering if I am making the right decision. But the truth is that a lot has changed in three years. I have my blog now, where I write every weekday, and I have Project Life for capturing all the little details of our everyday life. I was starting to fall behind in the second year of my 365 project, starting to have more and more days for which I didn’t have a picture, but this year has been exponentially harder. Much of this past year has been crazy busy, and this project would have been a creative saving grace, had I not had so many other outlets at the same time. Little by little, I began to feel perpetually behind, and uploading pictures to my project began to feel more and more like a chore (it has been on my monthly goal list…since I started making monthly goals!). I have no regrets about the project–I am so glad that I did it, so glad that I finished this third year. But I don’t think I’ll continue, at least not immediately. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye to something that has been part of my life for such a long time, but it makes it easier to know that that door is still open, should I ever want to walk back through it. In the meantime, a big thank you to Melissa for her inspiration and to all of you who read along on Flickr or read along here. Thank you for always making me feel that the things I share, the things that are dearest to me, are met with open eyes and ears. I love you guys.
Lovely post! I remember this project from beginning to end. And I agree that when you have gotten what you need from a project it’s time to move on. But thanks to this project, you’re probably taking a picture a day ANYWAY! Cool!
Thank you so much! It definitely has changed my photography habits, and I’m grateful for that!
Much like the people we meet, projects come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Congratulations on finishing three wonderful years with this effort, and for recognizing that a new season was upon you. I have enjoyed seeing the world through your camera lens. Your 365 Project has helped me to notice more of the subtle beauty in this place we call home.
Thank you so much for your support of this project! Your encouragement has really meant a lot to me!
Congratulations on finishing strong! I can’t wait to look through your year three in its entirety. I have to tell you, I’m in awe of the fact that you were able to do P365, Project Life, AND a daily blog for as long as you did! (See: my poor, neglected-for-two-months-now nature blog for evidence that I lack a similar commitment level.) I don’t doubt that you will continue to preserve all the things that are precious to you, but I think you’ve found a way that works for you without putting any more stress on yourself. And lucky for us, you’re still happy to share!
On a related note, after 3 years I *finally* made Blurb books of my 365s and printed them out. I highly recommend it if you haven’t done something similar! I love being able to actually hold them in my hand. A photo of them will wind up in this year’s Project 365 on the next day I completely lack inspiration.
Thank you so much, Melissa! You are seriously the spark of inspiration behind this whole thing, and I am in awe of how you have carried on, into your fourth year! I am looking forward to getting all caught up on yours too! Ohh, good idea about the Blurb books! I definitely want to do some kind of printing, so I can hold all those pictures in my hands. I know these last few months have been really crazy for you, and I think you’re a hero for carrying on with everything that you’re doing. I sincerely hope that 2013 will bring nothing but good news to you and your family! Love and prayers to you from California!
The three years of the 365 project brought you to where you are today, Cameron, and enriched the lives of all those who were encouraged and nurtured by your work. That will continue, perhaps with a different name or format, but remains all the same. Thank you for helping us notice life and live it along with you. Thank you for sharing who you are. None of us will ever be the same! Much love to you–
Thank you so much for the encouragement! I will say that I think the very best thing about all the things I am doing is that it really makes me feel closer to my loved ones who are far away. Can’t wait to see you soon!
When you started this project three years ago, I didn’t even know what Flickr was. But through your project, I found that I could get a little glimpse into your daily life even though you were two thousand miles away. I remember delighting in finding a new series of photos and enjoying your presence as I read your posts and explored your photos. You showed tremendous dedication in publishing three years of photos in spite of all of the other things going on in your lives. Now that I am a daily reader of your blog, I enjoy the additional richness I get from your expanded palette and the deeper I can gaze into your life.
Thank you so much, Daddy! I remember how exciting it was those first few months to upload pictures and know that you’d be seeing them on the other side of the country in a matter of hours! I never imagined that what started as a simple photo log would turn into the blog I have today, but I am really grateful that this is where it led me. And it still makes me smile to think of you checking my blog every day.
Love you!
It’s always sad to say goodbye to a long term project because it basically means that your life is not the same as it was when you began. You kind of have to mourn for the past. But there is so much more on the horizon! Here’s to the future!
That’s very true and very wisely spoken. Thankfully, I feel like my life has expanded instead of shrunk, and that’s a good feeling!
So true, Besfrinn, so true.